Figure 1.-- Knickers were mostly worn during the 1910s-30s. During that period a variery of garments were commoinly worn with knicker suits. Probably the most desinctive was the flat cap. In fact the period of popularity for both garments were almost identical. Both were symbolic of the first decades of the 20th century. The flat cap was not the only headwear worn with knicker suits, but it was by far the most common. This American boy is unidentified. He was probably photographed in the 1910s. He wears a flat cap with his Norfolk knickers suit. Note the long stockings and high-top shoes. The scooter is the old cast metal kind with a wooden running board. There is a dog with him you only see him from the back but it looks like a German Shepherd. The background is a dilapidated brick building, presumably his home.

Knickers were mostly worn during the 1910s-30s. During that period a variery of garments were commonly worn with knicker suits. Probably the most desinctive was the flat cap. In fact the period of popularity for both garments were almost identical. Both were symbolic of the first decaded of the 20th century. The flat cap was not the only headwear worn with knicker suits, but it was by far the most common. We note neckties and to a lesser extent bow ties. We notice a variety of collars. Detachable collars, including Eton cillars were popular in the early 20th century, but were much less common by the 1930s. Hosiery also varied. American boys mostly wore knickers with first long stockings and then knee socks. Black long stockings were very common. Knee socks were often patterned, frequenly loud patterns. We note some boys, however, in the 1930s wearing knickers with ankle socks--especially during the Summer. This was less common with knicker suits, but not unknown. We notice both high-top shoes and low-cut oxfords, but rarely sandals.

Headwear

The flat cap was not the only headwear worn with knicker suits, but it was by far the most common. Probably the most desinctive garment worn with knicker suits was the flat cap. The two are strongly associated and are a combination lmost symbolic of American boyhood. In fact the period of popularity for both garments were almost identical. We see flat caps in the 1900s, but they were only one of several styles of caps worn. At the end of the decade both knicker suits and flat caps suddently increased in popularity. As a result, by the 1910s, flat caps were the standard headwear for school age American boys. Both were symbolic of the second and third decade of the 20th century (1910s-20s). We also see flat caps and knicker suits in the the 1930s, but they were not nearlt as common as the 1920s, especilly after the early-30s. Not only do we see more styles of headwear, but we see fewer boys wearing headwear. By the 1940s we no longer see flat caps to any extent and knickers raidly fell out of popularity in the early-40s. Some of these flat caps were made to match the suit, but most were purchased separetly. Some mothers probably picked one out to match the boy's suit rather than coming with the suit.

Neckwear

We note boys wearing knicker suits both with and without neckwear. The boy here does not wear a tie with his knicker suit. Notice that he is not at a formal event of any kind, but outside playing, perhaps after school (figure 1). We note neckties and to a lesser extent bow ties worn with bow ties. We note some younger boys in the 1900s and 10s wearing knicker suits with floppy bows.

Shirts and Collars

We notice a variety of collars. Detachabkle collars, including Eton cillars were popular in the early 20th century. They were still worn in the 900s when knee pants were common, but were declining in the 1010s when knickers became the domonant panys types for American boys. Eton collars were much less common by the 1930s.

Jackets

We notice American boys knicker suits being worn with dfferent jacket styles. We see boys wearing both single- and double-breasted jackets. Double-breated jackets were at first most popular in the early 20th century. Single-breasted suits gradually increased in popularity. While these were the basic styles, there were a wide variety of variations associated with the lapels and pockets. The lapels varied in cut and width. The pockets varied in number, placement, and type. The Suits with Norfolk styling were popular in the early 20th century. The American boys here wear single-breasted knickers suits, probably in the 1920s, with Norfolk elements (figure 1).

Vests

Pants Styles

The notice various styles of knickers. There were variations in length, fullness, and closures. There were also variations in suspension.

Hosiery

Hosiery also varied. We notice three types of hosiery, including long stockings and knee socks and to a lesser extent ankle sicks. American boys mostly wore knickers with first long stockings in the 1910s and 20s and and then knee socks in the 1930s. Black long stockings were very common especially in the 1910s and 20s. They became less common in the 1930s, but might be worn for formality. The shift from plain flat colored long stockings to loud knee socks was quite a shift. We are not entirely sure why this happened. Long stockings were almost never bought with patterns. Knee socks were often patterned, frequenly loud patterns. There were all kinds of patterns done in different colors. We are not sure how common flat-colored knee socks were. Our preliminary assessment is that they were not very common, but this needs to be confirmed. It is not clear why this difference developed. We also note some boys in the 1930s wearing knickers suits with ankle socks--especially during the Summer. This was more common with boys wearing just knickers not as part of a suit.

Footwear

Footwear worn with knicker suits also varied. This primarily was a chtonological mtter which is useful in dating the images. This is a helpful device for dating undated images. Of course it is not definitive, but a helpul general rule. We notice both high-top shoes and low-cut oxfords, but rarely sandals. High-top shoes were common in the early-20th century (1900s-20s). The high-tops were mostly button shoes when boys mostly wore knee pants suits (1900s). We mostly note lace-up high-top shoes in the 1910s. The boiy here is a good exazmple (figure 1). Low-cuts begin to appear whicle knicker suits were dtill nearly universal (1920s). As a result the 1920s was a mixed decade. We see both high tops and low-cuts. This varied chronologically, as the decade progressed, high-tops gave way to low-cuts. Low cuts became the standard footwear (1930s). And in the 1930s, we almost always see low-cuts except for very young children who were mostly not wearing knicker suits. The popularity of knicker suits declined in the 30s. They were still very collon in the early-30s, but by the late-30s, American boys were earing a mix of short pnts, knivlers, and long pants suits. We still see knickers suits inthe 1940s, but after World War II (941-45), they were increasingly rare. They were all worn with low-cut shoes.

Created: 9:02 PM 5/21/2008
Last updated: 12:54 AM 5/3/2017