Figure 1.--Ovearalls were commonly worn on the farm and by workingmen by the late 19th century. The were hardly considered fashionable and were not worn by city boys much until the late 1940s. The one exception was coveralls made for little boys. |
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No clothing item as assumed more importance in a boy's wardrobe during the second half of the 20th century than blue jeans. The first jeans worn by boys, although it was
not a boys' style, was overalls. I have collected relatively little information on this style.
It is esentially Aerican. It was worn mostly in rural Americaas work
clotyhes, but in the 1990s has become stylish for both boys and girls. And after World War jeans became an unternationa; phenomenon, although the popular syle was the jeans without the bibs. At time, however, even the bib-front styles became popular.
One of the central symbols of modern American culture are blue jeans. They were in fact the creation of a 19th century German Jewish immigrant--Levi Strauss. Levi Strauss overalls began appearing in the 1870s and by the 1880s had become enormously popular as work clothes. The original jeans were workclothes and the idea that they would one day be fashionable would have been inconceivable to 19th Century children. The most popular style of jeans were initially overalls. By the late 19th Century they were widely worn by farmers, miners, and laborers all over America. We don't see children wearing them in the 19th century photographic record. We do not begin to notice them at schools until the turn of the 20th century. We note a boy at at a rural Tennessee school in 1902 wearing what look like home-made overalls. It was not until the end of the decade, however, that we note them beng commonly worn to school and only at rural schools. Boys in rural America commonly went to school in overalls through the 1930s.
Levi Strauss in 1912 introduced its first playsuits for children, known as Koveralls. Simon Davis, the son of Jacob Davis designed the Koverall. Davis was the superintendent of the Levi Strauss Valencia Street factory. Levi Strauss & Co. advertised the Koveralls widely and the Koveralls became the first product sold nationwide by Levi's
the 1920s introduced "Koveralls", a denim play garment. This was quite a novel idea at the time. For the first time in America, some affluent city boys were esentially wearing overalls. Levi Strauss in the 1920s introduced "Koveralls", a denim play garment.
They were conceivedf of by ??? Davis, son of Jacob Davis This was quite a novel idea at the time. For the first time in America, some affluent city boys were esentially wearing overalls.
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The overall was generally seen as workingsman clothes and a symbol of poverty by urban Americans for decades. Blue jeans without the bibfront seemed much more acceptable to urban boys. Many city boys first saw blue jeans in cowboy movies and liked the look. American boys as knickers disappeared in the 1940s, American boys began to wear blue jeans. The availability of jeans was at first limited by the War. By the 1970s jeans had become almost a uniform of American and soon worldwide youth and increasingly a fashion statement.
Overalls reemrged in the 1980s as a child's garment. They began to
be worn by small children. Shortalls became less commonly worn by boys
in the 1970s and by the 1980s mothers had begun to repalce them with
overall-like garments. Overalls until the 1970s were almost always
made with long pants.
Younger children began wearing short bib-front overalls. I'm not sure when this was. Clothing ads in the 1920s show all long pants overalls for boys. As classic shortalls began to decline in popularity by the late 1970s, they began to merge into a sdhort bib-front overall garment. Short pants overalls for older boys also began to appear. Even younger teenagers began wearing them--usually with long baggy shorts. Bibfront shorts have been worn by the boys as well as girls, but an HBC contributor reports that in the late 90s that they have been much more popular among girls than boys.
After bib-front overalls declinecd in popularity for boys--even on the farm in the 1940s they were no commonly seen again for boys until the 1980s. Overalls were adopted by girls and boys of all ages as a fashion statement. Often a kind of anti-fashion statement. Boys bdegan wearing them as play clothes in the 1980s. They were at first primarily for very young children, but older boys also began wearing them. By the 1990s older girls began to wear them and by the mid-1990s were wearing them mpre commonly than boys.
