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A jacket is essentially a short coat. The two basic differences netween coats and jackets are the length and formality. Insulation can also be a factor, but we notice both light and heavy jackets. They come in many different styles and weights. Many are light-weight, essentially short coats. Most jackets do not have padding/insulation or are very lightly padded. There are also heavily padded jackets, commonly known as ski jackets. Jackets are casual garments not worn as part of formal attire. Children off wear themn to school on cool days. Children in the 19th and early-20th century commonly wore coats to school. Jackets became more common in the 1930s and the general rule after World War II. Thus was especially the case when heavier jackets like ski jackets appeared. Jackets are done in many different styles and in different materials. Some are water resistant, but usually not waterproof. The jacket is a largely 20th-century garment. Boys in the 19th century tended to have limited wardrobes unless from well-to-do families. Thus most had a winter coat and a suit coat, but not an intermediary garment. This became more common in the 20th century, largely a function of rising income levels. After World War I we see noys with sweaters abd during the 1930s with Hitler Youth jackets. We also see another jacket with a sailor back flap, another kind of youth uniform garment. Jackets do not become really common in Germany, however, until after World War II when the German Economic Miracle begins and families negan to have higher levels of discretionary income. We begin to see boys wearing all kinds of different jackets.
A jacket is essentially a short coat. The two basic differences netween coats and jackets are the length and formality. Insulation can also be a factor, but we notice both light and heavy jackets. They come in many different styles and weights. Many are light-weight, essentilly short coats. Most jackets do not have padding/insulation or are very lightly padded. There are also heavily padded jackets, commonly known as ski jackets.
We see a loy of German boys in the photographic record wearing jackets. We believe this began in the 1930s and continued through the 1950s. This seems to be more than any other country. There were several styles of jackets. The short waist-length jacket which was cut at the waist or just below the waist seem very common. We do not see these garments to any extent before World War I. we see boys wearing heavy clats, but not short jackets. Much more common than say in America. A factor may be that the weather in Germany was coolor and less sunny--the kind of climate that would make a jacket a useful item. This is essentially the same role fulfilled by sweaters. An impornant difference is that sweathers wre worn both indoors and outdoors and jackets were exclusively an outdoor garment. The garments seem to be popular with the boys as well as girls. Th BDM girls also had jackets as part of thir uniforms. . we think the Hitler Youth movement helped popularize the garment in Germany. Hitler Youth boys wore a broen short and then a corduroy jacket when the weather turned cool. We do not see this with the scouts and other youth groups. As the Hitker Youth were a mass organization that the children had to wear, they seem to have popularized the jacket.
Jackets are casual garments not worn as part of formal attire. Children often wear themn to school on cool days or for outdoor play during the autumn and spring. One reason that jackets are informal is that they tend to be short and would thus not cover a suit jacket. This means that jackets just not look right when worn with a suit coat.
Children in the 19th and early-20th century commonly wore coats to school in cold weather. We do not see many garments that might be called jackets. The coats we see are heavy garments, often extending well below the waist. Boyhood wardrobes were limirted. And a heavy garment for winter was essential. Boys in the 19th century tended to have limited wardrobes unless from well-to-do families. Thus most had a winter coat and a suit coat, but not an intermediary garment. This only became more common in the 20th century. We do not see the American lumber jacket which was worn in the early-20th century, but not in Germany. The jacket is a largely 20th-century garment. As far as we can tell, we do not see boys wearing what might be called jackets until the 1930s. Jackets suddenly became more common in Germany during the 1930s. The Hitler Youth uniform jacket was the first such mid-weight garment that might be called a jacket. It was also a short garment. We see different styles. And then after World War II we see many boys wearing jackets. largely a function of rising income levels. Jackets do not become really common in Germany, however, until after World War II when the German Economic Miracle begins and families negan to have higher levels of descresionary income. We begin to see boys wearing all kinds of different jackets. Thus was especially the case when heavier jackets like ski jackets appeared. Actually the ski jackert was short like a jacket, but bulky like a heavy coat. They came in bright colors.
Jackets are done in many different styles and in different materials. We see German boys wearing quite a range of dufferent styles. Some are water-resistant, but usually not waterproof. Other are wool jackets which were not water-resistant. After World War I we see boys with sweaters made to look rather like jackets in the cardigan style. And during the 1930s almost all German boys had Hitler Youth jackets they wore with their HJ uniforms. The BDM also wore them. Because of the negative associations, this is not a good name for these jackets after the War. There were similarities with the American Eisenhower jackets. We might just call these jackets short coas. They were done in various fabrics. The Hitler Youth jackets were done in corduroy. Alpine or Bavarian Tegernsee jackets were popular in southern Germany. We seem being worn as both suit and casual jackets. We also see another jacket with a sailor back flap, another kind of youth uniform garment. We are not sure what the name for these jackets was. A popular style which seems to have appeared in the 1960s was the deck jacket which was usually water-resistant, They were usually done in blue and khaki and had zipper pockets. We might describe it as an unpadded ski jacket. We notice windbreakers after World War II. While unpadded, when warm with sweaters they could be quite warm.
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