Figure 1.--This is the short pants suit Inwore at 9 and 10. Note my flat cap and the schoolmcaps the other boys wear.

I had a suit with short trousers when I was aged 9-10 years. We tended to wear shorts all the time. I didn't wear it to school though--my mum was afraid I might get it dirty. It was a fawn suit that I wore with matching kneesocks and black shoes. Some of my kneesocks were plain others had a little pattern on the turn over tops. It was for church and other special occasions. I wore it with a kind of flat cap until I started wearing long pants after entering the grammar. Most of my friends wore a school cap.

My Suit

Age

I had a suit with short trousers when I was aged 9-10 years. I can't remember the last time I wore my suit. It was probably around the time I started attending Grammar School at which point my school uniform became my 'Sunday best' clothes. A few months after I started Grammar School I went into long trousers and that became the norm when wearing shirt, tie & jacket though I often wore short trousers when dressed more casualy.

Style and color

It was a fawn, light brown color. The jacket was a single breastd suit

I wore my suit with a kind of flat cap. Most of my friends wore a school cap. The flat caps was the style worn by most men at that time. It felt 'grown-up' to wear that style rather than the 'school boy cap' style. From what I remember I think I enjoyed wearing it as it made you feel older and more mature. I carried on wearing my flat cap after I wore long trousers except if I was wearing school uniform then it would be the school cap.

Jacket

The jacket had three buttons but you will notice in the picture that I only had the centre button fastened. I prefered to fasten all three buttons as was the common practice in those days but my mother said that it made me look fat with three buttons fastened and she preffered just the centre button. When I wore my school uniform I enjoyed fastening all three buttons and I think I saw it as a way of 'rebeling' against her wishes. I still enjoy fastening all the buttons on my jackets

Gloves

Yes I am wearing gloves. Probably part of the image for looking like a grown up man along with the flat cap. I know it looks a bit silly now to wear shortb pants when it was cold enough to wear gloves, but that is the way it was then.

Short trousers

The short trousers, at least when the suit was new, were rathervlong, way down to my knees.

Kneesocks and shoes

I wore with matching kneesocks and black leather, laceup shoes. Some of my kneesocks were plain others had a little pattern on the turn over tops.

Figure 2.--.

Occasions

I wore my suit on special occassions such as visiting relatives or friends of the family, going somewhere special like the theatre, someone's birthday party and also on Sundays for going to church. We tended to wear shorts all the time. I didn't wear it to school though--my mum was afraid I might get it dirty.

Other Boys

Some boys wore suits on special occassions or perhaps just a white shirt and tie with a clean jumper if necessary.

Adults

People complemented me on how smart I looked in my suit. It was a fairly common thing for adults to do to young children when they were dressed in their "best" clothes. I'm sure that my mother was proud of me when others complemented me on my appearance. She was strict about me taking it off as soon as I returned home so as not to get it dirty. today.

My Opinion

I did like my suit. I wasn't bothered a bit that it had short trousers. It certainly looks smart in the pictures. I know that when I arrived home after wearing it I had always to get changed straight away into jeans, t-shirt etc. Before I could go out to play with my friends. There was always the link between wearing a suit and going somewhere special which subconsciously created a liking for wearing suits and smart clothes. I can't remember now what I thought about the kneesocks.

Buying Suits

I can't remember buying that suit but I can remember buying suits when I was older. It was quite a performance with both parents in attendance and they were always made to measure. I wasn't really consulted on my preferences. My parents were paying the bill so decided that they knew best.