Figure 1.-- |
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Short trousers were very widely worn by English boys in the first half of the 20th century. It is not all together clear why shorts became so widely worn in England and other European countries. Here we believe a range of pratical, cultural, and economic factors may have been involved. Fashion at times seems capricious, but it is often connected with other more understandavle fctors. We have seen several factors suggested, but we are not entirely sure how important these various factors were. We welcome reader insights here as we develop this subject.
Some have suggested that shorts my have been preferred items of clothing by mothers not wishing to have to contend with replacing or mending trousers where the knees had been torn. This may very well be the the case, especially in post War Europe where rationing and access to fabric, clothing
and many other everyday was difficult or unaffordable for long after hostilities ended. I have also heard the argument that shorts were easier to wash as they took up less of a load in the laundry though A reader writes, "I don't believe that is a particularly strong case other than mud and splashes probably don't affect them as much.
Boys did tend to prefer the freedom of shorts and the outdoor lifestyle was heavily promoted on grounds of health."
The British climate is somewhat unusual. British is located at quite a northern lattitude, yet the climate is moderated by the Gulf Stream. This mean that short trousers could be worn year round, rather like the more southerly situated countries of Westrn Europe. The climate is probably part of the reason British boys in the 20th century did not wear long stockings as was common in Germany, Scandanavia, Poland, and Russia.
A British reader writes, "The clothing worn by British boys therefore probably says more about
social norms & expectations and availability of options than a purely climatic decision as to whether a boy wore shorts, trousers, leggings/(stockings or tights) etc or not. The fact that most Americans
were European emigrants seeking a new life and more freedoms than those they were leaving may also have led to a more permissive or broader view as to what was appropriate rearing and clothing for children.
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