Boys' 20th Century Pants and Trousers Chronology: The 1900s


Figure 1.--Tunic suits were a very popular outfit for younger boys in the 1900s. They were normally worn by American bpys with bloomer knickers. Like other types of pants, they were commonly worn with long black stockings.

We note boys wearing kneepants, knickers, short pasnts, long pasnrs, and a variety of one-piece suits like rompers. Most boys in the 1900s wore kneepants or long pants, although knickers were also common. Younger boys might also wear bloomer knickers, often with tunic suits. Boys by the end of the 19th century were wearing knickers and knepants at knee length or even above the knee. Boys in Europe and America in the early 20th century were commonly wearing kneepants. This included boys in secondary school, although there were variations among countries and social class. Straight-leg kneepants were the most commomn, but we also see boys wearing knickers. Knickers were commonly worn in Britain during the late 19th centtury, but they were less common in America. We also see boys wearing knickers which became increasingly popular as the century progressed, escpecially in America. New one-piece styles became popular in the early 20th century like rompers and coveralls. The type and/or length of the pants was often used by parents for ge grading, a very common convention in the 1900s. Shortened-lerngth trousers were commonly worn with long stockings in the 1900s. Accompany garments varied as tyo the age of the boy as well as by country and social class. Black long stockings were very common. They were worn with suits of all colors. Younger boys might wear socks or go barefoot.

Pants Types

We note boys wearing a wide range of different trousers were commonly worn during the 1900s. More different types of trousers were worn during the 1900s than any other decade. Popular styles include kneepants, knickers, short pants, long pants, and a variety of one-piece suits like rompers. Most boys in the 1900s wore kneepants or long pants, although knickers were also common. There were some stylistic difference among these different trouser typew. There were also major differences from country to country. Younger boys might also wear bloomer knickers, often with tunic suits. Tunic suits were very popular for younger boys in the 1900s. They were commonly worn wuth both knee pnts and bloomer knickers. The American boy here wearing bloomer knickers with a tunic suit is a good example (figure 1). Straight-leg kneepants were the most commomn type of boys' trousers at the turn of the century. We also see boys wearing knickers which became increasingly popular as the century progressed, escpecially in America. New one-piece styles became popular in the early 20th century like rompers and coveralls.

Length

Boys by the end of the 19th century were wearing knickers and knepants at knee length or even above the knee. Above the knee knickers were quite common. Kneepants were more commonly wotn at knee length. The bloomer knickers worn with tunic suits were generally worn just above the knee. Above-the-knee knickers became a prominent style in American boys' dress, but during the 1900s, knee pants with straight legs continued to predominate. In 1901, for instance, we have the portrait of the son of the Gagnon family in Quebec, shown wearing a knee-pants suit with an Eton collar. The knee pants come to just above the knee, and we can see that he supports his long black stockings not with the customary hose supporters but with round black garters that match the stockings. A photograph of the Spencer children shows the length of knee pants with supporters showing.

Countries

Boys in Europe and America in the early 20th century were commonly wearing kneepants. Younger boys wore bloomer knickers. We also see short pants which were adopted by the new Boy Scout movement for their uniforms. Variations in the fashions worn in different countries were quite pronounced to the extent that boys in unidentified portraits can often be identified as to nationality and social class, something that is very difficult to do today. Knickers were commonly worn in Britain during the late 19th centtury, but they were less common in America. One of our earliest examples of knickers being worn in lieu of knee pants is a photograph of a Arkansas boy (1900s) wearing pants that are gathered above the knee, apparently with an elastic band like bloomers and worn with white long stockings. We note an early example of above-the-knee knickers in Russia in 1905--a photograph of the aged novelist Tolstoy conversing with some school children. Notice that the boy, aged about 8 (see fig. 2) wears very short knickers, gathered with an elastic band around his thigh, and long black stockings. These knickers were apparently an alternative to knee pants in imperial Russia during the first decade of the 19th century.

Decade Trends

We note some important trends in the 1900s. Perhaps the most important was the adoption of short pants as part of the uniform for the new Boy Scout uniform in Britain. At the time short pants were nearly as long as kneepants, but they were commonly worn with kneesocks rather than long stockings. Another major trend was in America. Boys even older boys commonly wore knee pants in the 1890s. This was still quite common in the 1900s, but we begin to see more American boys wearing knickers as well. Knickers a the time were much more common in Europe than America. Trends in Europe are difficult to assess because knee pants and short pants were about the same length. Also there were differences from country to country. We nelieve tht bloomer knickers began to decline in popularity, but we are still assessing this.

