HBC has considerable information on the garments worn by boys in the 1900s. The fashion of outfitting boys in dresses continued to be quite common at the turn of the century. Little boys in 1900 continued to wears dress, although as the decade progressed they no longer wore the more girlish styles with elaborate lace and ruffle trim. Rompers were widely worn by boys after the turn of the century. I am not yet positive about the chronolgical pattern. They may have appeared before 1900, but they do not seem to have been widely worn in the 1890s. One of the most characteristic styles of the early 20th Century in America was the tunic. The tunic styles of Russian blouses and Buster Brown suits became especially popular. Many mothers who might have dressed their boys in dresses during the Victorian era, instead appear to have chosen the related tunic style. American boys mostly wore kneepants at the turn of the Century. Knickers were no unknown, but became much more popular as the decade progressed. Short pants were little worn in the 1900s. Unlike Europe they did not prove popular. Even the new American Boy Scouts movement chose knickers for their uniform, rather than the short pants that English and European Scouts were wearing. Boys wore suits very commonly in the 1900s. Most boys did not have extensive wardrobes of casual clothing as is the case today. Many boys would have a suit for formal occasions and wear their older suit for school or casual wear. During the summer the jacket would often not be worn. One of the most popular styles was the Norfolk suit. Kneepants were very common, even for older boys. American boys in the 1900s mostly wore long stockings with knee pants, even during the summer. Younger boys might wear their kneepants with socks, but not older boys. Even as knickers began to become more common, boys mostly wore long stockings.

Dresses

The fashion of outfitting boys in dresses continued to be quite common at the turn of the century. Little boys in 1900 continued to wears dress, although as the decade progressed they no longer wore the more girlish styles with elaborate lace and ruffle trim. The age of boys wearing dresses had begun to decline by the end of the decade. While some older boys had formerly worn dresses in the late 19th Century, this was little seen in the 1900s.

Figure 2.--Its a bit difficult to tell for sure, but this is probably a boy. He is wearing the romper outfits that appeared in the 1900s. Note the ringlets that were still worn.

Rompers

Rompers were widely worn by boys after the turn of the century. I am not yet positive about the chronolgical pattern. They may have appeared before 1900, but they do not seem to have been widely worn in the 1890s. At least there are very few images of boys in rompers before the tutn of the century. Of course this could be because rompers were originally an informal play suit and boys were usually dressed up in their best part suit fior the still formal studio pohotography in the 1890s. Images of rompers do not become common until amateur snap shots begin to commonly appear after Eastman Kodak introduced Brownie in 1900. Rompers may have been more popular in the 1910s than the 1900s, but I am not yet positive. They were a style for generally younger boys. Many of the boys outfitted in rompers might have worn dresses before the turn of the century. They were an informal style in the early 20th Century, but some dressier styles appeared in the 1920s and later period.

Figure 3.--Tunic suits were one of the most popular style for younger boys in the 1900s. Ringlet curls were still popular for boys. Notice that this boy wears a hair bow with his ringlets.

Tunics

One of the most characteristic styles of the early 20th Century in America was the tunic. The tunic styles of Russian blouses and Buster Brown suits became especially popular. Many mothers who might have dressed their boys in dresses during the Victorian era, instead appear to have chosen the related tunic style. To many boys, tunics were preferable to dresses as they could wear knicker-like bloomers that showed they were no longer wearing girlish dresses. I have little information on the knickers/bloomers worn with tunics. I do not know if they had pockets, belt loops, and other features of normal knickers. They do, however, almays seem to have elasticised closures at the knee and not more boyish buckles. These details could bee quite important to a boy desiring to look like his father, or at least big brother. I think that they may have been made without pockets. This was quite important as any boy wanted pants with pockets so he could squirl away his little treasures, pices if string, rubber ball, interesting rocks, shells, dead frogs, or what ever happened to interest him at the time.

Figure 4.--This boy wears a fairly standard tunic suit which apparently was his dress up outfit. THe arm band he wears probably is for First Communion, meaning this was his dressiest outfit.

There were several types of tunics, Russian tunics and Buster Brown tubics were some of the most popular. Boys in Buster Brown bangs and tunic suits are almost a signatory smbol for the 1900s. Another popular tunic suit was in the sailor style. The tunic was a particularly versitile style. It could be worn as a boy's dressiest outfit. It could also be worn as a boy's ordinary day to day clothes or indeed a play suit. Boys in tunics, because of their age wore a variety of hair styles. Many boys had short hair, but other might still have long ringlet curls. Particulartly popular in the 1900s were Buster Brown bangs.

Pants

American boys mostly wore kneepants at the turn of the Century. Knickers were no unknown, but became much more popular as the decade progressed. Short pants were little worn in the 1900s. Unlike Europe they did not prove popular. Even the new American Boy Scouts movement chose knickers for their uniform, rather than the short pants that English and European Scouts were wearing. Long pants for American boys were not unknown, althogh kneepants were much more common. Knickers by the end of the decade had become more common. Rural boys, however, did commonly wear long pants--usually blue jeans which were then called overalls. Bib front overalls were the most common style. They were not much worn by city boys--although the fathers of working class boys might wear overalls as work clothes.

Figure 5.--This is a difficult image to date. I would say the 1990s as the boy wears his elegant velvet suit without a lace collar. Lace collars were still worn in the 1900s, but there was much more variety in style than the 1890s. The cap also looks more like a 1900s style. This is, however, only a guess on my part.

Suits

Boys wore suits very commonly in the 1900s. Most boys did not have extensive wardrobes of casual clothing as is the case today. Many boys would have a suit for formal occasions and wear their older suit for school or casual wear. During the summer the jacket would often not be worn. One of the most popular styles was the Norfolk suit. Kneepants were very common, even for older boys.

Stockings

American boys in the 1900s mostly wore long stockings with knee pants, even during the summer. Younger boys might wear their kneepants with socks, but not older boys. Even as knickers began to become more common, boys mostly wore long stockings.

Created: May 31, 1999
Last updated: 7:19 PM 5/26/2007