Figure 1.--This Americam tintype was taken about 1865 which we know because it had a Federal revenue stamp. Loud pattern pants were very popular at mid-century. We see fewer of them in the 1860s. This tintype came in a case like dags and ambros. Click on the image to see the case.

We do not yet have much information about trouser patterns in the early 19th century. The images we have found suggest that trousers were mostly solid colors. We notice boys wearing pants with very bold patterns in the mid-19th century. A goof example is a young teenager in the 1840s. Solid colored suits seem more common in the 1860s, but we do notice some boys with pattern pants, often worn with solid-colored jackets. Pants often had patterns in the late 19th century, but they were generally rather muted. Often they are so muted that they are difficult to make out in photographs. They seem to be mostly a kind of plaid with very muted colors. Thus vintage clothing is useful here. These muted patterns continued into the early20th century. The pants seem to be solid colors, but are often muted patterns. Many boys wore corduroy jnickers in the 1920s and 30s which obly had the standard vertical cord paterns. After World War II boys increasingly wore jeans and slacks without patterns. Suits might have paterns, but increasingly sold-colors were becoming more common. We note stripped and checked pants in the 1970s, but this was more of a fad and did not last long.

Created: 2:15 AM 1/26/2005
Last updated: 12:23 AM 4/24/2007