American boys at different ages have worn a wide variety of pants and trousers. The syles and conventions have varied substantially over time. Younger boys in the 19th century often did not wears pants, but a variety of skirted outfits, incluing dresses, skirts, and kilts. They commonly wore pantalettes with these garments. The age of breaching varied. Boys mostly wore long pants in the early 19th century. We see younger boys after breeching wearing bloomer knickers at mid-century. Gradually knee pants became more common. Knee pants were very common for boys by the 1880s. Older boys mostly wore long pants, although by the 1890s we see some teenagers wearing kneepant. Tunics became popular at the turn-of-the 20th century and boys wore them with bloomer knickers. Most boys wore knickers in the 1910s, including teenagers. After World War I we no longer commonly see boys wearing dresses. Many younger boys wore short pants, but knickers were more common for school age children. Knickers continued to be popular in the 1930s, but teenagers commonly wore long pants. After World War II we see increasingly casul styles. Jeans became very popular with younger boys and were widely adopted by teen agers in the 1950s. Most boys wore long pants, but in the 1960s short pants began to become popular for casual summer wear. Shorts were at first worn by younger boys, but teenagers began wearing them as well.
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Younger boys in the 19th century often did not wears pants, but a variety of skirted outfits, incluing dresses, skirts, and kilts. They commonly wore pantalettes with these garments. The age of breaching varied. Some boys were breched at age 3, others not until 5 years of age or even older. They might wear long pants or fancy suits with bloomer knickers. Dresses began to decline in popular by the 1880s. Many boys nstead wore kilt suits. After the turn-of-the-century, knee pants became more common. After world War I we no longer see many 3-year olds wearing dresses. Most 3 year olds wore short oants, often with long stockings during the winter.
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A popular style for pre-school boys including 4-year olds was shortalls. We see boys wearing shortalls during the 1950s-70s. After the 70s they were still worn, but only by todlers.
Age 5 was the last year before school which became common in the 19th century. This changed in the 20th centuryv as Lindergrten and nursery school gradually became more common. Boys at 5 years of age generally were breeched, but some were not ad wore dresses or after mid-century kilt suits. Boys who were breeched in the early 10th century might wear skeleton suits or tunic with long trousers. We begin to see various shortened-length pants at mid century, both bloomer knickers and straight-leg knee pants, but many boys at age 5-years of age wore long pahnts like the older boys. This was especially common in rural areas. Gradually knee pants became standard for younger boys and by the end of the century, older boys as well. Fauntleroy suits with knee pants were a popular style for 5-year olds. At the turn-of-the- 20th century, tunics worn with bloomer knickers were very popular for 5 year olds. Other boys this age wore knee pants. Older boys by the 1910s wore knickers, but knee pants continued to be popular for younger boys. After World War I we no longer commonly see boys wearing dresses. Many younger boys wore short pants. We see younger boys, epecially pre-school boys wearing short pants, but older boys, especially by about age 8 years more commonly wearing knickers. Boys at age 5 years commonly wore short pants, but by the 1950s many were wearing long pants even during the summer. We also see shortalls becomeing a popukar style for preschoolers , including 5 year olds. We see 5 yearolds wearing short pabts Eton suits when dressig up , but by the 1970s long pants were more common when dressing up. On the other hand, casual shorts became increasingly popular for boys of all ages during the summer for casual wear.
Age 6 was an important year because this was the age mmany boys began school. This became increasingly important in the second half of the century as the public school system became
more estabished. Boys after breeching mostly wore long pants in the early 19th century. We see younger boys after breeching wearing bloomer knickers at mid-century. Gradually knee pants became more common. Knee pants were very common for boys by the 1880s. Knee pants and knickers were commonly worn by school age children.
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Most 7 year old boys wore long pants in the early 19th century. At mid-century many 7 year olds wore blouses with long trousers. Some wore fancy suitswith bloomer knickers. Some 7 year olds wore knee pants, usually as part of a suit, but long panys were still quite common. Knee pants became more common in the 1870s and were very common for 7 year olds in the 1880s. Virtually all 7 year olds wore knee pants in the 1890s and 1900s. Some mostly rural boys began wearing overalls in the 1900s. Tunic suits worn with bloomer knockers were popular at mid-century. Knickers becamne very common in the 1910s. After World War I in the 1920s we see 7 year olds wearing both shrt pants and knickers. We see many 7 year olds wearing long pans by the 1940s, although shorts were also worn. By the 1950s 7 year olds still wore both short and long pants. Shorts were increasingly seasonal wear. Jeans were very common both for school and play. By the 1960s, boys at 7 still dressed up with short pants, but they were increasinly casual play wear.
