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We notice a lot of English boys wearing knitted outfits. The images we have noted date from the early-20th century. We have little information yet on the 19th century. We see a variety of knitted garments, especially during the winter. The most common garment as in most countries were sweaters. The variable weather makes the sweater a bery useful garment. ortant was of course the sweater, commonly called jerseys in England. Sweaters were especially important in England. Many important sweater types first appeared in England. Some English boys during the 1920s began wearing sweaters, which tended to to be made longer than now, over their pants--usuallly short pants. There were even knitted pants for younger people. They were often done as matching items for knitted tops. This fashion was, however, not as pronounced as on the Continent. We have observed this same convention in other countries--including Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. We do not know why this convention developed. Later the sweaters became shorter and were cut at the waist and even tucked inside the pants. The sweater was an important school garment, often dome in grey. Sweaters were usually solid colors until after World War II. We see younger boys wearing matching knit outfits, tops and pants. These were often short pants outfits, but they were also done with long pants. England is at a verty northerly lattitude, but because of the Gulf Stream has a rather mild clinmate. Thus the warm weather needs are not as stringentg as Germany and the Scandinavian countries. We do not at this time, however, have details on the knitting industry in England. We note some very well made knits by the 1910s which look to us like they were not made by hand. Some had surprisingly modern styling.
Sweaters are the most imprtant knit outer-wear garment. Sweaters tend to be named after the material used, knitwear refers to the manufscturing process. Other knitwear garments inckude underwear as a general term as well as cotton sportswear, hosiery, and other garments. They are all part of the knitting category. Knitwear is either wool or cotton. As one source explains, "Knitting is a single line of the two red clothes different from woven, so the range of knitting is very wide. Sweaters are miostly done with coarse spun thread knitting clothes. Sweaters began as wool tops. They were knitted mechanically or by hand. People knew how to knit at a very early stage, long before mechanical processes. While sweaters and other knit garments inckuding underwear were at first done in wool. As wool became more expesive and cotton less expensive, we see cotton being used--at first as a blended fabric and eventully by itself. And since World War II we see synthetic fibers bein used, again as bleneded fabrics as well as by itself.
This portrait had "'Bubbles' Fothergill" and the date 1915 on it. I doubt that the boys name was really Bubbles--just his parents being amusing when writing the card. The knit outfit he is wearing looks very well made. Perhaps it was purchased in a store. Note the very modern looking collar style. Notice the length of the sweater top and the vey wide elastcized waist. It looks ready made to HBC, but a reader believes that it was hand knitted. The wrist cuffs appear to be rolled back, but not as much as the bottom band on the body of the sweater top would suggest. A reader comments, "The shorts seem perfectly sized for him so I also think this suggests the outfit was homemade otherwise they were purchased separately, although they match so this may have just been the style." The curly long hair was a popular style for younger boys.
We notice a lot of English boys wearing knitted outfits. Knits for some reason seem especially popular in England. England is at a very northerly lattitude, but because of the Gulf Stream has a rather mild clinmate. Thus the warm weather needs are not as stringentg as Germany and the Scandinavian countries.
The images we have noted date from the early 20th century. We have little information uet on the 19th century. Some of the garments look like rather rough work. Many are solid colors until after World War II.
The most common knitted garment as in most countries were sweaters, especiall the countries with cold weather. England does not have especially cold winters, but the nriable weather even during the day makes the weater a very useful garment. We are not sure, however, how common swaeaters were in the 19th century. They are not prominent in the photographiv record, but that may be because mothers used to dress boys up in their best outfits for formal portraits. We dio indeed seem more images of boys wearing sweaters with the advent of amateur photography and the snapshr after the turn of the 20th century. We note, for example, one unidentified boy photographed about 1905. Swaters for young boys might have buttons at the shoulders to make it easier to help them dress and undress. After World War I (1914-18) their are counless images of English boys wearing sweaters. Some English boys during the 1920s began wearing sweaters, which tended to to be made longer than now, over their pants--usuallly short pants. There were even knitted pants for younger people. They were often done as matching items for knitted tops. This fashion was, however, not as pronounced as on the Continent. We have observed this same convention in other countries--including Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. We do not know why this convention developed. Later the sweaters became shorter and were cut at the waist and even tucked inside the pants. The sweater was an important school garment, often dome in grey. Sweaters were usually solid colors until after World War II. We also note a variety of knitted suit outfits, meaning sweaters and matching pants. These outfits made for boys were mostly short pants outfits. After World War II we note some long pants snow suits. There were als a variety of other knits like mittens and scarves.
We have few details at this time as to how popular home knitting was in England. We wonder if World War I did not increase the extent of home knitting. We notice a lot of portraits after the War showing boys wearing knitted sweaters and socks. This continued through the 1950s, but began to decline in the 1960s. We suspect that in the 1960s English mums were less interested in spending their time knitting, although for a while grandmothers and aunts still knitted extensively. Also declining prices for sweaters and socks (in real terms) and rising wages made hime jnitting less attractive. This was especially the case for the increasing number of mothers who worked outside the home.
Knits are generally seen as cold wear clothing, especailly sweaters. We see many younger children wearing knit outfits in all weather during the mid-20th century, including summer wear. Knits for some reason seem especially popular in England. While we see most knits in cold weather, we see younger boys wearing knit outfits in the summer as well. This was often matching knit tops and ahort pants. Some seem to be a onge piece garment. We are not sure what they were called. This seems to be mostly outfits for pre-school boys. These were outfits worn year round, both the winter and summer. They were worn during the winterbbecause short pants were the standwear for boys rehardless of the weather or climate. There were knit long pants, but they were not very common in contrast to the knit short pants. And we see no indication in the phographic record that there was any seasonality involved in weaing these outfits, especially before World War II.
We do not at this time, however, have details on the knitting industry in England.
We note some very well made knits by the 1910s which look to us like they were not made by hand. Some had surprisingly modern styling.
Several Brirish readers have recalled items they wore as boys hat were hand knittig. Many hand knitting items were done for very young chldr mening that many do not recallthe items they wore as toddlers. Most of the hand knitting that HBC readers recall are jumpers/sweaters. We have not crossindexed these references here yet, but one reader, Bill, tells us about his experiencein the 1960s-70s. He and his brothers did not like the hand-knitted jumpers made for them.
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