French Boys Suits: Pants Types--Knee Pants


Figure 1.--These two boys are unidentified. They look to be 10-13 years of age. The boys wear identical double-breasted suit jackets with some piping on the lapels and sleeves. The younger boy wears knee pants. The older boy's pants seen a little different more like knee breechs are even narrow cut knickers. Both boys have light-colored stockings and high top shoes. Notice the center hair parts. The CDV is undated, but looks like the late-1870s or early-80s to us. Here we are not entirely sure, we are not yet able to assess French CDVs as accurately as American ones. The studio was A. Carette in Lille.

French boys began wearing knee pants suits at the mid-19th century. We are not sure about the precise origins as our French archive is still limited. The style may have originated in France, but we can not yet confirm that. Nor are we sure about the chronology. Photography was invented in France by Louis Daguerre (1839). Unfortunately we have been able to archive very few early French photographic portraits. And thee early photographs would be extremly useful in etablishing orgins. Thus we can only begin to follow French fashion trends with the appearance of the CDV in numbers (1860s). We think at first most boys wore long pants and knee pants were for younger boys from fashionable affluent families, although the style appears to have become popular for older boys earlier in France than other countries. A good example is the Parisian Caplain brothers in the 1860s. Only gradually did the style become more generalized and older boys began to wear them. But as far as we can tell that boys began waring knee pants and other shortened-length pants earlier than in America. And we begin to see older boys in France wearing knee oants older than in America. We are still assessing the 1860s, but we see younger teens wearing knee pants in the 1870s. hey were no universal, but increasingly popular. We are not entirely sure what attributes caused a family to choose knee pants rather than long pants. Nor are we sure what trends were for working-class famlies. Most of the early images we have found are for middle-class or upper-class familes. As the century progressed knee pants and other shortened-length pants become increasingly popular. We are still assessing the relative importance of the different types of pants.

Origins

French boys began wearing knee pants suits at the mid-19th century. We are not sure about the precise origins as our French archive is still limited. The style may have originated in France, but we can not yet confirm that. France of course was emensely important in setting European fashions. England seems to have been importnt in men's and boys' fashions. Thus we are not yet sure as to the subject of origins.

Chronology

Nor are we sure about the chronology of French knee pants yet. French boys wore knee pants for over seven decades, but we are not yet sure just when the first appeared. Photography was invented in France by Louis Daguerre (1839). Unfortunately we have been able to archive very few early French photographic portraits. And thee early photographs would be extremly useful in etablishing orgins. Thus we can only begin to follow French fashion trends with the appearance of the CDV in numbers (1860s). We see rather long skee pants in the 1860s. Most were cut at calf-lengh. As the century progressed the length began to get shorter until eventually reaching knee lenbgth. Kknee pants and other shortened-length pants become increasingly popular over time. We are still assessing the relative importance of the different types of pants such s bloomer knickers over time. We continue to see knee pants suits in the 20th century through the 1910s. By the 1920s we most see short pant suits, but some formal suits were done with the hm buttons into the 1930s.

Cut

The cut of knee pat varied from very full cuts to very tight pnts like the boy here are wearing. And o course there was every degree in between. The first knee pants we see are open-leg knee pants, often with full cuts. The cuts varies over time. Here we see very tightly cut knee pants, we think in the late-1870s or early-80s to us looking almost like knickers (figure 1).

Length

These pants are called knee pants, but in fact the length varied. Early knee pants were often quite long, commonly cut at calf level. Th boys here wears pants cut just below the knee. By the late-19th century we see pants cmmonly cut just at the knee.

Age Conventions

We think at first most boys wore long pants and knee pants were for younger boys from fashionable affluent families, although the style appears to have become popular for older boys earlier in France than other countries. A good example is the Parisian Caplain brothers in the 1860s. Only gradually did the style become more generalized and older boys began to wear them. But as far as we can tell, boys began waring knee pants and other shortened-length pants earlier than in America or even in England. And we begin to see older boys in France wearing knee oants older than in America. We are still assessing the 1860s, but we see younger teens wearing knee pants in the 1870s. They were not universal, but increasingly popular.

Hosiery

We see French boys mosrly wearing long stockings with knee pants until the late-19th century when we begin to see knee socks. Here the boys wear light-colored long stockings (figure 1).

Family Conventions

We are not entirely sure what attributes caused a family to choose knee pants rather than long pants. Social class seems to have been a factor. Nor are we sure what trends were for working-class famlies. Most of the early images we have found are for middle-class or upper-class familes.








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Created: 5:33 AM 8/13/2014
Last updated: 3:47 AM 10/7/2014