Figure 1.--Knee pants were at first worn well below the knees. We begin to see boys by the late-1880s and early 90s actually wearing knee-length knee pants. |
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Although the term "knee pants" was very common. Many of these pants were not actually knee length. In fact we see kneepants being worn at many different lengrhs from above the knee to just a little above the ankle. Early knee pants that were worn in the 1860s tended to be much longer than knee length, often calf length. This long cut continued to be common in the 1870s and was still widely seen in the 1880s. Only in the 1880s, especially by the late-80s do we see shorter cuts. Boys by the 1890s were wearing actual knee-length pants. Even so, we see boys wearing long-length kneepants in the 1890s. A good example is a chicago boy, Robert Mason Hamilton, in 1897. Here age does not seem to have been a factor, at least not directly. Rather it was simply fashion. One factor in the age variability seems to have been mothers. Many mothers bought boys pants in a size larger than they actualy were. This allowed the boy to get more wear out of them. And other mothers continued to have boys wear pants that were still good even though he may have grown out of them height wise. Boys continued wearing lnee-length knee pants into the 1900s, but then we see note boys wearing knickers. There were differences from country to country as to this general pattern. European boys, for example, began wearing knickers earlier than in America, but not as commonly.
Although the term "knee pants" was very commonly used it can be miskeading. Many of these pants were not actually knee length. In fact we see knee pants being worn at many different lengths from above the knee to just a little above the ankle. For purposes of assessment, we have divided knee pants into three basic lengths: 1) knee length, 2) calf length, and 3) near ankel length. The popularity of the different lengths seems primarily a function of the chronology of knee pants. Age seems to have little to do with it, except a growing boy would wear knee pants that looked shorter thn when he first got them. Early knee pants seem quite long, A good example is a portrait of two unidentified brothers wearing very-long cut knee pants in 1864. Most were cut at calf level. As late as the mid-1880s, we still see the near ankle-length knee pants. A good example is Jesse Bell, an American boy in 1884. By the 1890s knee pants were acruall cut at knee level.
Early knee pants that were worn in the 1860s tended to be much longer than knee length, often calf length. This long cut continued to be common in the 1870s and was still widely seen in the 1880s. Only in the 1880s, especially by the late-80s do we see shorter cuts. Boys by the 1890s were wearing actual knee-length pants. Even so, we see boys wearing long-length kneepants in the 1890s. A good example is a chicago boy, Robert Mason Hamilton, in 1897. Boys continued wearing Knee-length knee pants into the 1900s, but then we see note boys wearing knickers by the 1910s, at least in America. There were differences from country to country as to this general pattern. European boys, for example, seem to have begun to wear knickers earlier than in America, but not as commonly.
Here age does not seem to have been a factor, at least not directly. Rather it was simply fashion.
One factor in the age variability seems to have been mothers. Many mothers bought boys pants in a size larger than they actualy were. This allowed the boy to get more wear out of them. And other mothers continued to have boys wear pants that were still good even though he may have grown out of them height wise.
