** United States boys' clothes during the 1930s garments








United States Boys' Garments: The 1930s


Figure 1.--These two brothers in the early 1930s wear a sailor suit and a knicker suit. The younger brother wears a beret and note the old style buttons on the shorts. The cap worn by the older boy was a very common style during the period.

The standard headwear for boys in the 1930s was the flat cap. Younger boys might wer berets. A few boys had baseball caps. Thre were also winter caps with ear flaps. A popular novelty cap style was leather aviator helmets with goggles. Outwardly American men's clothing had changed only subtly during 1930s. Men and older boys wore suits with wider shoulders and more double-breasted suits. Boys wore both single and double breasted suits. School age boys mostly wore knicker suits. Younger boys might wear short pants suits. American boys commonly wore knickers in the 1930s. At the beginnng of the 1930s the knickers buckled at the knee. Most boys by the 1930s were wearing knickers that buckled below the knee. A new style of knickers appeared in the mid-1930s. Velvet Fauntleroy suits had not entirely disappeared for boys. Sailor suits were once one of the most popular outfits worn by boys. They were still worn in the 1930s, but were much less common than before World I or even the 1920s. Once virtually every by had a sailor suit. "T"-shirts are one of the most popular garments worn by boys. Virtually every boy had colorful striped "T"-shirts. The signal the arrival of new more casual styles. Knee socks had replaced the long stockings worn by previous generations of American boys. Boys wearing knickers mostly wore them with knees ocks. They were almost always patterened knee socks, especially argyles. Basic information about garments worn in the 1930s by American boys is as follows:


Figure 2.--These children going to school in 1939 show the younger boy wearing short pants and the older boy wearing cord knickers.

Headwear

Headwear was still common, but not nearly as common as it was in the 1920s, especially with children. We see large groups with only a few kids wearing headwear. The standard headwear for boys in the 1930s, espevcially the early-30s, was the flat cap, but they were no longer universal. And by the end of the decade had become seen as rather old-fashioned. Younger boys might wer berets. A few boys had baseball caps. We see some boys wearing beanies. Thre were also winter caps with ear flaps. A popular novelty cap style was leather aviator helmets with goggles.

Suits

American boys in the 1930s wore suits with short pants, knickers, and long pants. Short pants suits were mostly worn by younger boys, although some older boys, especially boys from afluent families were more likely to wear them. Most American boys wore knicker suits, although not as commonly as in the 1920s. Most older boys had long pants suits. Outwardly American men's clothing had changed only subtly during 1930s. Men and older boys wore suits with wider shoulders and more double-breasted suits. Boys wore both single and double breasted suits. School age boys mostly wore knicker suits in the early-30s, as in the 1920s. They were no longer universal, bit still widely worn. Some yunger boys might wear short pants suits, but by the time they were 8 or 9, sometimes earlier, they wanted knickers or even long pants. Many men of the era can remember to this day when they got their first pair of knickers and then long pants. This chnged substantiakky by the end of the dedcde. We see fewer kncker suits and far more long pants suits. And unlike the early-30s, boys began wearing knickers with ankle socks, especially during the summer months.


Figure 3.--Younger wealthy boys in the 1930s still wore fancy velvet party suits with short pants. The advertisement with this drawing indicated that it was for size 6-10.

Velvet suits

Velvet Fauntleroy suits had not entirely disappeared for boys. The Fauntleroy suit was much modified and now made with short pants to be worn with white kneesocks and ankle socks. These outfits were only worn by boys from wealthy families for formal occasions.

Sailor Suits

Sailor suits were once one of the most popular outfits worn by boys. They were still worn in the 1930s, but were much less common than before World I or even the 1920s. Once virtually every by had a sailor suit. This was no longer true by the 1930s. Sailor suits by the 19830s were only worn by younger boys. Boys older than 8 or 9 year old rarely wore sort pants. They were primarily worn with short pants, but some werevmade with long pants as well. Sailor suits with knickers were unusual. We notice both playsuits and dress up suits, but the play suits were more common.

Pants

American boys commonly wore knickers in the 1930s. At the beginnng of the 1930s the knickers buckled at the knee. Most boys by the 1930s were wearing knickers that buckled below the knee. A new style of knickers appeared in the mid-1930s. Rather than buckling at the knee, the new style was elasticized. The boy then pulled his kneesocks up over the elasticised knicker hem. He then put a garter under the turn-over-top sock cuff to keep the sock up. Short pants varied somewhat depending on the boys' age. Younger boy wore very short shorts, often with short jackets. Older boys wore longer short pants, usually cut to knee length. Formal dressy short pants were mostly worn by younger boys. Mostly they were worn with ankle socks. Shorts were most common in the south and California. Some older boys in the northeast, especially boys from affluent families wore short pants with knees socks. Casual and play shorts were also worn mosly by younger boys--mostly during the summer. Somewhat older boys might wear play shorts, but even play shorts were not commonly worn by boys past elementary school. Many boys went to camp during the summer. Some of the more expensive camps had uniforms. Usually shirts with the camp logo and short pants. Some of these shrts had a vertical stripe on the side.


Figure 4.--Little boys commonly wore short pants during the summer for play, often short cut shorts. Notice the stripe on one boy's shorts. Some summer camps had uniforms with short pants--often with such stripes. I believe this photograph appeared in a 1939 magazine. It shows that "T" shirts were begining to be worn by American boys.

Shirts


T-shirts

"T"-shirts are one of the most popular garments worn by boys. Virtually every boy had colorful striped "T"-shirts. The signal the arrival of new more casual styles. I do not yet have full details on the development of "T"-shirts. I have not noted them in the 1920s, but they do begin to appear in the 1930s. I think they appeared in the mid- or late-1930s, but this needs cinfirmation. Boys were definitely wearing brightly colored stripped "T" shirts before World War II (1939-45). One factor in the appearance of "T"-shirts in the 1930s, was the opularity of "T"-shirts at summer camps. Many boys wore them at camp and wanted to contune wearing the comfortable garments at home. They were not, however, nearly as common as they were to become after the War in the late 1940s and 50s.

Socks

Kneesocks had replaced the long stockings worn by previous generations of American boys. Boys wearing knickers mostly wore them with kneesocks. They were almost always patterened kneesocks, especially argyles. Kneesocks by the late 1930s, however, were declining in popularity and were much less commonly worn by biys in the 1940s. >Many boys wore ankle soccs. Little boys often wore ankle socks with short pants, especially during the summer. These were usually dark socks, often with stripes. OLder boys might also wear ankle socks with knickers during the summer. The growing number of boys wearing long pants would commonly wear ankle socks.

Footwear

Sneakers became increasingly popular for boys. They were, however, generally seen as inexpensive footwear for boys during the summer. They were less commonly worn by girls. They were alo decidedly not seen as fashionable footwear. Leather high top boots (with a pocket for a Scout knife) were popular, but many parents could not afford them. Many children wore galoshes to school to protect their leather hoes when it rained or snowed.

Underwear

Long underwear became less common in the 1930s. Men and boys began to increasingly wear boxers and briefs marketed by the Jockey compamy.







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Created: March 13, 2004
Last update: 12:29 AM 12/14/2018