Figure 1.--This CDV portrait show a a boy who looks to be about 6 years old, but is otyher wise unidentified. He wears a button-on suit with bloomer knickers and matching light-colored long stockings with high-top shoes. There is no studio infomation. The portrait is undated, but wasd probably taken in the late-60s or early-70s.

American fashion trends in the mid-19th century seem basically a refection of European trends. This included both children and adults. Boys in the early-19th century wore long pants. We begin to see shortened-lenth pants t mod-centuty. Ir as fashionble trend imported from Europe. We also see boys wearing a variety of suits. Most boys wore long pants, but we see some boyswearing shortened-length pants. The most common tyoe was straight-leg knee pants. We do see some bloomer knockers in the 1860s. They were mot as common as long pants and knee pants. After the 1860s, bloomer knickers became less common. they were much more common in Europe. By the late-19th century we see destinctive Anerican trends. We note many younger American boys wearing bloomer knickers with tunic suits at the turn-of- the 20th century. Most American boys wore their tunic suits with bloomer knickers. They were widely worn from the late-1890s through the early 20s. At the time that tunic suits became popular at about the turn of the 20th century, most American boys wore knee pants. Boys tended to wear tunics suits, however, with bloomer knickers. A good example is Harold Howes in 1905. By the 1910s, knickers were more common, especially for older boys, but the younger boys wearing tunic suits still wore bloomer knickers. A good example is the Hubbard brothers in 1917. Generally knee pants went out of style in the 1900s decde anbd anerican boys began wearing proper knickers. We see bloomer knickers while tunics suits were popular, but they disppeared in the 1920s when tunics went out of style.

The 19th Century

American boys in the early-19th century began wearing long pants. Boys and men in the 18thcentury wore knee breeches. Thisbegan to change at the turn of the century. Ar first tche change was in boys wear. This began with skeletoin suita the turn of the 19th century. This was an outfit with short jsckets and long pants. The skeleton was the first decicated outfit for children--in this case boys. A good example is an unidentified boy wearing a bright red skeleton sduit in a painting by James Ward (1797). We begin to see boys wearing a mix of pants in the 1860s. After boys wore long pnts for half a century. We begin to see shortened-length pants appearsing, esecially after mid-centuty (1860s). Fashionble trends were still imprted from Europe. We also see boys wearing a variety of suits. Most boys wore long pants, but we see some boys begining to wearing shortened-length pants. This was the case among fashionable families in the big cities. Based on the pgotographic record, the most common type of shortened-length pants were straight-leg knee pants. We do see some bloomer knockers in the 1860s. They were mot as common as long pants and knee pants. Unfortuntely most of the images we have found are undated. We can generallu assess the decade, but we can not differentiaste CCVs taken durng the lare-1960s and 70s. We begin to see caninent cards in the mid-1960sm but CDVs were still very common until weell into the 1870s. After the mid-1870s bloomer knickers became less common and we see more younger boys wearing knee pants. By the 1870s we begin to see many more knee pants than blooner knicers, although long pants were still standard for older boys. Notavly bloomer knickers much more common in Europe. Knee pabts were becoming standard for Ameriocan boys in the 1880s. All Fasunteleroy suits weere done wityh knee pants. We rarely see bloomer knickers. Teenagers still generally wore long pants. By the late-19th century we see destinctive Anerican trends.

The 20th Centuey

We note many younger American boys wearing bloomer knickers with tunic suits at the turn-of- the 20th century. Most American boys wore their tunic suits with bloomer knickers. They were widely worn from the late-1890s through the early 20s. At the time that tunic suits became popular at about the turn of the 20th century, most American boys wore knee pants. Boys tended to wear tunics suits, however, with bloomer knickers. A good example is Harold Howes in 1905. By the 1910s, knickers were more common, especially for older boys, but the younger boys wearing tunic suits still wore bloomer knickers. A good example is the Hubbard brothers in 1917. Generally knee pants went out of style in the 1900s decde anbd anerican boys began wearing proper knickers. We see bloomer knickers while tunics suits were popular, but they disppeared in the 1920s when tunics went out of style.

Created: 6:04 PM 7/17/2022
Last updated: 12:07 AM 3/8/2026