*** boys knickers : United States








Boys' Knickers: United States


Figure 1.--This ad shows the styles of knickers and knee pants available for little boys in the 1920s. Different styles were abvailable for older boys. Note the strong influence of the Norfolk jacket style.

While knickers are an English creation, probably no where were they more widely worn than in America. HBC is not sure why theu were so popular in America. We have not noted that they were particularly popular with boys. For some reason they appear to have appealed with American parents. Knickers are often confused with knee pants, but differ from knickers because they were unclosed at the hem and did not have the three ornamental buttons commonly associated with knee pants. HBC begins to notice knickers in America during the 1870s, but they did not become popular as a boys' garment until after the turn of the 20th century. Even through the 1900s knee pants were more common than knickers. We pnly begin to see large numbers at the end of the 1900s decade. And the shift from knee pants and knickers occurred very abruptly. And we have no idea why. Was itba fashion shift launched by clothing companies. We see no great interest among Amrtican boys in their patents in changing from knee pants or for that matter resistance to the change. By the 1910s, however, knickers had largely replaced knee pants as standard boy's wrar. Sone younger boys continued to wear knee pants and than short pants. Social class factors were involved. Boys from affluent families were often mpre likely to wear short pants, especially school-age boys. Knickers continued to be the dominant trousers for American boys in the 1920s and into the 30s. Unlike Europe where short pants were more common, Americam boys wore knickers--even Boy and Cub Scouts wore them. Through the early 1920s they were mostly worn with long stockings, but by the mid-1920s, knee socks had become more popular. The age of boys wearing knickers varied substantially over time. Although knickers had once been pervasive for boys, they declined in popularity very quickly in the early 1940s. It is unclear to HBC just why this major fashion shift occurred so abruptly. World War II may have been a factor. We have only limited information at this time as to how knickers were fastened at the knee. It is difficult to tell from the photographic records. The knickers commonly worn by American boys tended to be voluminous and thus hung down over the closure. The first knickers seemed to have used buckles and buttons to close the leg hem at the knee. We do not yet have any actual images of the fastening arrangements. The over lap onssured the fact that the knickers commonly buckled above the knee. Some knickers had enough material that they could be buckled below the knee if the boy so chose. Boys apparently preferred to do this, but some parents objected. There ppears to have bben a fabric band that bucked that could be moved up or down. Knickers in the 1920s seem to have been made with less bloucing, but we have not yet found an image showing the bucklng arrangement. We note knickers with elastiised web knee bands in the 1930s, but are not sure when they first appered. Some catalogs suggest that this alternative was very popular.

Popularity

While knickers are an English creation, probably no where were they more widely worn than in America. HBC is not sure why theu were so popular in America. We have not noted that they were particularly popular with boys. For some reason they appear to have appealed with American parents.

Chronology

HBC begins to notice knickers in America during the 1870s, but they did not become popular as a boys' garment until after the turn of the 20th century. Even through the 1900s kneepants were more common than knickers. American boys did not begin to wear knickers extensively until the 1910s. By the 1910s, however, knickers were beginning to replace kneepants. Knickers soon became themajor attire worn in America. School-age boys in America between the two world wars wore knicker suits. Knickers were the dominate trousers for American boys in the 1920s and 30s. Unlike Europe where short pants were more common, Americam boys wore knickers--even Boy and Cub Scouts wore them. Through the early 1920s they were mostly worn with ling stockings, but by the mid-1920s, kneesocks had become more popular. The age of boysearing knickers varied substantially over time. Although knickers had once been pervasive for boys, they declined in pipularity very quickly in the early 1940s. It is unclear to HBC just why this major fashion shift occurred so abruptly

Design

Knickers are often confused with knee pants, but differ from knickers because they were unclosed at the hem and did not have the three ornamental buttons commonly associated with knee pants.

Social Factors

Social class factors were involved. Boys from affluent families were often mpre likely to wear short pants, especially school-age boys.

