Figure 1.--This image comes from newsreel footage on Norway just on the eve of the NAZI invasion in April 1940. The shot shows a Norwegian farm family who live on the West coast of the country near the sea, an area of great strategic importance for the Germans who will shortly occupy the country. The blonde teenage boy who is standing with his back to the camera is probably wearing fairly typical rural dress on a chilly Spring day--a red checked shirt with either short sleeves or the sleeves neatly rolled up above his elbow, dark short pants, long grey stockings, and calf-high rubber boots (like Wellington boots). This may be his standard mode of dress for chores around the farm. The photograph provides evidence that in 1940, rural Norwegian boys as old as twelve or thirteen still wore long stockings with their short pants. Although the NAZIS discouraged the wearing of long stockings, we know that they also persisted in Germany after the War and into the 1950s, especially in more provincial and conservative parts of the country.

We do not yet have much information on the garments worn by Norwegian boys. Our archive of Norwegian images is very limited at this time. We do note Norwegian boys wearing sailor suits, a style that was common throughout Scandinavia. Knitwear is popular in Norway as it is in all the Scandinavian countries. We notice many images of Norwegian boys wearing as wide variety of knitwear. Traditiinally mothers and grandmothers knitted warm clothes at home for their children. We also note boys wearing knee pants at the turn of the century. Short pants were popular for Summer wear during the mid-20th century. Knickers were also wuidely worn by Norwegian boys. We note them being worn in Norway after they had passed out of fashion in other countries. A factor here is that knickers and ski pants were essenhtially the same style. We have noted Norwegian boys wearing a wide range of hosiery, including long stoclkings and tights.

Skirted Garments

Younger Norwegian boys in the 19th century wore various skirted garments. This was the general pattern throughout Europe anf North America, We assume that Norwegian mothers followed the same vasic trends. As children clothes were influenced by both Britain and and Germany (through Sweden), trends presumably were similar to those countries, but as there were differences in those countries, we are not sure how fashion trends played out in Norway. Our Norwegian artchive is very limited, thus we are unable to use it to establish even the mopst basic trends,. We do see younger Norwegioan boys wearing skirted garmenjyts, but that is all we can confirm ar\t this time.

Sailor Suits

We are unsue how common sailor suits were in Norway. We do note note Norwegian boys wearing sailor suits, a style that was common throughout Scandinavia. Norway is, however, a small country and our Norwegian archive is very limited. So we suspect that Norwegian boys did wear sailor suits and we have just not yet found images. Norway has an extensive msaritime tradition so it would ve a little surprsing if sailor suits were not worn by Norwegian children. And until 1905, Norway was part of Sweden wear boys did commonly wear sailor suits. Norway had a very new monarchy beginning (1905). The first two Norwegian princes wore sailor suits. We see Prince Olaf extensively wearing sailor suits similar to what his British cousins wore. We alo notice Prince Harald wearing a saiLor suit in 1944, when the Royal family was still safely in America during the World War II German occupation. . This we believe would have been a Norwegian naval uniform and not a boy's suit although the styling was essentially the same as a traditional boy's sailor suit. Unlike his father, Prince Harald did not wear sailorsuits as commonly as his father. We also notice a Norwegian boys' choir uniformed in sailor suits.

Suits

We have very little information on Norwegian boys suits at this time. Wecdo not know of any destinctive Norwegian styles. We think that they were similar to suits worn in England and Germany. But can only be confirmed as we acquire motr Norwegian images for our archive.

Pants

We also note boys wearing kneepants at the turn of the century. Short pants were popular for Summer wear during the mid-20th century. Knickers were also wuidely worn by Norwegian boys. We note them being worn in Norway after they had passed out of fashion in other countries. A factor here is that knickers and ski pants were essenhtially the same style. An English reader tells us, "I also noticed that HBC needed more information on Norway, and I know a bit about that because my daughter and two grandsons live there now. In contrast to the British way of dressing boys for summer in a cold and wet climate, the Norwegians seem to have long ago mastered the art of dressing children warmly. They have always dressed kids in "ullbukse", which translates to "wool pants". These are worn by themselves if the weather is cool, or under snowsuits if the weather is cold. But they are always worn in fall and winter, it seems. They are often knitted by mums and grans, always out of pure wool, but are also available commercially in sizes up to age 11. See the best examples at www.nostebarn.no and click on the button that relates to "2-16 ar", then find "ullribb-bukser". I really envy Norwegian kids in their warm clothing!"

Knit Clothing

Knitwear is popular in Norway as it is in all the Scandinavian countries. We notice many images of Norwegian boys wearing as wide variety of knitwear. Traditiinally mothers and grandmothers knitted warm clothes at home for their children. Of course it is Norway's climate, which can be quite cold, that makes warm knit garments especially welcome. Germents include stockig caps, sweaters, snowsuits, stockings, and other garments especially popular. Many image show Norwegian children wearing brightly colored sweaters and stocking caps. Younger children were dressed in snowsuits. I'm not sure if these snow suits are as popular as they once were. Stockings were also commonly knitted, although today most hosiery is read made store bought items, both socks and tights.

Tights

An HBC contributor reports that before World War II (1939-45) some little boys in Norway wore shorts and over-the-knee stockings. By the late 1940s, young boys used long stockings, if they were 10 or younger, and only in winter. The stockings were very long, allmost all the way uop the leg, and held by strops from a short bodice. This bodice was worn by boys and girls. Dressing was complicated. I'm not sure yet, however, to what extent Norwegian boys actually wore tights. We know they are worn, but our information is very limited at this time. We do note that Norwegian knitting magazines show boys and girls wearing tights for winter wear. Long stockings and tights havve been worn as dresswear as well as for cold weather. At this time, however, as far as we know, Norwegian boys have worn tights primarily for warmth during cold weather.

Knives

A knife has been a common part of boy's dress in Norway (except for the dress suit) and still is for sport and folk costumes. Men wore the knife hanging slightly to the left. Boys usually moved it to the hip or slightly behind. Norwegians in the countryside was probably more conservative about knives than the country's only two "cities"--Oslo and Bergen. A boy would would normally get his first knife before he started school, around 6 years of age when he was old enough to learn how to use it. Many Norwegians have scars from their first knife. Though some teachers disliked it, most boys wore knives at school. It was very important for bigger boys and teenagers.

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Created: 2:40 AM 3/12/2005
Last updated: 7:52 AM 9/14/2025