Figure 1.--Here we see an American boy in 1947. The boy looks to be about 8-9 years old. He wears a belt to hold up his trousers. |
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Perhaps the most common approach to trouser suspension was the standard belt, originally made of leather, but eventually made of many different materials. Some belts were plain and other highly embelished. The belt buckle became almost an art form. Belts were worn by both men and boys. Belts have never gone out of fashion, but many boys' pants, especially short pants are made without belt loops. A popular style in the 1940s and 50s were pants, especally shorts, for younger boys, with self-belts. Belts are not only practical items, they also can be used to decorative affect. We notice boys wearing belts over their jackets and sweaters where they had no practical use. This appears to have been a military influence. A good example here is a Berlin boy about 1880. We have noted this into the 1930s and less commonly the 1950s. We also notice mock-belts being worn a part of various garments. The most common here was the tunic. The belt was a very common feature of tunic styling. This belted look was also incorporated into the Norfolk jacket. We notice self-belts during the 1920s-50s. They were made in the same material and color as the trousers.
The belt buckle became almost an art form.
Perhaps the most common approach to trouser suspension for older boys and men is the standard belt. Belts were originally made of leather. Leather belts are still common. Some are made with cheaper material made to look like leather. There are also a variety of other materials. Ropes belts were worn by those not affluent enough to afford leather belts. Some leather belts were plain and other highly embelished. We note elsticised belts. The elasticised belts were often done in colors. Somne were called snake belts. These were commonly worn in England for school. A popular style in the 1930s and 50s were pants, especally shorts, for younger boys, with self-belts. We notice self-belts during the 1920s-50s. They were made in the same material and color as the trousers.
Belts were worn by both men and boys. Many boys' pants, especially short pants are made without belt loops.
Belts have never gone out of fashion. As regards boys, we first see them as a fashion rather than a practical item. Boys in the 19th cehntyry wiore them with tunics. A good example is a painting by Rebecca Solomon of an idealized Victorian family in the early-1850s. The boy wears a balck belt with fashionable maroon tunic. We believe suspenders were the most common form of trouser suspension for older boys and men in the 19th century. Many younger boys had button-on outfits. It is often difficult to tell if boys were wearing belts or suspenders from 19th century portraits because so manu boys wore jackers which covered their waistlines. A example is Clifton Harrison, an American boy, who does not seem to be wearing a belt in 1866. Belts became more common in the 20th century, especially the second half of the century. Suspenders came to be seen as old fashioned.
For belts to be effective, trousers have to be made with belt loops. I'm not sure when the first belt loops appeared. The velt loops varied in number and width. The width was primarily a stylistic, fashion question.
Belts are not only practical items, they also can be used to decorative affect. We notice boys wearing belts over their jackets and sweaters where they had no practical use. This appears to have been a military influence. We notice belts being worn over dresses and tunics as well. A good example is Edward Edwards in the 1840s. We also note an unidentified American boy wearing what looks like a leather belt over a dress, we think in the 1850s. Another early example here is an unidentified American boy wearing a belt over his tunic, we think in the 1840s. The belts worn over tunics could be styilized. Another example is a German boy about 1880. We have noted this into the 1930s. We note large numbers of European boys, especially German boys wearing belts over their sweaters. This continued into thee 1950s, but less commonly. We also notice mock-belts being worn a part of various garments. The most common here was the tunic. The belt was a very common feature of tunic styling. This belted look was also incorporated into the Norfolk jacket.
Belts until about the middle of the 20th century were almost exclusively a boy's garment. We occassionally see girls wearing belts, but this was not very common. Belts of course would be purely ornamental on dresses. Often the waistline was a stylistic element in the dress. We do see some belts are waistlines dedeloped like belts in dresses. A good example is two American sisters photographed we think in the late 1850s.
The belt was a practical garment worn primrily to hild up pants and trousers. It might also have various carrier devices attached to it to carry a range of useful items. The primary purpose, however, was to hold up pants. We also notice belts being use as a kind of fashion accessory. We notice belts being worn iver shirts, smocks, nd skirted garments for no practical purpose, but only for the fashion look. The garment most commonly worn with a non-functional belt was the tunic a very popular garment in the 19th and erly-20th centuries. We notice this in many different countries. Some smocks came with belts of the same material as the smock. In the early 20th century smocks were often worn with a leather belt. The belt had no real purpose than as a stylistic element. Wearing belts over smocks became less common in France after the 1920s. HBC has also noticed boys wearing belts over their sweaters, but was most common with smocks. This style has also been noted in Germany, but rarely in America or Britain. This is a style that HBC does not fully understand, but has begun to assess. A French HBC contributor has offered some interesting insights.
