Figure 1.--When we first saw this photograph we assumed it was American until we saw the boy's sandals. This suggests to us that it may have been French, but we are just not sure. The mural in the background suggsts England, but the sandals are not typical English school sandals. We would date it to about the 1950s. Click on the imag for a fuller assessment.

American boys with the exception of a few private schools mostly wore long pants to school in the 1940s and 50s. American primary schoolboys wore jeans, but secondary school boys wore slacks. After school most American boys also wore jeans. In some areas, especially the South, boys did wrar shorts. The popular style for boys up to about 12 was boxer shorts. They were solid color and styled very simply with an elasticized waist and no fly or pockets. They were generally cut very short and came in many different colors. The boxer style was usually much shorter than the dress shorts worn by all but the youngest American boys. These were the first colorful shorts worn by American boys. They were normally worn for play with "T" shirts--normally with horizontal stripes. The boy here, however, wears boxer shorts with a plain white "T" shirt. Boxer shorts were also common and continue to be so for school gym classes. HBC has not yet seem much written about boxer shorts. We believe that the term comes from the boxing trunks worn by prixe fighters which has elasticized waists. Thus short pants, long pants, and even under wear are made in the boxer style. The term "boxers" and "boxer shorts" today is more commonly used to describe a style of underpants.

Schoolwear

American boys with the exception of a few private schools mostly wore long pants to school in the 1940s and 50s. American primary schoolboys wore jeans, but secondary school boys wore slacks. After school most American boys also wore jeans. One HBC reader reports. We move from Washington D.C. where we all wore jeans to primary school (which we called elementary school). We also worejeans after school. We moved south to Montgomery Alabama. The boys there also wore jeans to primay school, although they were not allowed in highschool. Aftr school, many primary boys changed to boxer shorts for play after school.

Countries

We have limited country information on boxer shorts. Most of the boys we have noted wearing boxer shorts are American. The boy in the photograph here looks American. The sandals, however, lead us to believe that he may be English. One reader speculates that he is French. We know they were worn in America, but usage was somewhat regional. In some areas, especially the South, boys did wear shorts. We notice boys wearing these boxer shorts from about the late 1940s through the early 60s. They were mostly worn by younger American boys. The popular style for boys up to about 12 was boxer shorts. They were a summer play style in America, often worn with stripped T-shirts. We have rarely noticed this style in other countries.

Construction

The basic cobstruction feature of boxer shorts was an aelasticized waistline to hold them up. They were first used by boxers (pugeslists) who had a massive elastic waisline. These were called coxing trunks. Boys' shorts were called boxer sghioerrts ir just boxers. Boys only needed a little elastic. Tou can clearly see the elastic waiostline here as the boy has tucked in his shirt (figure 1). Note that there are no pockets on this boy's boxers. . Some boxers had simple pockets, butb many dud not.

Styling

They were solid color and styled very simply with an elasticized waist and no fly or pockets. They were generally cut very short and came in many different colors. The boxer style was usually much shorter than the dress shorts worn by all but the youngest American boys. The boxer shorts here are about the longest we have seen (figure 1). The ones worn by American boys in the 1950s tended to be longer.

Colors

Boxer short came in a wide range of colors. These were the first colorful shorts worn by American boys.

Accompanying Clothes

They were normally worn for play with "T" shirts--normally with horizontal stripes. The boy here, however, wears boxer shorts with a plain white "T" shirt.

Gym Uniform

Boxer shorts were also common and continue to be so for school gym classes. HBC has not yet seem much written about boxer shorts.

Terminilogy

We believe that the term comes from the boxing trunks worn by prixe fighters which has elasticized waists. Thus short pants, long pants, and even under wear are made in the boxer style. We do not know any foreign-language terms yet.

Underwear

The term "boxers" and "boxer shorts" today is more commonly used to describe a style of underpants.

Created: January 4, 2004
Last updated: 1:27 AM 10/17/2013