Figure 1.--Very short cut shorts begin to become popular in the 1960s. They were first worn by younger boys in the 1950s. This snap shot is undated, but looks like the early-60s to us. Perhaps readers will be able to date vthe cars. A reader writes, "This is a lovely picture. A boy with his drum and his toy sword. This reminds me of 'Emil and the Detectives'. The difference was the boy had a car horn not a drum. There are other stories about boys with drums."

German boys commonly wore short pants at various lengths, from very long to very short and many lengths in between. The length of short pants varied over time. Short pants were very common in the early 20th century. They were generally worn at knee length, rather like knee pants. For several years they were essentially the same length as knee pants. The only real difference at first was the decorative buttons at the knee hem. It is often difficult to destinguish between short pants and knee pants. We see short pants in the late-19th century, at first worn by youngerr boys. Bavaria and southern Germany were alittle different than the rest of the country because Lederhosen were popuilar. They at first like knee pants were quite long. This is logically as shorts esentially developed fromm 19th century knee pants. Short pants began to be more commly worn at the end of the century. And we see older boys weating them beginning with the Wandervogel before the turn of the century and then the Scouts and other youth groups after the turn of the century. The boys wore long knee-length shorys. The length of shorts began to change after World War I. The length gradually began to become shorter, although still generally long in the early-1930s. Short pants were very commonly worn by Germam boys including some older teenagers. Short pants were most common during the inter-War period and post-War period. Most boys during this period wore short pants until about 15 years of age, although this varied from family to family. Age does not seem to have affected length. The 1930s was a variable decade. Boys increasingly were wearing shorter-cut shorts, althogh we also see some boys wearing knee-length shorts. Most boys by the 1940s were wearing shorts well above the knee. We no longer see the longer-cut shorts of the early-20th century. Some older boys wore rather short shorts, basically shorts they had outgrown. Clothing was in short supply during the immediate post-War era and economic conditions desperate. Familes had little money even for food and other basics. Boys mostly wore mid-length shorts in the 1950s ad 60s. Many boys still wore shorts, comonly very brief cut shorts in the 1970s and 80s. By this time shorts had become primarly casual, summer wear. Short pants appeared in the late 19th century, they were initially worn by younger boys. For the most part age was not a primary factor in the length of the shorts, although younger boys might more commonly wear shorter shorts. German boys by the 1960s were increasinly wearing long pants, especially teenagers. Here the appearance of jeans had a major impact. Shorts egan to decline in popularity in the late 1950s, especially as ordinary or dress-wear. As in other European countries they began in the 1960s to be seen as casual summer wear. Shorter cut shorts appeared in the 1960s. They were widely worn in the 1970s and early 80s. Bu the late-80s we begin to see longer cut shorts.

Various Lengths

German boys commonly wore short pants at various lengths, from very long to very short and many lengths in between. For many years boys wore knee-length shorts, but in the 1930s we begin to see shorter lengths. We see some boys wearing very short shorts in the late-1940s and early-50s because the fifficult economic conditions. And very short short pants were stylish in the late-60s through early-1980s. Than longer syove-pipe type shorts became stylish in the 90s. We begion to see some boys wearing shorts at lenghths below the knee in the 21st century. This is longer than the knee-length shorts seen in the late-19th and early-20th century.

Chronology

The length of short pants varied over time. Short pants and knee pants were very common in the early-20th century, at least for younger boys. They were generally worn at knee length, rather like knee pants. For several years they were essentially the same length as knee pants. The only real difference at first was the decorative buttons at the knee hem. It is often difficult to destinguish between short pants and knee pants. They at first like knee pants were quite long. This is logically as shorts esentially developed fromm 19th century knee pants. Short pants began to be more commly worn at the end of the century. And we see older boys weating them beginning with the Wandervogel before the turn of the century and then the Scouts and other youth groups after the turn of the century. The boys wore long knee-length shorys. The length of shorts began to change after World War I. The length gradually began to become shorter, although still generally long in the early-1930s. Short pants were very commonly worn by Germam boys including some older teenagers. Short pants were most common during the inter-War period and post-War period. Most boys during this period wore short pants until about 15 years of age, although this varied from family to family. Age does not seem to have affected length. The 1930s was a variable decade. Boys increasingly were wearing shorter-cut shorts, althogh we also see some boys wearing knee-length shorts. Most boys by the 1940s were wearing shorts well above the knee. We no longer see the longer-cut shorts of the early-20th century. Some older boys wore rather short shorts, basically shorts they had outgrown. Clothing was in short supply during the immediate post-War era and economic conditions desperate. Familes had little money even for food and other basics. Boys mostly wore mid-length shorts in the 1950s ad 60s. Many boys still wore shorts, comonly very brief cut shorts in the 1970s and 80s. By this time shorts had become primarly casual, summer wear. Short pants appeared in the late 19th century, they were initially worn by younger boys. German boys by the 1960s were increasinly wearing long pants, especially teenagers. Here the appearance of jeans had a major impact. Shorts egan to decline in popularity in the late 1950s, especially as ordinary or dress-wear. As in other European countries they began in the 1960s to be seen as casual summer wear. Shorter cut shorts appeared in the 1960s. They were widely worn in the 1970s and early-80s. Bu the late-80s we begin to see longer cut shorts. And in the early-21st century we see some boys extremelu long shorts cut at lengths below the knee.

Age

We see short pants in the late-19th century, at first worn by younger boys. For the most part age was not a primary factor in the length of the shorts, although younger boys might more commonly wear shorter shorts. While youngedr boys more commonly wore shorts, the actual length of the shorts seens more dependent on fashion trends tjhan age, although age was a factor to some extent. We do begin to see younger boys wearing shorter shoprts in the 50s.m mOne aspect here is that younger boys are less likely to take an interest in fashion and dress conventiobns while oklders bioys are.

Lederhosen

Bavaria, southern Germany, and Austria were alittle different than the rest of Germany country because Lederhosen at first were only popular regionally. The length od Lederhopsen varied, but basically along withn gebnberal trends in short opants. In addiruion there was a a kind of knickers, belpw the knee length for Lederhosen.

Gender

Type of Shorts

The length of the short pants worn by German boys does not seem to have been affected by the type of shorts. Both dress and casual play shorts were wiorn at lengths genedrally determined bybfashion trends. The same was true for the shorts worn as part of youth group acivities.

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Created: 7:43 PM 12/4/2008
Last updated: 5:18 AM 10/8/2013