Figure 1.--This postcard back portrait shows an unidentified boy wearing an eton collar with a knee pants suit. It is undated, but looks like the 1910s to us, possibly the early-1910s. The photograph was takem in Bury, Lancashire. The knee pants are cut rather long for the 1900s. The studio looks like Jenn in Bury.

We begin to see younger English boys wearing knee pants suits in the mid-19th century. We think that knee pants first apeared in England, but are not yet sure. This is a little hard to tell from the photogrphic record, because early European portraits (Dags and Ambros) are not as common as American portraits. Nor do we know who first created knee pants. We first note them in the 1850s. We are not sure yet about the 40s. The first portraits we find in any numbers are founs in the 1860s with the appearance of the CDV. They were first worn by yonger boys just breeched. We mosrly see younger boys wearing them to about 8 years of age. We see some older boys earing them, but not very many. We note a London boy who looks to be about 11 years of age in the 1860s. We believe that they were first worn by boys in affluent, well-to-do families. We see knee pants before knickers, but both were commonly worn in the late-19th century. They were always worn with long stockings. We have begun to collect images so we can build a decade by decade chronology. Knee pants suits continued to be popular in the early-20th century, but not universal. We see boys in the 1880s wearing Little Lord Fauntleroy suits, but unlike American boys, mostly with knickers. Here we see a Bury boy wearing an Eton collar and knee pants suit, we thin in the 1900s (figure 1). We see boys wearing both knickers and knee pants in the rraly 20th century. We do not see knee pants extensively after World War I when boys primarily wore short pants suits in the 1920s. Some older biys wore knickers, but short pants were more common. Clothing stores continued using the term knee trousers. Knee pants essentially evolved into short pants during the 1920s. The first short pants were rather long long lengths like knee pants.

The 19th Century

We begin to see younger English boys wearing knee pants suits in the mid-19th century. We think that knee pants first apeared in England, but are not yet sure. This is a little hard to tell from the photogrphic record, because early European portraits (Dags and Ambros) are not as common as American portraits. Nor do we know who first created knee pants. We first note them in the 1850s. We are not sure yet about the 40s. The first portraits we find in any numbers are founs in the 1860s with the appearance of the CDV. They were first worn by yonger boys just breeched. We mosrly see younger boys wearing them to about 8 years of age. We see some older boys earing them, but not very many. We note a London boy who looks to be about 11 years of age in the 1860s. We believe that they were first worn by boys in affluent, well-to-do families. We see knee pants before knickers, but both were commonly worn in the late-19th century. They were always worn with long stockings. We have begun to collect images so we can build a decade by decade chronology. Knee pants suits continued to be popular in the early-20th century, but not universal. We see boys in the 1880s wearing Little Lord Fauntleroy suits, but unlike American boys, mostly with knickers.

The 20th Century

We continue to see boys wearing knee pants and knicker suits after the turm of of the 20th century in the 1900s. They seem to be essentially inter changeable. We suspect that the choice in many case reflected the uniform regulations at the oarticular private school. Many were of these were vested suits, both knee pants and knickers. At least is what we see in the induvidual portaits we have archived. We suspect that these were boys from families in fairly comfortable circumstances. Knicker suits began to decline in the 1910s. Here we see a Bury boy wearing a classic Eton collar and knee pants suit, we think in the 1900s (figure 1). We see boys wearing both knickers and knee pants in the rraly 20th century. We do not see knee pants extensively after World War I when boys primarily wore short pants suits in the 1920s. Some older boys wore knickers, but short pants were more common. Clothing stores continued using the term knee trousers. Knee pants essentially evolved into short pants during the 1920s. The first short pants were rather long long lengths like knee pants.

Created: 6:58 PM 6/25/2019
Last updated: 6:24 AM 8/6/2020