Ages

Most American boys in the 19th century wore knee pants rather than knickers in the 19th century. Knickers became more common after the turn of the 20th century, especially by the 1910s. We note boys wearing knickers from abou 5-18 years of age, this varied chronologically. We note quite old boys wearing kneepants at the turn of the century, although this varied from family to family. We note many high school boys wearing knickers in the 1910s, although most boys but not all boys had shifted to long pants by the time they graduated, usually at age 18 or 19 years. Short pants appeared in America during the 1920s, but were mostly worn by younger boys. Most boys of any size, especially if they were still in shorts, wanted their knickers as soon as possible. Knickers came to be almost a symbol of American boyhood as short pants came to symbolize British boyhood. As short pants suit were more common on older boys who at 15 or American boys in the 1920s might wear knickers during high school or at least the first few years of high school. By the late 1930s and early 1940s boys generally wore knickers in primary (elementary) school and would get their first long pants suit at least by the time they were 13 or 14 which was about the time they began high school. This can be traced in some detil, both because of the photogaphic record and the popular mail order catalogs.

Knicker Suits

American boys mostly wore long pants in the 19th century, although knee pants became very common in the 1890s. We see bloomer knickers during the mid-19th century, but we do not see knickers being worn very commonly. Knickers gradually became more important after the turn of the 20th century. Knee pany were still quite common in the 1900s, but by the 1910s knickers had become the most common type of pants worn by American boys. We see most school age boys wearing thm up to about 15 years of age, but this varied from family to family. Knee pants went out of style and short pants appeared after World War I, but knickers were more popular for school-age boys. There were social class and regional differences. Knickers were still very common in the 1920s, but grdually it became less common for olders boys to wear them. This trend continued in the 1930s when we see ore boys wearing long pants. It was less common for teenagers to wear knickers in the 30s. Knicers very rapidly went out of style in the 1940s. We notice knicker suits being worn with dfferent acket styles. There were many different colors and batterns. Some boys had a conservatve navy blue or black suit. Some suits came with two pairs of pants--sometimes shorts and knickers, other times knickers and long pants. Hosiery varied. American boys mostly wore knickers with first long stockings and then kneesocks. Black long stockings were very common. Knee socks were often patterned, frequenly loud patterns. We note some boys, however, in the 1930s wearing knickers with ankle socks--especially during the Summer. This was less common with knicker suits, but as you can see here not unknown. The notice various styles of knickers. There were variations in length, fullness, and closures.

Usage

The first knickers we note boys wearing seem to have been the pants that came with suits. We often see pants offered separately, but the suits seem to get more attention in advertisements and catlogs. Often boys had aood suit and the panys from an old suit were worn for casual wear. We see the sandard boys suit from the 1910s through the 30s was a dark knicker suit. There were lighter colors as well, but a boys standard suit was a dark one, commonly worn with dark long stockings. A good example are the knickers suits boys in 1932 wore got their confirmation. Boys by the 1920s began to get knickers that did not come with suits and this became common in the 1930s. They were not seasonal wear, boys wore them in both summer and winter. Long stockings were worn with then even during the summer. This began to change in the 1930s. Knee socks replaced long stocking in the 1930s and we begin to see boys wearing ankle socks during the summer. Many boys wore corduroy knickers to school. Knickers did not, however, have any specific use profiles, they were simply the standard pants worn by boys for about three decades. Boys might have different suits many the jackets where most of the styling was, but knickers were worn with all the different suit types, regardless of the occassion or other usage. Along with the flat cap these became iconic schoolwear. Some parents bought suits with long pants amd knickers. We are now sure how they wound up being used.

Terminology

Knickers were also worn in England where they were called 'knickerbockers' and 'plus fours', referring to the additional cloth required. While worn in England and Europe they were much less common than in America.

Styles

The two basic stylistic elements of knickers are length and cut. Boys initially usually wore their knickers buckled above the knees in the 1910s and early 1920s. Younger boys especially wore them above the knees. Many boys as they got older and began to want long pants would often prefer the more manly style of buckling them below the knee. Some mothers would insist that their son buckle his knickers above the knee. The boy, however, after leaving the house would rebuckle his knickers in the preferred below the knee position. This mother/son struggle of the 1920s was imortalized in the classical American musical, Music Man.The problem was eventually resolved during the 1930s as shorts became more common for younger boys. Knickers for older boys were made slightly longer and the fashion of buckling them below the knee became accepted. We also notice a wide range of cuts for knickers. This ranged from rather tight form fitting knickers as well as very baggy full cut knickers, often called plus fours.

