Figure 1.--The sailor suit was one of the most popular boy's style in Germany. Even older German boys between the two wars (1918-39) wore short pants sailor suits.

Boys fashions in Germany changed significantly in the early 1920s as was the case in much of Europe. Short pants and knickers replaced kneepants. Kneesocks replaced long stockings and three-quarter socks in the 1920s, although over-the kneestockings continued to be worn seasonally by younger boys. The inter-war era included two destinct periods, the Weimar Reopublic (1919-33) and the NAZI era (1933-45). The NAZIs are not normally associated with fashions other than uniform, but they had destinct fashion notions. Both popularity of sailor suits and sandals declined during the NAZI era.

Chronology

The German inter-war era included two destinct periods, the Weimar Reopublic (1919-33) and the NAZI era (1933-45). Clothing after World War I bcame much more casual and yhi iclearly observeable in Weimar fashions during the 1920s. German boys' fashions changed significantly as was the case in other European countries. Sailor suits continued to be widely worn, but not as commonly in the early 20th century. Boys attire changed from kneepants to short pants in the 1920s. Boys especially in the 1920s commonly wore long over-the-knee stockings, both for warmth and formal occassions. We see many of the early 20th century fashions disappear as more modern-looking outfits became invreasingly popular. German boys' fashions changed significantly as was the case in other European countries. Sailor suits continued to be widely worn, but not as commonly in the early 20th century. Boys attire changed from kneepants to short pants in the 1920s. Boys especially in the 1920s commonly wore long over-the-knee stockings, both for warmth and formal occassions. The NAZIs are not normally associated with fashions other than uniform, but they had destinct fashion notions. Both popularity of sailor suits and sandals declined during the NAZI era. We are not entire sure how NAZI fashion preferences became converted into actual popular fashions.

Figure 2.--This advertisement for Leica cameras appeared in 1942 during the World War II.

Garments

The following information is available on the garments worn by German boys during the inter-war era. Some boys wore sailor caps and a military-style peaked cap during the 1920s. Headwear in the 1930s were dominated by Hitler Youth uniform styles. Many boys wore sweaters during the Winter They were often knotted bu mother or grandmother rather than bought in stores. We mostly see boys wearing white or other solid color shirts. Most are standard collared shirts. We note some fanciervstyles for younger boys. Some look to have been made at home. Sailor suits were more popular in Germany in the 1920s-30s and were not, as in Britain, just worn by little boys. Virtually all German boys had sailoe suits in the early 20th century. This declined somewhat in the 1920s, but they were still widely worn. They declined in popularity, however, after the NAZI takeover. The NAZIs did not approve of sailor suits for some reason, I'm not sure why. I'm also not sure how this attitude was communicated to the public. After the mid 1930s you arealy see a German boy wearing a sailor suit--except for very young boys. Geman boys still commonly wore Norfolk suits in the 1920s, but by the 1930s standard single and to a lesser extent double-breasted jackets. Some boys had Bavarian jackets. Kneepants suits were still quite common in the 1920s, but by the 1930s boys were wearing short, knicker, and long pants. Suits became somewhat less important in the 1930s as after the NAZI's seized power, the Hitler Youth became more important in a boy's life. Also the Hitler Youth began discouraging church attendendance--one of the princapal events in which boys dressed up. Short pants increasingly replaced kneepants in the 1910s. Shorts had become the dominate fashion for German boys in the 1920s as in the rest of Europe. Quite old boys wore short pants although some also wore knickers. Some younger boys would wear long stockings with shorts during the winter rather than kneesocks. More so than French and British boys, some German boys would have a pair of long pants to wear during the winter. Often smaller boys did not have any long trousers. Younger boys might wear long over the knee stockings with shorts as the weather became cooler. German mothers appear to have been more concerned with the winter than British mothers. Many older boys had long pants to wear during the colder winter months. Mothers commonly made the decision as to when it was cold enough for long trousers. Bavarian boys wore lederhosen, short leather pants, during the summer. The style spread to other areas of Germany as well.They lasted forever and were perfect for rough outdoor wear. They were very versetile garments. They were worn by some boys much as jeans were once worn, for casual weear. They were perfevt fopr camping and often worn by Boy Scouts and later Hitler Youth. They were also commonly worn to scool and could be even worn as a dressy outfit with a suit jacket. Kneesocks were commonly worn by boys in the 1920s and 30s. Boys wearing short pants usually wore kneesocks. They were generally colored kneesocks, primarily grey and light browns. Paterened kneesocks were also worn. White kneesocks were especially popular for dressy occasions. Unlike the smaller boys, older boys did not commonly wear over the knee stockings with shorts. Rgere was also a kind of sock worn on the calf that boys sometimes wore when wearing lederhosen

Figure 3.--These German elementary children in the 1930s wear a variety of outfits, but all are in shorts, most with over the knee stockings. One boy wearing knee socks has on sandals. The picture was taken in Breslau in what is now Poland.

School Wear

German boys did not generally wear school uniforms. This is somewhat surprising as after the NAZIs seized power in 1933, virtually everyone else in the country wore uniforms. Most primary school boys wore shorts to school, commonly with kneesocks. As in France German boys might wear white as well as grey kneesocks. Shorts were also worn by younger boys in secondary schools as well as some older boys. Knickers and long pants were also worn.

Hitler Youth

Geman boys while they did not wear school uniforms did join the Hitler Youth. All Aryan German boys soon after Hitler assumption to power had to join the Hitler youth. Other youth groups like the Boys Scouts were simply folded in to the Hitler Youth. While membership was not manditory, it was difficult to avoid joining and in fact potenially dangerous for the family. In practice, most boys wanted to join. Their uniforms varied somewhat, but generally involved black short pants and white kneesocks. The boys wore brown shirts, as they were initially the youth arm of the SA, black shorts, and white knee socks. There was also a winter long pants uniform.

Catalogs

Catalogs and store advertisements during the inter-war period provide additional useful information. We have some information on the 1920 and 30s, byt no information on the 1940s war years. We assume that adverising for children's and other clothing declined during the War.

Individual Experiences

Sevceral accounts provide by HBC readers provide fascinating details about boys' clothing during the inter-war era.

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Created: March 10, 1999
Last updated: 9:25 PM 4/12/2008