Figure 1.--This cabinet portrait shows an unidentified borther ans sister, they look to be about 11-14 years of age. The girl wears a dark dress with elaborate features like vents and puffed sleeves. The boy wears a cut-away jacket, best and knee pants. The portrait is undated, but we would guess was taken anout 1890s. (The girl's dress sleeves are a giveaway.) The studio was Spurr in Hull.

We begin to see younger English boys wearing knee pants suits in the mid-19th century. We think that knee pants first apeared in England, but are not yet sure. This is a little hard to tell from the photogrphic rceord, because early European portraits (Dags and Ambros) are not as common as American portraits. Nor do we know who first created knee pants. We first note them in the 1850s. We are not sure yet about the 40s. They were first worn by yonger boys just breeched. We believe that they were first won by boys in affluent, well-to-do families. We see knee pants before knickers, but both were commonly worn in the late-19th century. From the beginning it became a popular style to add decorative buttons at the knee hem. This was to suggest 18th century knee breeches. We have no idea whose idea this was or why it beacme so widely accepted. We have begun to collect images so we can build a decade by decade chronology. The style of knee pants, length, prevlence, and age conventions changed over time. Here we see a boy in the 1870s, notice the stripes on the pants (figure 1). Some schools by the 1870s had begun making shortened-length pants part of the school uniform. These were mostly the public (private boarding schools which were very influential. We notice knickers more than knee pants as part of required uniforms. We see younger teenagers wearing them, by the 1880s, but this was by no means universal. We think that workig-class boys of the same age were more likely to wear long pants. There were also variation from family to family. Knee pants suits continued to be popular in the early-20th century, but not universal. We see boys in the 1880s wearing Little Lord Fauntleroy suits, but unlike American boys, mostly with knickers. We do not see them after World War I when boys primarily wore short pants suits in the 1920s. Knee pants essentially evolved into short pants. The first short pants were long like knee pants.

Decades

We begin to see younger English boys wearing knee pants suits in the mid-19th century. We think that knee pants first apeared in England, but are not yet sure. This is a little hard to tell from the photogrphic record, because early European portraits (Dags and Ambros) are not as common as American portraits. Nor do we know who first created knee pants. We first note them in the 1850s. We are not sure yet about the 40s. The first portraits we find in any numbers are founs in the 1860s with the appearance of the CDV. They were first worn by yonger boys just breeched. We mosrly see younger boys wearing them to about 8 years of age. We see some older boys earing them, but not very many. We note a London boy who looks to be about 11 years of age. We believe that they were first won by boys in affluent, well-to-do families. We see knee pants before knickers, but both were commonly worn in the late-19th century. We have begun to collect images so we can build a decade by decade chronology. Knee pants suits continued to be popular in the early-20th century, but not universal. We see boys in the 1880s wearing Little Lord Fauntleroy suits, but unlike American boys, mostly with knickers. We do not see knee pants after World War I when boys primarily wore short pants suits in the 1920s. Knee pants essentially evolved into short pants during the 190s. The first short pants were rather long long like knee pants.

Decoration

From the beginning it became a popular style to add decorative buttons at the knee hem. This was to suggest 18th century knee breeches. Here we see a boy in the 1870s, notice the stripes on the pants (figure 1).

Popularity

We have no idea whose idea shortened-length pants were or the fashion became so widely accepted.

Styling

The style of knee pants, length, prevlence, and age conventions changed over time.

Schools

Some schools by the 1870s had begun making shortened-length pants part of the school uniform. These were mostly the public (private boarding schools which were very influential. We notice knickers more than knee pants as part of required uniforms.

Ages

We see younger teenagers wearing them, by the 1880s, but this was by no means universal.

Social Class

We think that workig-class boys of the same age were more likely to wear long pants. There were also variation from family to family.

Created: 9:51 PM 5/18/2014
Last updated: 3:12 AM 5/7/2017