Figure 1.--One sollution to trouser suspension for slim-waisted younger boys was button-on pants. Buttons ast the waist on the short fot into button holes in the trousers. This boy is dressed in all white for some special occassion. |
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Quite a range of different approaches have been used to hold up trousers and also skirts without bodices. Perhaps the most common approach to trouser suspension was the standard belt, originally made of leather, but eventually made of many different materials. Some belts were plain and other highly embelished. Some trousers came with side tabs, some times attached to a kind of elastic inner belt. The buttons could be let out as the child grew. This was a style exclusively for children. It was common, for example, on English school shorts--but not on long trousers. Both men and boys have worn suspenders, but pants with the suspenders attached were a specailized style for boys. There were a variety of different types of suspenders. Some were separate items. Others were an integral part of the construction of the garment. Suspenders are another classic approach to holding up trousers. A very popular style for younger boys were pants with elastic wastes. I'm not sure when they first appeared, think in the 1930s, but this needs more investigation. Elastic waists were commonly made for shorts. Buttons have been widey used for keeping up the trousers of younger boys. Many styles have extensively used buttons. Often styles for very young boys use large buttons to make it easier for them to dress. The skeleton suit popular at the turn of the 19th century in particular used buttons. There was also a button-on shorts style that was popular in the 1930s and 40s.
Perhaps the most common approach to trouser suspension was the standard belt, originally made of leather, but eventually made of many different materials. Some belts were plain and other highly embelished. The belt buckle became almost an art form. Belts were worn by both men and boys. Belts have never gone out of fashion, but many boys' pants, especially short pants are made without belt loops. A popular style in the 1940s and 50s were pants, especally shorts, for younger boys, with self-belts. Belts are not only practical items, they also can be used to decorative affect. We notice boys wearing belts over their jackets and sweaters where they had no practical use. This appears to have been a military influence. A good example here is a Berlin boy about 1880, although in his case he seems to be using the belt to hold up his drum. We have noted this style of wearing belts over jackets and sweaters into the 1930s and less commonly the 50s. We also notice mock-belts being worn a part of various garments. The most common here was the tunic. The belt was a very common feature of tunic styling. This belted look was also incorporated into the Norfolk jacket. We notice self-belts during the 1920s-50s. They were made in the same materialk and color as the trousers, bith short and long pants.
Some trousers came with side tabs, some times attached to a kind of elastic inner belt. The buttons could be let out as the child grew. This was a style exclusively for children. It was common, for example, on English school shorts--but not on long trousers.
Both men and boys have worn suspenders, but pants with the suspenders attached were a specailized style for boys. There were a variety of different types of suspenders. Some were separate items. Others were an integral part of the construction of the garment. Suspenders are another classic approach to holding up trousers. As with other items on HBC there are differences between English and American English. Suspenders are referred to as "braces" in Britain and the buttons to attach them to were always called
brace buttons. To the civilised British, "suspenders" are used for keeping up socks and
stockings. Susenders/braces are also used to hold up kilts. Suspenders have come and gone several times bending to the winds of fashions. At times they have been seen as old-fashioned, but they never titally disappeared. One U.S. reader reports, "I remember wearing suspenders, not a belt, with dress pants in the 1960s. Couldn't have been very old, 5 or 6. I think when I was in first grade, some other boys wore suspenders, too. To be sure, though, for most of my school years, boys wore belts, not suspenders." Suspenders became very fashionable in the 1990s, but now attract less attention. Some boys pants came with the suspenders attached. Some could be buttoned on and others were attached in the back and buttoned on the front. Suspender pants were especially popular in the 1940s and early 50s. Suspender shorts were the most common, but there were suspender longs as well. We also note suspender long pants in America. There were even suspender jeans in America during the 1950s. Suspender long pant were most common in America. In Europe the suspender pants were usually short pants.
A very popular style for younger boys were pants with elastic wastes. I'm not sure when they first appeared, think in the 1930s, but this needs more investigation. Elastic waists were commonly made for shorts. They included full elastic all around with shorts without flys--commonly plauy shorts. There were also partial elastic waists for more formal shorts with flys. These are often referred to as boxer shorts, referring to the trunks worn by boxers (prize fighters). The term boxer shorts is now more commonly used for short pants-like underwear. While the term "boxer" was most commonly used for short pants in the 1950s, we also noted advertisements for boxer long pants jeans in the 1950s. An American HBC reader remembers from 1960s jeans with elastic in the back to hold up pants. This style was for boys probably until age 8 or so though he remembers one boy (it was unusual that is why he remembered it) who was very thin and wore them up until age 11 or so. English readers remember velvet short pants, some even made in velveteen, that were popular for younger boys in the 1970s.
Buttons have been widey used for keeping up the trousers of younger boys. Button-on clothing was not only fubctional, it was also a style. Button-on clothing has been an important boys' clothing style. We have noted button-on styling from the very beginning of dedicated boys clothing in the skeleton suit. Popularity has varied over time. Many styles have extensively used buttons. Often styles for very young boys use large buttons to make it easier for them to dress. The skeleton suit popular at the turn of the 19th century in particular used buttons. We note button-on pants being worn in the mid-19 century with blouses, cut-away jackets. and other suit styles. Some of these outfits were obsiously button on outfits because you can see the buttons. An example here is an American boy, Elmer Dayton in 1870.
Others are less obvious, because the buttons did not show. We are not yet entirely sure why.
We notice quite a range of juvenile button-on styles in the early 20th century. Some were called Oliver Twist suits. We note considerable offerings in the inter-war era, especially the 1920s through the early 40s. Age conventions have varied over time. We see outfits for schoo-age boys done with butto on styling. They were commonly shirts and short paired, but some were also done with longs. There was also a button-on shorts style that was popular in the 1930s and 40s.
We knew that bodices were used to hold up kilts and skirts. We did not at first realize that bodices wee used to hold up bloomer knickers worn by younger boys. Many boys wearing the popular tunic suits at the turn of the 20th century apparently had bloomer knickers with attached bodices. This is not apparent in the photographic record. We note a McCalls pattern from the early 1900s clearly showing this.
