Knickers Country Trends: Canada

Figure 1.--Both of these Canadian boys wear above the knee knickers, one with long black stockings, the other with kneesocks. This photo was probably taken before 1925. A Canadian reader has submitted this family picture. Notice that one boy wears a bow tie and the other boy wears a neck tie. Both the bow tie and above the knee knickers show the U.S. influence on clothing styles. The boy look to be 10-11 years old.

Knickers were very common in the 1920s and 30s, but by the 1940s long pants became inceasingly important. They have worn different styles of knickers. In the early 1920s, above the knee knickers were worn with both kneesocks and long stockings. By the late 1920s, below the kneeknickers and kneesocks had become more common. Candian boys continued wearing knickerts longer than American boys. Photographs sunbitted by Canadian readers show boys wearing knickers in 1955 when they were no longer worn in America.

Influences

Canadian boys clothes were strongly influenced by English fashions, but appear to follow American styles more than other country--although this certainly has changed over time. . French fashions to a lesser extent influenced the clothes if French speaking boys in Quebec. The greatest influence by the 20th century was neigboring America and Canadian boys commonly wore knickers like American boys. English style short pants were somewhat more common in Canada than in America, especially among upper class Canadians. For most boys, however, it was American styles that had beconme dominate--especially After World War I in the 1920s. As in America, knickers were the most common style of pants until the 1940s.

Chronology

HBC is not sure to what extent knickers were worn in the 19th century. We do know that they were widely worn by the 1910s. Knickers were very common in the 1920s and 30s, but by the 1940s long pants became inceasingly important. They have worn different styles of knickers. In the early 1920s, above the knee knickers were worn with both kneesocks and long stockings. By the late 1920s, below the kneeknickers and kneesocks had become more common. Candian boys continued wearing knickerts longer than American boys. Photographs sunbitted by Canadian readers show boys wearing knickers in 1955 when they were no longer worn in America.

Types

There are various types of knickers. There are both above the knee and below the knee knickers. There are also plus fours, made with extra material. We are not yet sure to what extent the various styles were worn in Canada.

Hosiery

Knickers were mostly worn with long stockings. Kneesocks began to be worn in the 1900s, but do not seem to have been widely worn until the 1920s. By the 1930s, kneesocks had become more common, but some Canadian boys wore long stockings into the 1950s. By the 1940s, however, they appear to have been mostly worn by younger boys, often with short pants.