Figure 1.--A 1920 post-card back snasp shot provides an insight into fashion trends at the beginning of the 1920s decade. We do not know the family name, but we know their first names and ages. They are pictured in more than a back garden, but some kind of estate, meaning that they came from a well-to-do family. Compare this to a middle-class backgarden family portrait. Notice the rug laid down for the children. Grace was almost 2 years old and wears a basic white dress. John was 5 and a half, almost ready for school. It is difficult to make out his outfit, but is a white short pants outfit, we belive a sailor suit with white socks. Sydney was 7 suggesting that he he had begun school, but we had no idea whst kind of school. This is not what he would have worn to school. He wears an open lapel jacket and blouse with a large collar. It looks like a soft collasr not an Eton collar. He also wears short pants, but they do not seem to match the jacket, and white socks. Armando was 9 and a half and wears what could be a chool outfit, a short pants suit with knee socks. Note how long the shorts are. He was probably attending a prep school. Joyce and Betty 10 and a half and 13 and wear similar dressess and long stockings. This looks what they might have attended at school. A reader points to the level of age grading employerd by mother.

Most younger boys did not wear sack suits, but a range of other outfits. We see older boys wearing sailor suits on the Continent. We no longer see Fauntleroy suits for younger boys after World War I, except for very formal formal occasions. There were Fauntleroy touches for youngr boys during the decade. We can see that here with Sydney in a family portrait during 1920 (figure 1). Sailor suits continued to be worn, but mostly by younger boys. Double-breastred suits declined in popularity. The single breasted suit became very imoportant after World War I. Short pants suits replaced knee pants, but continued to be very long as we can see with Armando here. Knickers which had been prevalent at private schools also largely disappeared, replaced with short pants. We continueto see the older teenagers at school wearing long pants. Most English boys quit school at about 13 years of age abnd did not continue io to secondary schools. This was the general pattern in Europe and even America to a lesser extent. Boys quitting school While knickers largely disappeared, some clothers used the term knickers for short pants. We are not sure about colors, but grey appears to be a popular color. Many boys from modest income famiklies wore their school uniforms rather than a suit. Blazers became very popular as a school uniform item durung the decade.

Created: 6:46 PM 10/13/2022
Last updated: 6:47 PM 10/13/2022