Figure 1.--Here we see an unidentified family from Polo, Missouri with six children. The boys look about 10-16 years old. They all wear long pants. The cabinent card portrait is undated, but looks to have been taken in the 1890s. A HBC reader tells us that the dress styles (note the baloon sleeves) suggest the mid-1890s. By this time, American boys were commonly wearuing knee pants. Boys in rural areas, however, still commonly wore long pants.

Boys at age 10 still look primarily at parents and teachers for approval and are still inclined to follow their parents directives. This was especially true in the 19th and early 20th century. This has changed somewhat in the late-20th century as even younger boys began having an indfluence on the clothing chosen. Most 10 year olds wore long pants in the 19th century. We begin to see some 10 year old wearing knee pants in the 1870s, but it wasn't until the 1880s that we see a lot of 10-year olds commonly wearing knee pants. Most 10 years old wore knee pants in the 1890s, although long pants were till common in rural areas. A good example is the boys in an unidentified Missouri family during the 1890s (figure 1). The boys look to be about 10-16 years of age. Knee pants were even more common in the 1900s, even in rural areas. A lot of boys wore overalls in the 1900s. Knickers were more common in the 1920s. Most 10 year olds wore either shorts or knickers. Here regional and social class factors were at play. Some 11 year olds wore short pants in the 1920s and 30s, but knickers were much more common. We begin to see to see some 11 year olds wearing long pants in the 1930s. Most 10-year old were wearing long pants by the 1950s. Jeans were very common. Short pants for casual wear during the summer began to become increasingly common in the 1970s for boys of all ages.

Created: 2:22 AM 10/25/2008
Last updated: 2:22 AM 10/25/2008