Figure 1.--British boys in the 1950s generally grey short pants suits or their school uniform which generally meant a blazer and grey shorts.
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Figure 1.--British boys in the 1950s generally grey short pants suits or their school uniform which generally meant a blazer and grey shorts. |
I have no definitive historical information on the origin of short pants for boys worn with knee socks leaving the knee bare. They seem to have first appeared in England before the turn of the century. I believe that they may have originated with the British Army at tropical postings like India. They were given great popularity by Lord Baden Powell and his nascent Boy Scout Movement. I am not sure when the first shorts pants suits for boys appeared, probably the 1900s. The original shorts were generally worn quite long, often faling to the middle of the knee. English boys continued to wear long, relatively baggy cut shorts until the 1960s. The continental cut shorter cut became common in the 1970s. At the same time it became less common for older boys to wear shorts.
I have no definitiver historical information on the origin of short pants for boys worn with knee socks leaving the knee bare. Some of the first short pants seem to have first appeared in England before the turn of the century. I have, however, noted younger boys wearing shorts as early as the 1880s in England. I am not sure how common this was. I suspect because of the realtive rarity of such images that they were not common. The most common occurance of short pants in the late 19th Century was not for boys, but rather the British Army at tropical postings like India.
Short pants They were given great popularity by Lord Baden Powell and his nascent Boy Scout Movement. They were seen as rugged outdoor wear. I am not sure when the first shorts pants suits for boys appeared, probably the 1900s. But short pants suits did not appear commonly until the 1910s.
Figure 2.--This English boy pictured with his sisters wears a double breasted short pants suit. While worn in Engand, doubke breasted suits were much less popular than the single breasted styles. |
Short pants suits by the 1920s had become the standard for boys' suits. Most elementary age boys wore short pants suits. Suits in fact were much or commonly worn at the time than is the case today. The casual styles worn today were little seen in the 1920s and 30s. Boys wore short pants suits for activities for which the modern boy would not dream of wearing a suit.
Short pants suit were still commonly worn by English boys after World War II (1939-45). It began to be less common, however, for boys to wear suits. Also, gradually in the 1950s they began to become less popular. Short pants suits were still worn in the 1960s, but were less common and generally worn by younger boys. While short pants suits became less common, shorts were still very common for school uniforms. The shorts until the 1960s, however, continued ti be the long baggy styles.
Continental or short cut shorts became fasionable in the 1970s, but they were not commonly worn with suits as it had become less common for boys of any age to wear short pants suits. Shorts were still commonly worn as school uniform in elementary school and preparatory schools (private elememetary schools), but short pants suits were not common. A few prep schools used short pants suits as the uniform, but blazers and grey shorts were much more common.
The original "shorts" were generally worn quite long, often faling to the middle of the knee, little different than knee pants. English boys continued to wear long, relatively baggy cut shorts until the 1960s. The continental cut shorter cut became common in the 1970s. At thev same time it became less common for older boys to wear shorts.
Jacket styles varied. Eton and Norfolk jackets were both worn as were double breasted suits. It was the single breasteds
Boys wore various colors of short pamts suits. The most popular color, however, was grey worn with grety kneesocks. I'm not sure why grey was so popular for boys' suit. Interestingly in America it was the black suit worn with black kneesocks that was most popular, especially in the 1950s.
Short pants suits have generally been worn by school age boys upto about 12-14 years of age. Older boys commonly wore shorts, but mostly as a school uniform. Many secondary schools required shorts for 1st abnd 2nd tear students. Some private schools frequired shorts for even senior boys of 17 and 18 years. However, short oants suits were not common for boys beyond 14. After the 1950s only quite young boys wore shiort pants suits, even thoufg they still commonly wore short poants school uniform. Begining in the 1970s even shorts at school began ti become less popular for elementary boys. Some schools continued requiring short oants in the 1980s and 90s, although by the 1990s only the younger boys were required to wear shorts.
I have little information ob the popularity of short pants suits. Probably boys in the 1910s and early 1920s rather welcomed the idea of wearing kneesocks rather than long stockings and cumbersome hse supporters. It is likely that boys in the 1920s and 30s did not give clothes as much thought as today. As most boys wore short pants suits, boys orobably did not think much about it. As fewer boys began wearing shorts in the 1960s, boys began to question the style. Some in particular began to object wearing them during the cild winter weather. Shorts became increasingly less popular among the boys, although many mothers continued to prefer them.
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