Jeans became very popular with primary (elementary) school boys after World War II.
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Boys at 9 years of age wore long pants in the early 19th century, some with skeleton suits. Boys might wear tunics, usually with long pants. Boys at age 9 were mostly wearing long pants at mid-century. Mostly younger boys wore the fcy suits with bloomer knickers, but some 9 years old might have worn them. Knee pats began to become popular in the 1860s and by the 1870s many 9 years old weare wearing them. Virtually all 9 year olds were wearing knee pants in the 1890s and 1900s. Overalls became very common in rural areas in the 1900s. Knickers became more common in the 1910s. Short pants began to be worn in the 1920s, but knickers were more common. We begin to see 9 year old commonly wearing long pants in the 1940s. Jeans were very popular. Shorts began to become more popular in the 1960s for casual summer wear.
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. A good example is the boys in an unidentified Missouri family during the 1870s. The boys look to be about 10-16 years of age. 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. Virtually all 11 years old wore knee pants in the 1890s and 1900s. 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.
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Boys at ahe 11 begin to feel a little more grown up. For the first time they begin to look more at their peers than their parents and teachers for approval. Most 11 year olds wore long pants in the 19th century. We begin to see some 11 year old wearing long pants in the 1870s, but it wasn't until the 1880s that we see a lot of 11-year olds commonly wearing knee pants. Virtually all 11 years old wore knee pants in the 1890s and 1900s. A lot of boys wore overalls in the 1900s. Knickers were more common in the 1920s. Some 11 year olds wore short pants in the 1920s and 30s, but knickers were much more common. We see to see some 11 year olds wearing long pans in the 1930s.
Men and boys of all ages wore knee breeches (18th century). This began to change for younger boys, but not for 13-year olds at the end of the century when long pants skeleton suits appeared. Long pahnts became common for yonger boys in the early-19th century. We are not sure about 13-years olds. We suspect this varied depending on social class. Upper-class men ad some teenagers continued wearing knee beeeches for a time. Virtually all boys and men were wearing long pants (1820s). Shortened-length patns did not appear until mid-century, but they were for younger boys. Grdully older boys began wearing knee pants. This was still mot very common in the1880s, but by the 1890s most 13-year olds were wearing knee pants, especially in urban ares. The major exceptions were boys iving in rural areas an boys who had left school abd began working. But even some working boys wore knee pants in the late-19th and early-20th century. Both 13-year olds wore knee pants (1900s), not all, but most. Knickers becane common (1910s) and we see many youngr teenagrs wearing them. They were very commn for 13-year olds. Short pants were worn by yonge boys but not very commonly by teenagers, even yiunger teens like 13-year olds. They continued to be common, but older teenagers began wearing long pants (1920s). Knickrs declined in popularity during the 1930s, but we sill see a few younger teens wearing them. Knickers disappeared in the early-40s, but it was mostly younger boys wearing them. Almostall 13-year olds wore long pants (1950s). There were a few exeptions like Scouts and summer camps. Jenas were widely adopted by teenagers in the 1950s. Most boys wore long pants, but short pants began to become popular for casul summer wear. And as school standards became more casual we begin to ee boys commonly wearing the lonish cut shorts, often cargo style to school (1990s). Long pants often jeaans were sandard, but these lonish sjorts were lso very common, especially in warm weather. (1960s)..
Older boys mostly wore long pants, although by the 1890s we see some teenagers wearing kneepant. Tunics became popular at the turn-of-the 20th century and boys wore them with bloomer knickers. Most boys wore knickers in the 1910s, including teenagers. After World War I we no longer commonly see boys wearing dresses. Many younger boys wore short pants, but knickers were more common for school age children. Knickers continued to be popular in the 1930s, but teenagers commonly wore long pants. After World War II we see increasingly casul styles. Jens became very popular with younger boys and were widely adopted by teenagers in the 1950s. Most boys wore long pants, but in the 1960s short pants began to become popular for casul summer wear. Shorts wee at first worn by younger boys, but teenagers began wearing them as well.
Most 15 year old boys wore long pants in the 19th century. We see some 15 year olds wearing knee pants in the 1890s. This contnued into the 1900s. Knickers became more common in the 1920s and boys at 15 were both wearing knickers and long pants. We note a farm boy wearing knickers in 1922. By the 1930s long pants were more common for 15 year olds. Knickers continued to be popular in the 1930s, but teenagers commonly wore long pants. After World War II we see increasingly casul styles. Jeans became very popular with younger boys and were widely adopted by teen agers in the 1950s. Most boys wore long pants, but in the 1960s short pants began to become popular for casul summer wear. Shorts were at first worn by younger boys, but teenagers began wearing them as well.
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