Figure 1.--Straight-leg kneepants decline in popularity during the 1910s. European boys began wearing short pants, but knickers proved more popular with American boys. Knickers were also worn in Eyrope, but we do not normally see younger boys like the American boy here wearing them.

Boys in the 1910s throughout Europe and America wore various kinds of shoertened-length pants and trousers. Kneepants were the most common, but began to be replaced with short pants in many countries and knickers in America. By the end of the decade, knickers had become very common in America. A new style became popular for younger boys, romper suits--one piece suits often with puffed pants. Of course World War I occurred in the 1910s. We are not sure at this time just how the War affected fashion. There were substantial differences in pants from country to country. In Germany knee pants had become standard wear for most boys, even teenagers. It is difficult to follow the transition from kneepants to short pants, in part because they are so similar, even short pants were knee-length in the 1910s. Also catalogs and fashion magazines commonly used various terms for the different types of pants. Of course one indicator of kneepants is the ornamental buttons at the leg hem. It is difficult to follow the transition from kneepants to short pants, in part because they are so similar, even short pants were knee-length in the 1910s. Also catalogs and fashion magazines commonly used various terms for the different types of pants. Boys still commonly wore long black stockings in the 1910s. White stockings were commonly worn by girls. Younger boys might wear them for special occassions, often with kneepants.

Pants Types

Boys in the 1910s throughout Europe and America wore various kinds of shoertened-length pants and trousers. Kneepants were the most common, but began to be replaced with short pants in many countries and knickers in America. We also notice short pants. As both knee pants and short pants were worn long, ot is often difficult to tell the difference. Of course one indicator of kneepants is the ornamental buttons at the leg hem. We see for example a German boy of perhaps 14 or 15 wearing a sailor suit with fairly short knee pants and the common black stockings. The pants do not have the ornamental buttons so common earlier. An interesting Canadian photograph, taken at the very end of the decade (1919) illustrates the difficulty of distinguishing between short pants and knee pants. Here we see H. McCrae from Montreal dressed in a suit with a large white collar, neatly creased short pants (knee pants did not generally have creases in them), and the newly fashionable beige long stockings (which were beginning to be favored over the traditional black stockings). These short pants are not very short. They come down to just above the boy's knees, but are nevertheless a departure from the older-style knee pants. Younger boys especially in America wore bloomer knickers with tunic suits. A good example is a portrait of two unidentified brothers wearing mating tinic suits, probanly in the late 1910s. A new style became popular for younger boys, romper suits--one piece suits often with puffed pants. Different types of pants were commonly used for age grading. A photograph of the Rockerfeller children, taken in 1919, shows some interesting age-grading in respect of boys' trousers. The youngest boy, David (aged 3) wears white above-the-knee knickers (possibly dressy rompers) with white long stockings, while his older brother Winthrop (aged 6) wears a black velvet short pants/knee pants suit with white long stockings (notice the ornamental buttons at the hem). Winthrop's outfit seems to be a modification of a Fauntleroy suit. The three older boys, aged 8, 9 and 12, have graduated to Eton suits with long trousers.

World War I (1914-18)

We are not sure at this time just how the War affected fashion.

Terminology

It is difficult to follow the transition from kneepants to short pants, in part because they are so similar, even short pants were knee-length in the 1910s. Also catalogs and fashion magazines commonly used various terms for the different types of pants.

Decade Trends

Countries

There were substantial differences in panys from country to country. In Germany knee pants had become standard wear for most boys, even teenagers. In America above-the-knee knickers were becoming more common and in some cases displacing straight-leg knee pants. Although knee pants were still widely worn in this decade, knickers were replacing them in America. A newspaper cartoon illustrates the embarrassment of boys whose mothers still kept them in knee pants when their friends were getting the new knicker style pants. By the end of the decade, knickers had become very common in America. They were much less common in Europe. In France and other parts of Europe, knee pants were still common, but were increasingly being worn with short socks. Sailor suits were commonly worn with short pants. A French boy here is a good example. In Germany strait knee pants continued to be popular, and we see several images of boys wearing sailor suits with above the knee trousers. At this point it is a little difficult to distinguish between knee pants and short pants, and we are not certain that by the end of the 1910s and 1920s this distinction had much meaning, especially in Europe. Notice the older boy, possibly a German teenager, wearing short trousers with knee socks. This photo may, however, have been taken in the 1920s although we can't be quite certain. In much of Europe boys were wearing kneepants or short pants with three-quarter socks or kneesocks. Trends varied from country to country.

Length

Kneepants were commonly worn at knee length. The length of knickers were more variable. Most mothers required their sons to fasten the knickers above the knee, and many such pants were made too short to fasten in any other way. Some boys had longer knickers, in part because mothers wanted them to last a while. These thus could thus be worn both above and below the knee. A photo of an American boy shows a boy wearing the white knickers and white stockings. The knickers are above the knee. Some times the knickers blouced so that they covered the knee and thus the knees did not show so prominently. A readers wonders if they were not fastened below the knee. Admittedly the knickers are fairly long and blouse a bit over the knee, but since you can see some of the boy's stocking-covered knee, I think these must actually buckle ABOVE the knee. If the knickers were fastened below the knee, it would be impossible to see that the stockings cover the knee. By the way, this is a general rule for photos showing knickers: if you can see that the knee is covered by stocking, then the knickers have to be fastened above the knee, although not always very much above the knee. Below-the-knee knickers make it impossible, at least theoretically, to know whether the boy's stockings are knee length or full length. Of course we know that often long stockings WERE worn with below-the-knee knickers, but in such cases you can't actually SEE that the stockings are long. The white suit has Norfolk styling. Often boys as they got older would refasten their knickers when they left home below the knee.

Construction

Trouser Suspension

We still notice mostly suspenders, belts, and button-on styles to hold up pants. We have not yet noticed suspender pants.

Youth Groups

Youth groups continued to grow in popularity, although activities were affected by World War I. The principal group was the Boy Scouts. Uniforms except in the United States consisted of short pants and kneesocks. American boys wore knicker-length breeches.

Accompanying Clothes

Hosiery

Boys still commonly wore long black stockings in the 1910s. White stockings were commonly worn by girls. Younger boys might wear them for special occassions, often with kneepants. We notice an American boy wearing a dressy white suit with matching white long stockings. White stockings tended to be reserved for younger boys--at least in the United States--but this was not invariably true. Some American boys wore above-the-knee knickers, especially in summer, without the more common long stockings.