Figure 1.--Our photographer here has not learned not to shoot into the sun, but we can still make out some of the clothing details. These brothers both wear riding breeches related to Jodpurs in a photograph taken about 1954. Note the heavy knee socks they have pulled up over the breeches.

Our limited 19th century Candian archive makes it difficult to assess 19th century fashion trends. We know much more about the 20th century, although we still don not have a great deal of information. Knickers were very common in the 1920s and 30s, but by the 1940s long pants became inceasingly important. Pre-teen boys from affluent families often wore short pants. We are less sure about French-Canadian boys who often came from low-income families. Boys that wore short pants commonly wore them with knee socks or even long stockings. Modern Canadian fashions are today little different than American fashions, although the summer clothes, especially short pants, are somewhat less common because of the climate. Candian boys continued wearing knickerts longer than Amertican boys. Photographs sunbitted by Canadian readers show boys wearing knickers in 1955 when they were no longer worn in America.

Knee Pants

We do not have a lot of information on knee pants in Canada. This is because knee pants were primarily worn in the second half of he 19th century and our Canadian 19th century archive is very limited. We are less sure about Canada. HBC is not yet sure how common knee pants were in the Canada during the late 19th and early 20th century. Knee pants became standard in the United States and knickers were rarely worn in th 19th century. We are not sure about Canada. Notably, Britain was an influence in Canada and knickers were worn n Britain during he 19th century. We can usually distinguish between American and British portraits. This is not the case for Canada. Our archive is limited, but some available photographs suggest that knee pants were commonly worn until replaced by knickers and short pants. Although they may not have been as dominant as in America. We do know that knickers were very common in the inter-War era as in America. We believe that the pattern was similar to Britain, but also influenced by American trends, especially American mail order catalogs. We note a Montreal boy wearing knee pants with long black stockings in 1885. We also notice an Ontario boy wearing a knee pants suit (about 1905), America made a major shift to knickers about 1908-09. We are not sure why, but it is very notable in the photographic record.

Knickers

Knickers were very common in the 1920s and 30s, but by the 1940s long pants became inceasingly important. They have worn different styles of knickers. In the early 1920s, above the knee knickers were worn with both kneesocks and long stockings. By the late 1920s, below the kneeknickers and kneesocks had become more common. Candian boys continued wearing knickerts longer than American boys. Photographs subitted by Canadian readers show boys wearing knickers in 1955 when they were no longer worn in America.

Breeches

We see many Canadian boys wearing riding breeches. "Breeches" (known in Anglophone slang as 'breeks') are a style related to Jodpurs. We also notice them in America and Britain at the time. The pants fastened below the knees like knickers but were not blousy or bloomer-like, and, instead of knitted cuffs to hold them in place, were usually fastened by buttons (usually several buttons) on the side of the lower leg. Boys wore them with knee socks, usually with turnover cuffs, but it was not unusual for boys to wear the tan long stockings that they had been wearing with shorts a year or so earlier and to turn over the tops so that they resembled knee socks. We are unsure when breeches first appeared in Canada. We notice them in the 1930s. A good example is Quebec boys in 1942. This appears to be the fashion in this photograph. The boys here in 1954 are wearing them (figure 1).

Short Pants

Short pants began to appear after World War I. Conventiins were a little different than the knee pants worn before the War. Pre-teen boys from affluent families often wore short pants. I'm less sure about French-Canadian boys who often came from working-class families. Short psants seem common before World War II. Boys that wore short pants commonly wore them with kneesocks or even long stockings for formal occassions. Modern Canadian fashions are today little different than American fashions, although the summer clothesm especially short pants, are somewhat less common because of the climate. We note the same stule shorts as worn in Britain during the 1920s and 30s, but after World War II American styles become increasingly popular. As in America and Britain we rarely see Canadian boys wearing Lederhosen.

Long Pants

Canadian boys commonly wore long psants in the 19th century. After mid-century we see some younger boys wearing bloomer knickers and knee psnts. We do not see large numbers of school-age boys commonly wearing knee psants until the 1890s. Knickers became popular in the 1910s as occurred in America. For the most part only older boys wore long pants. This began to change in the 1930s as more boys began wearing long pants.

Created: September 18, 1998
Last updated: 7:24 PM 1/22/2025