Figure 1.-- Here we see a German boy in 1877. The portrait was taken in Bremen, my home town. Note the length of the boy's kneepants. Unfortunately we do not know his name.

The first kneepants we notice in germany are quite long. This was also the case in other countries, but this seems especiallt true in Germany. Mamy boys wear kneepants that sometimes can not easily be identified as kneepants. Some boys wore kneepants that were so long that when worn with high-top shoes, on could not see the stockings. Here we see a German boy wearing very long kneepants in 1877 (figure 1). Actually there is little difference between this boy's pants and long trousers. We classify them as kneepants because they are shortened-length trousers and are not blouced at the leg hem like knickers. It does not make a lot of sence developing different terms for these shortened-length trousers. Thus we use the same term, kneepants, for all the different lengths even though some are cut closer to the ankle than the knee. This boy's pants are clearly cut above the ankles. We do not know how pants like these would have been called in Germany at the time. Surely they would not have been called kneepants. This is not something we have noted in America. American boys wore kneepants that were quite long in the 1860s and 70s, but not as long as the kneepants we have noted in Germany. Of course it is rather a streach to call pants at ankle length kneepants. Long-length kneepants appears to have been the prevalent style in the 1870s. We note much shorter kneepants by the 1890s. This length persisted in Germany throygh the 1910s until kneepants went out of style in the 1920s.

Chronology

The first kneepants we notice in germany are quite long. We first notice them in the 1860s, but we assume that they probably first appeared in the 1850s.

Country Trends

These long length kneepants also appeared in other countries, but this seems especiall true in Germany.

Various Lengths

We have notice boys wearing kneepants made in three basic lengths.

Long length

Many boys wear kneepants that sometimes can not easily be identified as kneepants. Some boys wore kneepants that were so long that when worn with high-top shoes, on could not see the stockings. Here we see a German boy wearing very long kneepants in 1877 (figure 1). Actually there is little difference between this boy's pants and long trousers. We classify them as kneepants because they are shortened-length trousers and are not blouced at the leg hem like knickers. It does not make a lot of sence developing different terms for these shortened-length trousers. Thus we use the same term, kneepants, for all the different lengths even though some are cut closer to the ankle than the knee. This boy's pants are clearly cut above the ankles. We do not know how pants like these would have been called in Germany at the time. Surely they would not have been called kneepants. This is not something we have noted in America. American boys wore kneepants that were quite long in the 1860s and 70s, but not as long as the kneepants we have noted in Germany. Of course it is rather a streach to call pants at ankle length kneepants. Long-length kneepants appears to have been the prevalent style in the 1870s.

Calf length

We also see slightly short-cut kneepants being worn by German boys, cut at about calf level. A good example is an unidentified German boy probably about 1870 wearing calf-length kneepants with a cut-away jacket suit outfit.

Knee-length

We note much shorter knee-length kneepants by the 1890s. This length persisted in Germany throygh the 1910s until kneepants went out of style in the 1920s.

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Created: 8:50 PM 12/2/2005
Last updated: 8:50 PM 12/2/2005