Figure 1.--This garment is a „Hosenschürze“/“Hosenschuerze“ in German, although I can’t remember this term ever being used. I have a photograph of myself and a friend in our garden climbing in a tree. These look similar to bib-front shorts, but there are differences. They actually seem more like shortalls.

A HBC reader reports a garment called " Hosenschürze ". This would translate as something like "pinafore pants". Other German terms included: " Gaertenshuerze " for 8-12 years old and " Kittelshuerze " which would translate as a "tunic smock". We are not sure, but to HBC these look rather like bib-front pants. The Hosenschürze also look rather like long pants versions of shortalls. Similar garments were called longalls in the United States. The bibs shown here are rather large, larger than we have seen on many other bib-front shorts. There are some other destinctive features. We are unsure about the fashion inspiration for these garments. They do not seem to have been a particularly popular garment. The Hosenschürze these boys were wearing were sewn at home. They were also available in stores.

Terminology

A HBC reader reports a garment called " Hosenschürze ". This would translate as something like "pinafore pants". Other German terms included: " Gaertenshuerze " for 8-12 years old and " Kittelshuerze " which would translate as a "tunic smock".

German Boys

A German reader growing up in the 1930s-40s writes, "While I do not remember pinafores, I do recall something similar to what you mentioned as " Hosenschürze ". This would translate as something like "pinafore pants". It is a „Hosenschürze“/“Hosenschuerze“ in German, although I can’t remember this term ever being used. I have a photograph of myself and a friend in our garden climbing in a tree (figure 1)."

Identification

We are not sure, but to HBC these look rather like bib-front pants. The Hosenschürze also look rather like long pants versions of shortalls. Similar garments were called longalls in the United States. Our German reader writes, "What is the difference? Well, I am not aware of the characteristics of „bib-front shorts“. One difference may be in the kind of material they are made of. A „Schürze“ usually in Germany is of a rather leight cotton material. Seeing the HBC pages on „bib-fronts“ looks to be of a stronger material." HBC noted that the German Hosenschürze do look to be made of a lighter material. Another difference is that bib-front shorts look to have a definite defined waistline to which the bib piece is added. The shorts here seem more like shortalls with no waistline at all. The photograph here was taken durng World War IIn in the early 1940s.

Design

The bibs shown here are rather large, larger than we have seen on many other bib-front shorts. One boy has a bib coming right upto his collar. There is no noticeable waistline in these garments. In the back the straps attached to the bib cross, just like in bib-front shorts. They were different from bib-front shorts, however in that the straps buttoned to the pants part of the garment. This provided support, but would have made it a little difficult for the boys to dress themselves. There was no material or bib in the back. The shorts part of the garment seem rather long, longr than the shorts boys this age were wearing at the time. There was a „Latz“ at the back for going to the toilet, buttoned. A „Latz“ ia a „flap“ (for Lederhosen, you have the „Latz“ at the front side. We do not notice any pockets. Boys generally like pockets in their pants to hold items they want to bring along or items they my find. (This may reflect the fact that these play garments were made at hime and pockets complicazted the sewing.)

Fashion Influences

A HBC reader writes, "In my googling I've found that bib-front shorts (and longs) showed up in Europe in the post-war years. I see a lot of suspender shorts in Europe before the War and some H-bar shorts, but bib-front shorts arevmich less common. I thought that they reflected the influence of American bib overalls. This image shows German fashions before the American occupation. Perhaps overalls had already established themselves as workmen's wear before the War that adapting them as boyswear didn't seem too much of an Americanism to the Germans of the Third Reich." HBC is unsure at this time how common this fashion was. The children here come from an affluent family. We are not sat all sure there parents would have chosen wotrkmen's clothes as a fashion inpiratioin.

Popularity

These garments do not appear to have been very popular. We do not note very many photographs of German boys wearing them. Our Gderman readers tells us that he does not recall other boys wearing them. Our reader does not recall having an opinion about the gsrments at the time. He tells us, "We were playmates about the same age. It was war time, and we were younger than 10 years old. Their was not much discussion about our clothes. We simply had these garments for playing outdoors during the summer."

Home Sewing

The clothes were sewn at home by the mothers of the two boys who lived in a small town. We are not sure what the mothers involved used for patterns. We suspect that the two mothers compared notes or exchanged ideas when they made these garments. Unfortunately we do not know what the mothers used for inspiration. The differences in the styling suggests that they did not have a pattern. Perhaps they saw an illustration in a magazine.

Store Purchases

One reader writes that Hosenschürze were advertised for 10-14 year old boys. So apparently they could also be purchased in stores. We have no informnation, however, on any such advertising at this timne.

Created: 10:38 PM 7/19/2004
Last updated: 2:30 PM 7/21/2004