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One HBC contributor suggesed in 1998 that bibfront overalls reached their peak of popularity in the mid-1990s. He believes that while still worn, the popularity among older boys has begun to decline. A follow up report indicated that inj 2000 Koveralls have all but disappeared in California. They were very popular in the early 90's in the shorts versions. They were mostly the bleached denim color and the "cool" boys (around the Junior High age) wore them with one strap unfastened. They usually came to the top of the knee. Some times the longer shots we rolled to above the knee length. The long pants version are
usually just seen on toddlers nowadays.
The original overalls were made of canvas sheeting. Blue denim soon followed and became stromgly associated with overalls. Overalls were, hpwever, made in many different materials--not just denim. Both blue and black denim were available. There were overalls in also khaki cloth. There is also safari drill--I'm not sure what this was. One popular style was stripped drill--often referre to as railroad overalls. The overalls available for boys in the 1990s was a much larger range of materials, including corderoy, canvas sheeting, and other materials.
I'm not sure what colors the Koveralls of the 1920s were made.
The overalls that appeared for younger children in the 1980s began to appear in a wider range of bright colors that appealed to young
children. The overalls that older boys started wearing in the
1990s, however, were blue denim or other plain colors.
The original overalls all had long pants. Shortpants would have been unheard of in the late 19th Century. The Koveralls for boys introduced for younger boys in the 1920s also had only long pants.
The bib-front overalls appearing in the 1980s had both short and long pants versions. They were often made to be worn in large baggy sizes.
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Overalls in the late 19th and early 20th Century were worn by boys of all ages as well as adult men. The Koveralls introfuced in tne 1920s were primarily for younger boys. I'm not positive about this, but I think they were mostly worn by relatively younger boys, up to about 8 years of age. (This needs to be confirmed.) The coloful overalls that appeared for younger boys in the 1980s
were generallys for boys of up to 5 and 6 years of age. The overalls, especially the denim and other muted color overalls were worn by boys of all ages.
The original Koveralls had long pants. Often boys in the 1920s and 30s who mostly wore short pants had a pair of Koveralls for rough outdoor play wear. They may have influenced the shortalls which appeared in the 1950s, althout shortalls were worn for could be worn for dressy as well as play wear. Koveralls in return began to replace shortalls which by the 1980s were being worn by younger boys, mostly todlers. Koveralls began to appear in both long pants and shortpants styles. Koveralls by the 1990s began to be worn by boys of all ages as well as girls.
CPSC and Levi Strauss in 1999 announced an infant and toddler Koverall and
shortall recall. In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC), Levi Strauss & Co. of San Francisco, California, voluntarily recalled about 3,000 Little Levi's Koveralls and Shortalls. The snap fasteners on the
inside legs of these garments may separate, creating a potential choking risk
to children. CPSC and Levi Strauss are not aware of any injuries involving these garments. This recall is being conducted to prevent the
possibility of injury.
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The recalled Little Levi's brand Koveralls and Shortalls styled for boys in sizes 12 to 24 months and 2T to 4T were all sold in indigo denim with product codes: 29028-2891 and 22028-2891 (Koveralls) and 22020-2891 and 29020-2891 (Shortalls). Koveralls is a youth version of traditional adult overalls and Shortalls is a short pant length version.
Levi Strauss is also recalling infant sizes 12 to 24 months of its Levi's brand Girlswear Koveralls and Shortalls with product codes: 38806-0817 and 38806-0881 (Koveralls) and 39867-0881, 39867-0817, and 39867-9281 (Shortalls). The girls garments were sold in stonebleach denim, pink twill, or pink check fabric with an elastic back. The product codes are located on the back of the care label sewn in an inside seam of each garment.
Retail stores sold the garments nationwide beginning in November 1996. Consumers should immediately stop using these garments and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund. Consumers with questions about the recall may call Levi Strauss & Co. at 1-(800)USA-LEVI, or write to the company at: Levi's Plaza, P.O. Box 7215, San Francisco, Calif. 94120.
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