** suspender shorts -- country trends









Suspender Shorts: Country Trends


Figure 1.-- This Italian boy wearing suspender shorts vwas photographed in the early 1940s. It may have been in 1942. The cap suggests the photograph was taken during the War. udging from his height relative to his mother, he was about 11 year old.

The popularity of suspender shorts varied somewhat from country to country. They appear to have been most popular in Europe, although younger American boys also wore them. I do not ghink that they were very popular in England. I am most familiar with suspender shorts as an American style. I begin to see them about the 1930s. They were not one of the more popular style of shorts, but were commonly worn by younger boys for dress wear. Most younger boys wore them in the 1930s and 40s. HBC ha noted that British boys did wear suspender shorts, but not nearly as commonly as boys in France, Germany, and other counties on the Continent. Suspender shorts seem to have been especially popular in France, perhaps more so than any other country. We do not have a complete chronology of suspender shorts, but they appear to have been widely worn by French boys from the 1930s through the 1950s. HBC has noted many German boys wearing suspender shorts. Grmany appears to have been one of the countries where suspender shorts were most common. A lot of pictures are currently appearing in the press describing the Berlin Air Lift. Quite a number of the younger boys in 1948 appear to be wearing suspender shorts. We alo note many German images from the 1950s, especially the early 1950s ofGerman boys wearing suspender shorts. HBC has also noted French boys wearing suspender shorts. I think suspender shorts were popular in Italy, but I have little information at this time. HBC still has very little information on suspender shorts in Japan. I have noted younger children wearing suspender shorts. School age children wore them less commonly. Notably, girls at Japanese schools wear suspender skirts, but boys generally do not wear suspender shorts.

America

I am most familiar with suspender shorts as an American style. I begin to see them about the 1930s. They were not one of the more popular style of shorts, but were commonly worn by younger boys for dress wear. Most younger boys wore them in the 1930s and 40s. The were sill worn to some extent in the early 50s, but they were much less common than in the 1940s. This was especially true of dress shots, such as the ones worn with Eton suits. Shorts with suspenders of the same material as the the shorts were still worn. The suspenders were attached to the shorts or buttoned on. These were generally dressier shorts rather than the ones for play. They became less common during the decade, probably because dressy shorts were less commonly worn. A HBC reader writes, "I don't think that suspender shorts were very common in America during the 1950s. I've looked at a lot of school pictures and family snapshots on the web, and the last examples of suspender shorts worn as an item of daily wear by a boy above toddlerhood was in the late 40s in a first or second grade class in Florida. I didn't wear them beyond the age of 2, and my New Jersey cousins last wore them at 3 or 4 when gussied up for a Christmas photo. Clearly they had become a nostalgia item that mother inflicted on boys too young to object when they wanted to make them look precious. The fact that Dennis the Menace's friend Joey wore them was an anachronism that more reflected 40s styles than 50s styles, much the same as Dennis' overalls."

Belgium

Our information on Belgium is incomplete at this time. We believe the trends concerning suspender shorts are similr to those in France. We note Belgian boys wearing suspender shorts boh for play and dress styles. One 1950s photograph shows a Belgian boy whp looks to be about 5-6 years old wearing rather dressy suspebder shorts with a white blouse that has slightly puffed soeeves. He looks to be on a Sunday outing to a beach carnival attractions.

England

HBC has noted that British boys did not commonly wear suspender shorts, but not nearly as commonly as boys in France, Germany, and other counties on the Continent. What is curious is that in the early 20th century we notice quite a few Engliush boys wearing suspenders (braces), just as in Germany. While the Germans began wearing suspender shorts, this was not very common in England. It was not unknown, but just not very common. Suspender shorts appeared to have been called strap shorts in England. One HBC reader recalls a pair of strap shorts his little brother wore in the 1960s. They were not, however, ready made clothes, but sewn by a friendly elderly lady. While suspender shorts were not common, we do notice girls wearing suspender skirts, especially as part of school uniforms.

France

Suspender shorts seem to have been especially popular in France, perhaps more so than any other country. We do not have a complete chronology of suspender shorts, but they appear to have been widely worn by French boys from the 1930s through the 1950s. I have not yet noted comments from our French contributors on sespender shorts, so do not yet have any details on this style. Boys appear to have worn suspender shorts for both play an dress occasions. The most common type was parallel in front and crossing in back. We do not know of any destinctive features of French suspender shorts. As in other countries, they were mostly worn by younger boys although age trends have varied somewhat over time.

Germany

HBC has noted many German boys wearing suspender shorts. Germany appears to have been one of the countries where suspender shorts were most common. A good view of post-World War II Germany is "Germany Year Zero" (1948). It was shot in 1947. A lot of these Italian neo realist films had very low budgets. There was not a lot of money for costumes and thus tend to provide very accurate depictions of contemprary fashion. The main character was a 12-year old German boy who wears suspender shorts. A lot of pictures describing the Berlin Air Lift in 1948-49. Some of most common photographs depicting the Airlift show children watching the flights coming and going at the Berlin airports, especially around Tempelhof where the Americans flew into. The American pilots stated dropping chocolate bars and other candy from the planes, attracting even greater numbers of children. Quite a number of the younger boys in 1948 appear to be wearing suspender shorts. We also note many German images from the 1950s, especially the early 1950s of German boys wearing suspender shorts. One unidentified German family in the eatly 50s dressed all three of their boys in various types of susprender shorts. The family here looks like a modest income family. Suspender shorts, however, were worn by boys from affluent families as well. We also see German royalty wearing them about 1952. Another example is another German boy, probably in the early 1950s.

Italy

HBC has also noted French boys wearing suspender shorts. I think suspender shorts were popular in Italy, but I have little information at this time. The image here shows an Italian boy about 11 year old wearing suspender shorts in the early 1940s (figure 1).

Japan

HBC still has very little information on suspender shorts in Japan. I have noted younger children wearing suspender shorts. School age children wore them less commonly. Notably, girls at Japanese schools wear suspender skirts, but boys generally do not wear suspender shorts. Boys commonly have worn short pants, although has changed considerably since the mid-1990s, however, they generally do not wear suspender shorts. HBC's Japanese consultant reports that some private elementry schools have suspender shorts for their uniform, but it is rather rare. He confirms that suspender skirts for girls are very common throughout Japan.

(The) Netherlands

We note a younger Dutch boy wearing suspender shorts in 1937.

Poland


Russia

Most suspender and H-bar shorts were popular styles during the Soviet era. We notice boys from the 1920s-60s commonly wearing suspender shorts. We note one 1956 image. We notice them in the Baltic Repiblics as well as Russia itself.







HBC






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Created: December 17, 2003
Last updated: 11:10 PM 7/1/2021