Figure 1.--This rounded-corner CDV shows four unidentified boys, presumably brothers. The oldest boy is sitting on a chair with fringed arm, the others standing around him. The three youngest have light-colored, long pants suits. The youngest brother looks tonbe about 6-years old. The older boyhasca dark suit. There is no printing or writing to indiciate origin. The CDV is undated, but looks like the 1870s to us.

Most but notall boys in the 19th century were breeched by 6 years of age. A major factor here was this was the age boys began school and school attendance became increasingly common as the century progressed. After breeching they wore long pants suits in the early-19th century. Shortened length pants appeared in the mid-19th century. Boys at age 6 years from fashionble city families might wear these shortened-length suits. There was a social-class factor to these shortened-lengh suits which seem most popular in the fashionable cities, but rarely seen in rural areas. Quite young boys wore long pants in rural areas and even in the cities, many 6-year olds wore them. We continue seeing many 6-year olds wearing long pants suits in he 1870s, although at that age many boys also wore knee pants suits. Knee pants suits became quite common for 6-year olds in the 1880s. Even when knee pants became popular in the 1880s, there were always some boys who wore long pants, although this was not very common by the 1890s when knee pants became almost universal for boys. Knickers were dominant in the 1910s-20s. Boys at age 6 years commonly wore knicker suits in the 1910s, 20s, and 30s. Short pants suits were also wideky worn in the 1920s-30s. Suits were varied in the 1930s. We see some 6-year olds wearing long pants in the 1930s and they became dominant in the 1940s, although short pants suits were still worn.. Some boys wore short pants for seasonal summer wear. By the 1960s, more and more 6-year olds were wearing long pants syits, although we still see 6- and 7-year olds wearing short psnts suits. Most 6-year olds by the 1970s were wearing long psnts suits. And this cointinued for the rest of the century. These younger boys commonly wire short pants fir casual wear, but long pants suits when dressing up.

Created: 11:49 PM 11/5/2009
Last updated: 11:49 PM 11/5/2009