Figure 1.--This German ad, probably from the 1970s, shows a little girl wearing especially styled lederhosen. I'm not sure what the material was. Note that she wears a blouse rtaher than a gingham short with this style of lederhosen.

Lederhosen have always been considere primarily male garb. HBC notes that in the 1970s, lederhosen were also made for girls. Girls in the early 20th century and especially during the NAZI era always wore dresses. They never would have worn anything but dresses at folk events. HBC had noted German clothing advertisements in the 1970s with girls wearing lederhosen. Some of the girls' lederhosen were indistinguishable from the boys' lederhosen, others had distince styling for girls--such as the alter being made in a heart motif. These girls' lederhosen were only worn by little girls.

Chronology

Lederhosen have always been considere primarily male garb. HBC notes that in the 1970s, perhaps earlier, lederhosen were also made for girls. Girls in the early 20th century and especially during the NAZI era always wore dresses. They certainly never would have worn anything but dresses at folk events. HBC had noted German clothing advertisements in the 1970s with girls wearing lederhosen. Girls may have worn lederhosen in the 1960s, but HBC does not yet have any evidence of it. We are not sure how common this way. Certainly at folk events, HBC has always noted girls wearing folk-styled dresses--never lederhosen.

Styles

Some of the girls' lederhosen were indistinguishable from the boys' lederhosen, others had very distinctive styling for girls--such as the halter being made in a heart motif. The button fly is also replaced in many girls' lederhosen. HBC is unsure how popular these various styles were among girls. HBC notes that American girls often like to wears boys' styles. I'm not sure if the same was true with German girls.

Conventions

The fact that girls never wore lederhosem before the 1970s is of some interest. The NAZIs diring their reign (1933-45) had a decidely conservative social view. The role of German wonmanhood was in the home to have and raise children. This was reflected in the German War effort. Women were not extensively used in the War plants. The British on the other hand, from an early part of the War used women. Even Princess Elizabeth worked as an ambulance driver and was trained to workmon the motor of her ambulance--which she proudly demonstarted to her farher--King George VI. The Americand used large numbers of women in the War plants. The plamts that built the massive American air armadsa, for example, were mostky staffed by women who had never before worked out of the home--imortalized by Rossie the Riviter. This never occurred in Germany, despite the labor shortage. With this view of the German woman, it was inconceivable that German girls would wear lederhosen. The development of girls' lederhosen in the 1970s is, in part, a reflection of changing German social attitudes.

Ages

These girls' lederhosen were only worn by little girls. HBC has not noted girls wearing shortpants lederhosen. It is possible, however, that it todays' modern Germany that girl might wear shortspants or knicker lederhosen.

Figure 2.--This boy and girl, probanly in the 1970s wear identiacally styled lederhosen aqnf gingham shirt. Note the characteristic girls' pigtails.

Shirts

Girls wore a variety of shirts with lederhosen. Many advertisements show girls wearing gingham shirts, just like the boys with lederhosen. They were either red or blue ginghan. Some girls also wore a variety of girls' blouses with lederhosen.

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Created: March 4, 2001
Last updated: March 4, 2001