|
We still know relatively about corduroy in America. We believe it was worn in the late 19th century, but have little information at this time. Presumably the first corduroy material in America. was imported from England. We know that it was worn in the early 20th century. Corduriy in the 1920s the fabric was commonly worn in America for boys' knickers. Many boys went to school in cord knickers. They were generally considered cold-weather pants. Cord jackets were also popular. Boys also wore long cord pants as knickers began to decline in popularity by the late 1930s and early 1940s. Cord sports jackers were wiorn in the 1950s-70s. They may have been worn earlier as well. Unlike England and France, corduroy was not commonly used for short pants, until relatively recently. Corduroy shorts did appear in America during the 1970s-80s. They were made by the Ocean Pacific company and first appeared in California. They were cut much shorter than the cord shorts once worn by English boys.
We still know relatively about corduroy in America. We believe it was worn in the late 18th century, as the term corduroy was in use. Log roads were called corduroy roads because theclogs looke like the ridges or ribbing (wales) in corduroy fabric. [Clyne] We have little information, however, about the actual use of corduroy fabric in America during the 18thb abd 19th centuries. Presumably the first corduroy material in America was imported from England. We do not note many children wearing corduroy clothes in the late 19th century in the many period photographic images we have examined. This may be vecause that corduroy was considered a fabric suitable for work clothes. Thus it was not a popualar fabric for children's clothes and not the dressy clothes that people would often wear for a formal portrait. The image of corduroy changed in the eealy 20th ventury. We know that corduroy was worn in the early 20th century. Corduroy was a popular fabric for children's clothes in America, especially boys' clothes, throuhout the first half of the 20th century. Quite a variety of children's' clothes were made in corduroy. We even note a cord sailor suit. The most common item was vorduroy knickers that many boys wore to school in the 1920s and 30s. After World War II, hoswever, corduroy has generally lost out to competition with denim. In the early 21st century, it has vecome difficult to find boys pants in corduroy, except for toddler clothes. We do note women's pants made in cord. We also note that cord shirts comtinue to be popular.
We note a manufacturer, the Crompton-Richmond compAny asvertising Top-Flight corduroy in 1944.
We have noted several garments made in vorduroy that have been worn by American boys.
I believe some flat caps were made in corduroy during the 1920s and 30s. More recently in the 1990s we have noted corduroy baseball caps.
We have noted both suits and sports jackets made of corduroy in America. We are not sure when corduroy suits were first worn in Ameweica. We are not sure about the mid-19th century. We do note cord suits in the late-19th century. We see portraits as well as advertisemnents in catalogs. We know cord knicker suits, some with Norfolk stylingm were being made in the 1910s. They were very popular for schoolwear. We do not yet have a complete chronology. We note cord sport jackerts in the 1950s-70s.
We have noted that corduroy jackets were popular in the 1930s. We are not yet sure when they first appeared. We have noted them through the 1960s.
I am not yet sure when cord shirts first appeared. We have noted them sinve the 1950s, but believe that they were worn earlier. They are still popuklar for school and winter leisure wear in the 2000s.
Corduriy in the 1920s the fabric was commonly worn in America for boys' knickers. Many boys went to school in cord knickers. They were generally considered cold-weather pants. Boys before World War I wore them with long stickings. After the War kneesocks wee more common. Boys in the South more commonly wore them with ankle socks. Cord jackets were also popular. Boys also wore long cord pants as knickers began to decline in popularity by the late 1930s and early 1940s. Cord sports jackers were wiorn in the 1950s-70s. They may have been worn earlier as well. Unlike England and France, corduroy was not commonly used for short pants, until relatively recently. Corduroy shorts did appear in America during the 1970s-80s. They were made by the Ocean Pacific company and first appeared in California. They were cut much shorter than the cord shorts once worn by English boys.
Corduroy was a popular fabric extensively used for youth group uniforms (Scouts, Hitler Youth, Wandervogel, and others) in Europe. This has not been the case in America. The major youth group, the Boy Scouts have never adopred cord uniform items. We do note, however, that the Future Farmers of America (FFA) have. The FFA members arrived at their national convention in 1933 wearing "crisp" dark blue cord jackets with the FFA logo prominently on the back. The convention adopted the jackets as the organization's official dress and members ciontinue wearing it today. The FFA reports that about 50,000 of these jackets are made annually for members.
Clyne, Patricia Edwards. The Corduroy Road.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[Essays]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing national pages:
[Return to the Main corduroy page]
[Australia]
[Belgium]
[England]
[France]
[Germany]
[Ireland]
[Italy]
[Japan]
[Korea]
[Mexico]
[The Netherlands]
[Scotland]
[United States]