Leg Hem Closing

We have only limited information at this time as to how knickers were fastened at the knee. It is difficult to tell from the photographic records. The knickers commonly worn by American boys tended to be voluminous and thus hung down over the closure. The first knickers seemed to have used buckles and buttons to close the leg hem at the knee. We do not yet have any actual images of the fastening arrangements. The over lap onssured the fact that the knickers commonly buckled above the knee. Some knickers had enough material that they could be buckled below the knee if the boy so chose. Boys apparently preferred to do this, but some parents objected. There ppears to have bben a fabric band that bucked that could be moved up or down. Knickers in the 1920s seem to have been made with less bloucing, but we have not yet found an image showing the bucklng arrangement. We note knickers with elastiised web knee bands in the 1930s, but are not sure when they first appered. Some catalogs suggest that this alternative was very popular.


Figure 2.--Many younger American boys were still wearing knickers in the earlyb1940s. This photograph of children lining up to buy saving stamps for War Bonds was probably taken about 1942. Boys wear both long pants and knickers. Notice one boy wears kneesocks and the other ankle socks.

Accompanyig Clothing

The primary headwear worn with knickers was the flat cap. Knickers were at first mostly worn with suits. This was because suts were commonly worn in the early-20th century. Boys commonly wre them to school. We fitst see them in America diring the 1900s, but they did not become the standard boys' garment until the 1910s. Many early photograohs and portraits show boys wearing them as part of suits--even in casul circumstance. We begin to see boys dressing more cassually afterWorld war I in the 1920s. We see boys wearing knickers with shirts and sweaters. This was particularly common in the 1930s. The types of hosiery also changed. Most boys wore knickers with long stockings. This continued to be common through the 1920s, but by then we also see knee socks. Boys by the 30s were commonly wearing knickers with kneesocks ad by the late-30s we also see ankle socks. We also see a gradual transition from high-top to low-cut shoes, mostly oxfords.

Hosiery

American boys have worn a variety of hosiery with knickers. We see boys wearing long stockings, knee socks and ankle socks. Most boys wore dark long stockings, in part dark suits were very popular when knickers began to become popular. Mothers commonly attempted to match the color of the suit and stockings. Some boys went barefoot when wearing knickers, but this was not as common as for boys wearing knee pants. At first most boys wore long stockings almost entirely. Black long stockings were especially common. This began to change in the 1920s. By the 1930s knee socks with bold patterns were more common. We see major changes in the 1930s. We note boys wearing light-colored long stockings with dark knickers. We note boys wearing ankle socks during the 1930s, especially during the summer. This appears to have been because knee socks were becoming less popular with boys.

Materials

One of the most common materials for American knickers was corduroy. Both knickers suits and casual knickers were made in corduroy. Other materails included a tweed blend. A light blue thread could be observed in the fabric weave. One popular material for knicker suits were serge or a flannel worsted, primarily for a boys best suit. This would often be a navy blue suit worn with dark blue or black stocking, rather than the patterned argyl kneesocks usually worn with knickers.

Other Countries

The knicker fashion in America was a major divergence from British and European fashions for boys. Through much of the 19th century, American dress patterns simply followed those of Europe, with a few exceptions such as Fautleroy and Buster Brown suits. But these, especially the Fautleroy style was adopted by Europeans. With the popularity of knickers in America there developed significant differences between European and American styles. Knickers were not unknown in Europe where older boys might wear them instead of shorts. They were not, however, worn as widely by European boys as knickers were in America.

Personal Accounts

Boyhood memories:

First long pants:

Knickers and Shorts: America--1930s






HBC




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Created: August 2, 1998
Last edited: 7:38 AM 2/22/2014