Figure 1.--I'm not sure about the nationality of this photograph. It has an English look about it, but the colarless jacket was more of an American style. It was more of a style for younger boys, but this boy looks to be about 11 years old. |
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Suits for boys resembling the modern suit began to appear in the mid-19th Century. They were at first worn with long pants. Knee pants became very common in the late 19th century. We begin to see short pants suits in the 1910s, but the popularity varied by country. Short pants suits began to appear in England during the 1910s and had generally replaced knickers by World War I (1914-18). We see them in a variety of different styes. Few English boys wore knickers by the 1920s. The chronological pattern differed by country. Knickers continued to be more popular in America, much more popular than short pants suits. Shorts were most popular with boys from affluent families. This social divide was not as pronounced in Europe. The pattern in Europe was more similar to England and by the 1920s, short pants suits were common throughout Europe. Almost all younger boys wore them and even some older boys. Boys as old as 15 or 16 years might wear them. In many countries, knickers continued to be worn by older boys or for cold weather wear. After World War II (1939-45) shorts pants suits were still commonly worn in Europe, sometimes by quite old boys--perhaps reflecting the difficult economic conditions. By the 1960s, however, short pants suit began to decline in popularity, except in Japan. Boys by the 1970s were no longer commonly wearing short pants suits, although some were worn as school uniform. They weremhowever, occasionally seen in fashion magazines. The age of boys wearing short pants suits varied over time and from country to country.
Suits for boys resembling the modern suit began to appear in the
mid-19th Century. Previously boys had worn
skeleton and
sailor suits and
tunics with long pants after graduating from baby
dresses and
kilts. Their fathers in the early era of the 19th Century wore
knee breeches. By mid-Century that had changed. Men wore long pants and children knee length pants. At mid-Century the suits worn by boys were generally plain, although some more elaborate styles were available to romantic mothers. It was not until the 1880s that elaborate Fautleroy suits appeared with lace collars and fancy blouses.
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We notice short pants suits done in many different coat/jacket styles. The name of the suit was generally derived from the style of the jcket. Short pants suits have been made in several different styles.
These styles varied over time and from country to country. Commonly the same jacket style was made for boys of various ages. The younger boys common wore them with short pants and somewhat older boys with knickers or ong pants. This variedc, however, by country and chronological period. We notice American teenagers wearing varioys types of suits with knickers and in Europe we note teenagers wearing both short pants and knickers with suits as well as long pants.
European mothers for generations used pants and trousers as a way of diferentiating men and boys. European boys commonly wore long pamts in the first half of the 19th Century, initially while their fathers wore knee breeches.
The pants worn by boys at mid-century varied. Some boys wore
long trousers like their fathers. As the century progressed, however,
it became increasingly common for boys to wear knee-length pants.
Many styles buttoned at the knee, others were simply cut off at the knee. Knee pants were worn with long stockings which were kept up by suspender waists. The stockings were usually a dark color or horizonal stripes which became popular in the latev 1860s. The tops of the stockings which came over the knee held up with clasps. Only the very youngest boys had bare knees, and it was even rare for little boys wearing more juvenile styles. Boys wearing short pants suits always wore long stockings.
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Knickers appeared in England after the mid-19th century. They were considered at first to be sporty country wear, but also became identified as suitable for suits worn by school age boys. They generally went out of fashion for boys in England during the 1910s, just as they became popular in America. Patterns differed in other countries. Older French boys might wear a knicker suit rather than a short pants suit. This pattern was common in other European countries. French boys might havde a suit with knickes and shorts with the knickers to be most commonly worn in the winter.
Boys wearing short pants suits with knee socks and bare knees began to appear in England befor the First World War and became increasingly widespread during the early 1920s. Before the War knee length pants were common, but often worn with long stockings. After the War the shorts became shorter and were more
commonly worn with knee length socks, leaving the knees bare. The fashioned was greatly influenced by Lord Baden Powell's growing Boy Scout uniform. Boys' pants or trousers through the 1920s had button closures. The BFGoodrich Co. in 1924 registered the name "zipper," although
it would be a number of years before this closure was used in any apparel other than overshoes, it would eventually repace buttons. Eventually vitually all pants would have zipper rather than button
closures.
Short pants suits began to appear in during the 1910s and had generally replaced knickers by World War I (1914-18). They were partocularly common in European countries like England, France, Germany, and Italy. Few Ebglish boys wore knickers by the 1920s. The chronological pattern differed by country. Knickers continued to be more popular in America, much more popular than short pants suits. Shorts were most popular with boys from affluent families. This social divide was not as pronounced in Europe. The pattern in Europe was more similar to England and by the 1920s, short pants suits were common throughout Europe. Almost all younger boys wore them and even some older boys. Boys as old as 15 or 16 years might wear them. In many countries, knickers continued to be worn by older boys or for cold weather wear. After World War II (1939-45) shorts pants suits were still commonly worn in Europe, sometimes by quite old boys--perhaps reflecting the difficult economic conditions. By the 1960s, however, short pants suit began to decline in popularity, except in Japan. Boys by the 1970s were no longer commonly wearing short pants suits, although some were worn as school uniform. They weremhowever, occasionally seen in fashion magazines.
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The ages of boys wearing short pants suits varied over time and by country. Short pants suits for boys of school age were common throughout Europe after World War I. Quite old English boys wore short pants school uniform, but most boys by about 13 began wearing long pants suits. Many English boys wore school uniforms rather than suits. On the Continent the situation was somewhat different. Through the 1950s, boys as old as 15 or 16 might wear short pants suits, although at that age long pants were more common. A good example is a German teenager in 1933. In America short pants suits were less common than in Europe and generally worn by younger boys. Many boys wore knoickers rather than short pants. After World WarII, long pants became incresasingly common, even for younger boys.
The shoes and stockings worn with short pants suuts also varried over time and by country.
Short pants suits were generally worn with lace up low cut shoes. High top shoes generally passed out of style in the 1910s just as short pants suits were becoming popular. Generally dark black or bown leather shoes were worn, depending on the color of the suit. Younger American boys might wear saddle shoes with their short pants suits. Japanese boys commonly wear loafers as well as lace updhoes with short pants suits.
Short pants suits have generally been worn with socks rather than long stockings. Some younger boys, however, did wear long stockings with suits for formal occasions or for winter wear. The type of socks varied by country. Kneesocks were common in England and Germany. French boys commonly wore short socks in the summer. American boys oftem wore their short pants suits with ankle socks, especially after the 1950s. The declining number of American boys wearing short pants suits in the 1960s, however, generally wore kneesocks.
Children grow very rapidly as mothers know who have to buy their clothes. Some times boy wear suits that show to much of their sleeves or are have short or long pants that are too short. Mothers once they have decided to but a new suit have to drag their son to the department store to be measured for a new suit. As boys are often not to happy about the idea, somrtimes they go shopping without their son, guessing at the sizes. It is usually mon who does this, although dad might take his son to the men's oufitter for the first adut suit. Suits were often brought at easter or for the holidays. Speciall occasions like First Communion or Confirmation might also call for a new suit.
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The styles and conventions for wearing short pants have varied greatly from country to country. Difference have been particularly sharp between Europe and America where short pants suits were much less common and worn by generally younger boys. Latter after the 1960s there were differences between Japan and the West. By the 1990s boys around the world were increasingly wear similar styles. Mothers in many countries often selected the style of suit on thebasis of a boy's age. In some instances boys of different ages wore the same style suit, but their mother varied the collar style, bow or necktie, and other accessories on the basis of age.
Traveling in Europe: The 1960s
British debate: The 1960s
American boy: Eastern and western fashions
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