Figure 1.--The photo was taken in the mountains north of Milan. We do not know enough bout Italian 19th century photographer to date it. An Iraloan reader belieces that it was taken in the 1890s. The boy wears button-on H-bar pants. Suspender pnts were common troughout Italy, but H-bar pants were more common in the north where the Austrians ruled for many years.

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 waistbands. Short pants were often donme with elastic or part elastic wsaists. Older boys in the 20th century might wear belts.

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