Figure 1.--This boy is R.O. Bacon, son of Mr and Mrs Robert Ogden Bacon, prominent in New York society circles, feeds the pigeons in Central Park. A short pants suit, especially with a peaked cap, had an upper-class look to it in America. His cap looks to be a school cap. Note the patterened top kneesocks. The photograph looks to have been taken about 1930.

Short pants suits were generally worn with socks rather than long stockings. This varied some what by country and chronolgiclly. Some younger boys, however, did wear long stockings with suits for formal occasions or for winter wear. Long stockings were still common seasonally in the 1920s and worb by younger boys in America during the 30s. In Germany and Scandinavia long stockings were still common in the 30s. As long tockings declined in popularity, knee socks became commonly worn with short pants suits. The type of socks varied by country. Knee socks became fairly standard in Europe and common in America. Hosiey not only varied from country to country, but also seasonally. Knee socks were common in England and Germany. French boys commonly wore ankle socks in the summer. American boys oftem wore their short pants suits with both knee socks ankle socks. Ankle socks became more common in the 40s. The declining number of American boys wearing short pants suits in the 1960s, however, often wore knee socks. In addition to the types of hosiery, color also varied. Generally mothers attempted to match the color of suits and hosiery. Colorful argyle socks became popular with knickers in America, but for some reason they were less commonly worn with short pants. We see boys wearing white knee socks in Germany and France, but rarely in America and England. They were, however, commonly worn by girls.

Hosiery Types

Boys wore severak types of hosiery with short pants suits. The popularity of these varied over time and from country to country.

Long over the knees stockings

HBC has only limited information on the type of short pants worn with long stockings. While we have been unable to find much written information, an examination of available images, however, offers some information. We hvee noted boys often wearing suits. The ones we have noted have primarily been single breasted suits, although double breasted suits were still quite common in the 1920s. Younger boys also wore them to school in a variety of short pants outfits, such as sailor suits or white shirts and ties. We have noted fewer photographs of boys in play shorts. This may have been in part the seasonality of long stockings. Mothers were more likely to insist on long stockings when boys were least likely to be wearing shorts for outdoors play. Some boys still worn short pants all year round in the 1920s, but this was becoming less common in the 1930s--especially in America.

Knee socks

Boys wore both solid colored and patterened kneesocks. Grey knee socks were very common in England. American boys also wore grey kneesocks, but black ones had become more common by the 1950s. French and German boys sometimes wore whaite kneesocks. American boys also wore patterned kneesocks, but more commonly with knickers than short pants. Both British and American boys wore kneesocks with patterened tops.

Three quarter socks

Ankle socks

Ankle socks were most commonly worn by American boys with short pants suit. They were also common in France diring the summer, but less common in England. They were almost always solid colors.

Country

The hosiery worn by boys with short pants varied from country. English boys very commonly wore kneesocks. American boys wore a variety of hosiery with short pants suits including long stockings. They also wore kneesocks, but ankle socks were very common. French boys wore socks of varying length. German boys also wore a variety of hosiery, but kneesocks were more common than in France.

Created: November 10, 2000
Last edited: 4:22 AM 1/1/2016