Age

We notice boys of all ages wearing kneepants in the 1900s. This included boys in secondary school, although there were variations among countries and social class. This was true both in Europe and America, but we tend to see older boys wearing kneepants in America than in Europe. The type and/or length of the pants was often used by parents for ge grading, a very common convention in the 1900s. Two Pittsburgh brothers photograped in 1906, give us an interesting example of age-grading in the wearing of knicker suits. The younger of the two boys (about 12) wears unusually short above-the-knee knickers with very long black stockings, obviously held up by supporters. These knickers are so close-fitting and unbloused that they may, in fact, be straight knee pants, although it is difficult to be sure. The older boy, about 15, wears knickers that buckle below the knee. We note the knee pants worn by sons of the Spencer family of Pittsburgh, a typical upper middle-class family. Most of photographs were taken during the first half of the decade. Notice how short the knee pants are in these photographs, exposing much of the upper leg. In one of the shots, the knee pants expose the clasps of the boy's hose supporters. These knee pants seem to be fairly informal, and we do not see the more dressy ornamental buttons at the hem. These pants look as if they were washable, at least in some cases. A portrait of the English Gibbs family in 1906 shows both knee pants and long trousers worn by boys according to their ages. The younger lads wear knee pants with black stockings. Note the ornamenal buttons on the pants of one of the boys. The oldest of the three boys wears long trousers, having presumably graduated from knee pants at some time around the age of 14 or 15. All the boys wear straw boaters, very popular with boys in England at the time.

Pockets


Front Opening

We have only limited information here, but as far as we cam tell there appears to have been two basic types of front openings for boys trousers in the 1900s. We beliece that bloomer knickers commonly had front flaps with buttons at the sides. I'm not sure how this worked when the bloomer knickers had bodices. Kneepants were also done with a front flap. This appears to have been more common for older than younger boys. I am not sure why. The other approach was the modern fly. The vertical opening here would have buttoned in the 1900s. Zippers of course were not yet used on pants.

Trouser Suspension

We see various approaches to trouser suspension in the 1900s. The popularity of these approaches varied over time and among countries. Suspenders were still widely worn. We see this both in America and Europe. Suspenders seem even more common in Europe than America. Older boys might wear belts. Many American boys wore button-on pants that attached to waist suit underwear. We do not see this as commonly in Europe, although here our information is still limited. We do not yet see actual suspender pants in the sence of pants made with shoulder sraps made in the same material as the pants instead of separate eslasticized straps. Although we do begin to see American boys wearing bib-front overalls, especially in rural areas. Another approach for younger boys were bodices. We see the kilt skirts for kilt suits made with bodices. The bloomer knickers worn with tunic suits also had bodices. We see this in a McCalls pattern.

Detailing

Kneepants commonly were made with three ornamental buttons at the hem, but this was not always the case. William Dougherty, apparently from St. Louis, Missouri, was photographed in 1905 wearing a very smartly decorated sailor suit with knee pants. Notice that these pants, instead of the ordinary three buttons at the hem, have five brass buttons to match the rows of five brass buttons on the open jacket. The knee pants are cut fairly short, coming well above the knee. Notice the boy's ringlets, his mother's idea of the proper hairstyle for such a beautifully dressed boy.

Youth Groups

Baden Powell's Boy Scouts helped to populrize short pants after the turn of the century. Youth groups were very popular in the early 20th century and their influence appears to have been important.

Accompanying Garments

Boys in the summer might wear pants with blouses, here kneepants were very common. Tunic suits were commonly worn with bloomer knickers, although we also see straight-leg kneepants. Suits were still commonly worn. We see boys wearing different types of pants with various styles of suits. Fauntleroy suits were commonly wotgn wsith kneepants, but in Europe knickers were quite common. Sailor suits were commonly worn with both kneepants and long pants. Sometimes the long pants were flared like real sailor bell bottoms. Knickers were less common. We see sack suits with kneepasnts, knickers and long pants. Here ythe age of the boy was often the govering factor, but there were country and social class variations.

Hosiery

Shortened-lerngth trousers were commonly worn with long stockings in the 1900s. Black long stockings were very common. They were worn with suits of all colors. An example is two unidentified American brothers. They wear Norfolk suits with a strong pattern. Black stockings might even be worn with white suits. One interesting example of knee pants is a photo of a clarinetist in a white band uniform (1905). We do not know where in America this exposure was made, but the the white knee pants contrasted with the black long stockings make quite a dashing effect. White long stockings were also worn. They were commonly worn by girls, but younger boys might wore them fpr special occassions. Younger boys might wear socks or go barefoot.






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Created: 1:08 AM 2/10/2006
Last updated: 1:02 AM 4/5/2006