Figure 1.--These American boys enjoy a ice cream on a warm summer day during July 1941. One boy wears coveralls. The younger brother weaers his suspender shorts crossed at the front. Source: Library of Congress

We are most familiar with suspender shorts as an American style because HBC has a larger archive of American imsges. The stule was actually much more common in Europe. We begin to see them about the 1930s. They were not one of the more popular style of shorts, but were commonly worn by younger boys for both play and dress. The boys here in 1941 wear suspender shorts and biboveralls as a kind of play outfit. We also note American boys in the 1940 wearing dressy outfirs, such as two brothers dressing up for Christmas in 1940.. Most younger boys wore them in the 1930s and 40s. Button-on styling seems to have been more important than suspender styling. A Sears catalog in 1941, shows only one pair os suspender shorts among quite a number of shirts and long sets. Suspender shorts were sill worn to some extent in the early 50s, but they were much less common than in the 1940s. This was especially true of dress shots, such as the ones worn with Eton suits. Shorts with suspenders of the same material as the the shorts were still worn. The suspenders were attached to the shorts or buttoned on. These were generally dressier shorts rather than the ones for play. They became less common during the decade, probably because dressy shorts were less commonly worn. A HBC reader writes, "I don't think that suspender shorts were very common in America during the 1950s. I've looked at a lot of school pictures and family snapshots on the web, and the last examples of suspender shorts worn as an item of daily wear by a boy above toddlerhood was in the late 40s in a first or second grade class in Florida. I didn't wear them beyond the age of 2, and my New Jersey cousins last wore them at 3 or 4 when gussied up for a Christmas photo. Clearly they had become a nostalgia item that mother inflicted on boys too young to object when they wanted to make them look precious. The fact that Dennis the Menace's friend Joey wore them was an anachronism that more reflected 40s styles than 50s styles, much the same as Dennis' overalls."

The 1920s

We have not noted American boys coomonly wearing suspender shorts in the 1920s. We do note boys wearing suspenders, but not shorts pants with attached suspender straps in the same material as the pants as were wore in Europe. We have found a pair of vintage suspender shorts that look to have been worn in the 1920s, but we can not confirm the date.

The 1930s

We begin to see suspender shorts in America about the 1930s. They were not one of the more popular style of shorts, but were commonly worn by younger boys for both play and dress.

The 1940s

The boys here in 1941 wear suspender shorts and biboveralls as a kind of play outfit. We also note American boys in the 1940 wearing dressy outfirs, such as two brothers dressing up for Christmas in 1940.. Most younger boys wore them in the 1930s and 40s. Button-on styling seems to have been more important than suspender styling. A Sears catalog in 1941, shows only one pair os suspender shorts among quite a number of shirts and long sets. A reader writes, "I think that suspender shorts gained their greatest popularity a few years after the 1941 example mentioned here. You see them most in the early postwar years, up to the early 1950s. Perhaps they shared some of the zoot suit zeitgeist. (Say "zoot suit zeitgeist" three times fast, and try to keep a straight face.) The thing is that by then shorts were definitely considered little-boys' wear, so suspender shorts were reserved for toddlers. Very different from the situation in Europe."

The 1950s

Suspender shorts were sill worn to some extent in the early 50s, but they were much less common than in the 1940s. This was especially true of dress shots, such as the ones worn with Eton suits. Shorts with suspenders of the same material as the the shorts were still worn. The suspenders were attached to the shorts or buttoned on. These were generally dressier shorts rather than the ones for play. They became less common during the decade, probably because dressy shorts were less commonly worn. A HBC reader writes, "I don't think that suspender shorts were very common in America during the 1950s. I've looked at a lot of school pictures and family snapshots on the web, and the last examples of suspender shorts worn as an item of daily wear by a boy above toddlerhood was in the late 40s in a first or second grade class in Florida. I didn't wear them beyond the age of 2, and my New Jersey cousins last wore them at 3 or 4 when gussied up for a Christmas photo. Clearly they had become a nostalgia item that mother inflicted on boys too young to object when they wanted to make them look precious. The fact that Dennis the Menace's friend Joey wore them was an anachronism that more reflected 40s styles than 50s styles, much the same as Dennis the Menace's ' overalls."

The 1960s

We believe that most of the shorts worn with Eton suits were suspender shorts. Here it as little difficult to ve sure as the boys in available impages usually thave their jackets on, thus covering up the suspender straps.

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Peter Pan collars] [White kneesocks] [Sailor suits] [Short pants suit] [Shortalls]
[Eton suits] [Knee socks] [Rompers] [Smocks]

Created: July 13, 1998
Last updated: 11:37 PM 2/6/2005