Boys' Historical Uniform Garments: Knickers

Figure 1.--This American boy, like millions of others, was photographed in his back yard outfitted with his new Scout uniform. He wears above the knee knickers. HBU estimates that the photograph was probably taken about 1920. He looks like he might be wearing long stockings rather than kneesocks.

Knickers were widely worn by British boys in the late 19th Century. They mostly passed out of style after the turn of the 20th centuary as short pants became more popular. This was the same time that the Scouts were being established. Thus the Scouts and most groups established in the 1920s, like the Italian Baillal and Hitler Youth, adopted short pants uniforms. American Scouts, the largest Scout association, mostly wore knickers as this was the most common dress for American boys. American Scouts wore knickers until the 1940s when long pants were adopted. HBU knows of no other important uniformed group that had a knickers uniform.

Chronology

Knickers were widely worn by British boys in the late 19th Century. They mostly passed out of style after the turn of the 20th centuary as short pants became more popular. This was the same time that the Scouts were being established. American boys, the onlyones to adopt knicker uniforms, at the time were in the process of swithing from kneepants to knickers. The BSA was incorporated in 1910 and the uniform they developed included either knickers or short pants. The boys almost always chose knickers, except for camp or jamborees where the BSA insisted on shorts. Scouts wore knickers until long pants replaced them in the 1940s. When American Cub Scouts were cretated in 1930, biys were allowed to wear knickers or short pants, again most boys chose knickers until long pants were authorized in the 1940s.

Organizations

Thee Scout groups established in the 1900s and 1910s around the world and most groups established in the 1920s, like the Italian Baillal and Hitler Youth, adopted short pants uniforms. American Scouts, the largest Scout association, however, mostly wore knickers as this was the most common dress for American boys. American Scouts wore knickers until the 1940s when long pants were adopted. HBU knows of no other important uniformed group, other than American Scouts and Cubs, that had a knickers uniform.

Style

American Scouts mostly wore below-the-knee knickers. Some mothers in the 191os preferred the above-the-knee knicker style and some Scouts wore their knickers above the knee for formal photographs at home. Most boys, however, wore their kinickers buckled below the knee. I am not sure about Scout regulations, but it does not appear that official uniform pants were ever made in the above-the-knee style. The style of above the knee knickers was still worn in the early 1920s, but was little seen by 1925. By the mid 1920s almost all boys were wearing their knickers bucked below the knee. As Cubbing did not begin in America until the 1930, they also wore below the knee knickers.

Countries

HBU at this time only knows of knickers being worn by uniformed youth groups in America. Small groups in other countries may have also worn knickers, but HBU at this time does not now have details.

Hosiery

Amerucan boys wearing knickers commonly wore them with kneesocks which were the only official hosiery. Some boys in the 1910s appear to be wearing their knickers with long stovkings, but kneesocks were the only authorized hosiery. The Cubs who were organized in 1930 also wore their knickers with kneesocks. The blue Cub kneesocks had yellow bands at the top. I d not believevthat the Scout khaki kneesocks had these stripes.