Figure 1.-- Assessing fashion trends is complicated because so many old photographs are undated. Here we have a dated image. And notice the boy is wearing knickers and not knee pants. It is 1907-08 when we see a sudden switch from knee pants to knickers. And the fact that he is on a boating excursion suggests to us that he comes from a family in confortable circumstances with a fashion concious mother. A reader comments, "If you notice the younger child (who I suspect is a boy) because he is not wearing a hair bow. He seems to be wearing a white tunic suit or dress and bloomer styled short pants. What are your thoughts? Also I would guess the older boy is about 14 or so." This is a little complicated. Click on the image for a discussion.

American boys mostly wore knee pants at the turn of the Century. We begin to see knee pants in the 1860s. And they were etandard even for older boys by the 1890s, at least in cities. Knickers were not unknown, but for several decaded we mostly see knee pants. This was still the case in the 1900s. At the turn of the century, except for tunic suits almost all boys wore knee pants. Short pants were little worn in the 1900s. Suddenly we begin to see knickers, we think in 1908. We are not sure just why. The new American Boy Scouts movement chose breeches/knickers for their uniform (1908). Scouts in Europe, first in Britain and than in other countries, introduced short pants uniforms. Long pants for American boys were not unknown, althogh knee pants had become standard. The shift we see beginnng about 1908 was one of the most precipitous fashion shift we have ever noted. It is so precipitous that it can be used to help date these images, many of which are not dated. The shift in very notiable in 1900s school portraits. Knickers by the end of the decade had become not only more common, but dominant. Rural boys, however, did commonly wear long pants usually overalls. Bib front overalls were the most common style. They were not much worn by city boys--although the fathers of working class boys might wear overalls as work clothes. Nothing like this shift occured in Europe.

Types of Pants

American boys mostly wore knee pants at the turn of the Century. We began to see knee pants in the 1860s. And they were standard even for older boys by the 1890s, especially in cities. Knickers were not unknown, but for several decades we mostly see knee pants. This was still the case in the 1900s. At the turn of the century, except for tunic suits almost all boys wore knee pants. Short pants were little worn in the 1900s. This continued for most of the decade. Suddenly we begin to see knickers, we think in 1908. We are not sure just why. The new American Boy Scouts movement chose breeches that looked like knickers for their uniform (1908). Scouts in Europe, first in Britain and than in other countries, introduced short pants uniforms. The America Scout associatiin chose breeches. We are not sure why. We assume it was because short pants seemed more appropriate for little boys. Long pants for American boys were not unknown, althogh knee pants had become standard. We do not see many boys wearing then until about 16 years of age, at least in the city. We also begin to see boys wearing overalls, but mostly at the end of the decade. This was a development in rural areas.

Ages

We see both grade school boys and teen agers wearing knee pants. Knee pants were virtually universal for primary (elementary) school boys. They were also very common for younger teenagers. Even older teens wore them, but for the older boys this varied from family to family. Knickers appeared at the emd of the decade, but the ages comventions were the same as for knee pants. The overalls that appeared in rural areas had no ahe comvntions. Boys of all ages wore thm.

Change

There was little change from the late-1890s. The shift we see beginning about 1908 was one of the most precipitous fashion shift we have ever noted. All of a sudden boys switch from knee pants to knickers. Many younger boys contunued to wear knee pants into the 1910s, but became as universal as knee poajts had been. We have no idea why this change occurred and why it was precipitius. It is so precipitous that it can be used to help date these images, many of which are not dated.

School Trends

Clothing trend are very noticeable in school portraits. We see just how common knee pants were in urban areas. They are especially valuable because they show large numbers of children and are often dated. Commonly all the boys in a class wore kmee pants. And we can see in school portraits how preciptious the change to knicvkers were about 1908. And we begin to see overalls in rural schools at about the same time. Most of the images we have collected show the children dressed up for schools. Mostly boys wear suits, commonly kneepants suits. Several younger boys wear sailor suits. Some of the younger boys also have ruffled collars added to their suits. Most of the suits seem to be kneepants suits worn with with black or other dark long stockings. The girls all wear dresses, some with pinafores. They also wear long stockings, although not all are black long stockings. What we are not sure about if the outfits shown were what the children wore to school normally or if they dressed up for the portrait. We note relatively few images of children wearing overalls to school in the 1900s, although we begin to see boys wearing overalls at some rural schools by the end of the decade. It was not until the 1910s, however, that they became common.

Demographic Trends

Trends in urban and rural areas varied. Rural boys, however, did commonly wear long pants usually overalls. Bib front overalls were the most common style. They were not much worn by city boys--although the fathers of working class boys might wear overalls as work clothes. Nothing like this shift occured in Europe.

Created: 10:35 AM 10/10/2018
Last updated: 11:21 PM 7/25/2019