Figure 1.--This Italian boy, probably in the 1960s, wears patterened short pants. I think the waistband is elasticized for suspension.

Italian boys have worn knee pants, long pants, knickers, and short pants. Boys in the early-19th century commonly wore long pants. At mid century knee pants and knicker bloomers appeared. These were often worn as parts of suits. Knee pants were very common at the turn-of-the 20th century. The Boy Scouts helped to popularize short pants in the early 20th century. Short pants were very commonly worn by Italian boys through much of the 20th century. I am not sure just when the style developed in Italy, but by the 1910s they were being widely worn by Italian boys. The length was knee level at first, but began to shorten in the 1930s and boys by the 1940s were wearing rather short cut shorts. During World War II (1940-43), Fascist authorities decreed short pants for boys inder 16 years of age. Older boys in the inter-War era might wear knickers. Knickers were usually worn as part of a suit. Jeans began to appear in Italy during the 1960s, a decade that saw substantial changes in Italian boys clothes. We have some information on trousr suspemsion based largely on the photographic record. We note many Italian boys using suspenders in the 19th century to hold up their pants. Suspenders in Italian are "bretelle". We continue to see suspenders in the early-20th century. We also see suspender pants. We are not sutr how they are called in Italian. These are pants with straps in the same material as the trousers rather than elastic suspenders. They are both sewn on and button on to the pants. They generally were two straps that cross in the back. We also notice "H-bar" pants, but they are not as common as the two separate straps. There are also psnts with iltalicized waistbanfds. Short pants were often donme with elastic or part elastic wsaists. Older boys in the 20th century might wear belts.

Chronology

We have very limited information on Italy during the 19th century. Wealthy ad middle-class children tended to wear the fashions worn elsewhere in Europe. A factor here is Italy's relatively war climate. Another factor is poverty. Italy in the 19th century was a relatively poor part of Italy, especially bthe largely agraraian south. We commonly see boys wearing long pants. This was in part a matter of boys wearing the discarded clothes of their father or older brothers. We know more about the 20th century. We still see poor children wearing long pants in he early-20th century. But knee pants and short pants became very common and were commonly worn through the 1950s. Suspender shoets were very common. Teenagers might wear knickers. By the 1960s we see more boys wearing long pants, although shorts were still common, especially during the summer. We see Italian boys like boys in other European countries beginning to wear pan-European styles. An important part of this new fashion trend was jeans.

Types

Italian boys have worn knee pants, long pants, knickers, and short pants. Boys in the early-19th century commonly wore long pants. At mid century knee pants and knicker bloomers appeared. These were often worn as parts of suits. Knee pants were very common at the turn of the 20th century. The Boy Scouts helped to popularize short pants in the early 20th century. Short pants were very commonly worn by Italian boys through much of the 20th century. I am not sure just when the style developed in Italy, but by the 1910s they were being widely worn by Italian boys. The length was knee level at first, but began to shorten in the 1930s and boys by the 1940s were wearing rather short cut shorts. During World War II (1940-43), Fascist authorities decreed short pants for boys inder 16 years of age. Older boys in the inter-War era might wear knickers. Knickers were usually worn as part of a suit. Jeans began to appear in Italy during the 1960s, a decade that saw substantial changes in Italian boys clothes. Jeans began to appear in Italy during the 1960s, a decade that saw substantial changes in Italian boys clothes. At the beginning of the decade, Italian boys were still wearing mostly short pants suits.

Long Pants

Boys in the early 19th century commonly wore long pants. Long pants first appeared as part of skeleton suits. They were worn by boys at a time when men were still wearing knee breaches.

Kneepants

At mid century knee pants and knicker bloomers appeared. These were often worn as parts of suits. Knee pants were very common at the turn of the 20th century.

Bloomer Knickers

Bloomer knickers were similar to kneepants only bloused at the hem.

Short Pants

We believe that short pants first appeared in England. While small boys wore them before the turn of the century, they did not become widely worn until after the turn of the Century. Boy Scouts were a factor here, but not as important as in Britain. I am not sure just when the style developed in Italy, but by the 1910s they were being widely worn by Italian boys. The length was knee level at first, but began to shorten in the 1930s and boys by the 1940s were wearing rather short cut shorts. During World War II (1940-43), Fascist authorities decreed short pants for boys inder 16 years of age. Italy's Federation for Male Clothing seclared that shorts were 'hyginic'. More important, they required less fabric than needed for either knickers or long trousers. ["Italy at War." ] HBC currently has very little information on Italian short pants, but hope an Italian visitor to HBC will provide details.

Knickers

I'm not sure when knickers first appeared in Italy. We assume it was in the late-19th century. I am not sure about the age conventions at first. After World War I it became common for younger boys to wear short pants and older boys to wear knickers. Knickers were usually worn as part of a suit

Jeans

Jeans began to appear in Italy during the 1960s, a decade that saw substantial changes in Italian boys clothes. At the beginning of the decade, Italian boys were still wearing mostly short pants suits. By the end of the decade, older boys were no longer wearing shorts. Rather they had adopted American fashions likes jeans and 'T'-shirts. As in other European countries, Italian boys commonly dress in a kind of pan-European style and jeans are a mjor part of that style.

Suspension

We have some information on trousr suspemsion based largely on the photographic record. We note many Italian boys using suspenders in the 19th century to hold up their pants. Suspenders in Italian are "bretelle". We continue to see suspenders in the early-20th century. We also see suspender pants. We are not sutr how they are called in Italian. These are pants with straps in the same material as the trousers rather than elastic suspenders. They are both sewn on and button on to the pants. They generally were two straps that cross in the back. We also notice 'H-bar' pants, but they are not as common as the two separate straps. There are also pants with elasticized waistbands. Short pants were often done with elastic or part elasticized waists. Older boys in the 20th century might wear belts.

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]

Created: June 2, 2004
Last updated: 10:27 PM 5/24/2010