Figure 1.--. |
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We have noted Russian boys wearing all the different types of pants or trousers commonly worn in Western Europe. This has included kneebreeches in the 18th century, long pants and kneepants in the 19th century, and knickers, short pants, and long pants in the 20th century. Conventions and styles were similar to trends in the West although the chronology was often slightly different. Knickers do not appara to have been as common in Ruissia as in America nmd Western Europe, but we notice them being worn even intpo the 1970s. Russia's climate mitigated agaonst short pants being as common as in Western Europe, although many mothers solved this problem by having bous wear shorts with liong stockings. Some boys also wore shorts with tights. Jeans became as fashion standard for boys in the 1970s. As in Western Europe, boys now mostly dress up in long pants and wear short panmts as casual attire during the war summer months.
We have noted Russian boys wearing all the different types of pants or trousers commonly worn in Western Europe. This has included kneebreeches in the 18th century. They were worn mostly in urban areas. They were not common among Russia's still largely rural population in the 18th century.
Long pants appeared in Europe in the late 18th century when skeleton suits became a popular style for boys. I am not sure how common skeleton suits were worn in Russia pr just when the style first appeared. It would have been worn by the small affluent upper and middle class population of Russian cities, espcecially Moscow and St. Perterburg. Most city boys wore long pants in the 19th century, although kneepants became more common in the late 19th century. The type of pants worn by Russian boys in the early 20th centurt were quite varied, including long pants, kneepants, knickers, and short pants. After World war II (1939-45), long pants became more popular although yonher boys still commonly wore short pants. By the 1970s. most boys were wearing long pants, with jeans becoming increasingly common. Boys did still commonly wear shorts as casual wear during the summer, but most of the year most boys wore long pants.
We believe that kneepants were worn by middle-class boys in Russian citoes diring the late 19th and early 20th century. The styles and age conventuns were similar to Western European counties. Kneepanrs were not common, however, among working class boys or boys in villages and rural areas.
Knickers do not appara to have been as common in Ruissia as in America and Western Europe. We have, however, very limited information on knickers in Russia, esoecialy in the late 19th century. We have too few images and inadequate information on knickers in Russia to make any firm statements. We do not recall seeing many Russian boys wearing knockers in images that we have noted from the Soviet Union. While knickers do not appear to have as common in Russia as in the West, we do notice them being worn even into the 1970s. They do not appear to have been very popular. They were, however featured in Russian fashion magazines. A Russian reader tells us, "Knickers were worn in 1960s and early 1970s in Russian cities - usually in spring and autumn. They were especially popular for boys up to about 11 years of age that mothers apparently considered too young for long pants."
As in Western and Central Europe, we begin to see Russian boys wearing short pants after World War I. Russia's climate mitigated against short pants being as common as in Western Europe, although many mothers solved this problem by having boys wear shorts with long stockings. Some boys later also wore shorts with tights. Short pants seem to have been at first a garment restricted to the more fashionable cities. Photographs from rural areas in the 1920s and 30s almost always show boys wearing long pants. And in the cities, working-class boys also wore long pants. It was the more fashionable educated elite that was more likely to wear short pants. Such social class differences are somewhat surprising in a country presenting itself as classless society. These differences gradually disappeared after World War II a living standards began to impove and children were dressed a little more fashionbly, including working-class children. Short pants including a short pants uniform were commonly worn at Soviet Young Pioneer camps by boys through the 1980s. Girls had Jeans became as fashion standard for boys in the 1970s. As in Western Europe, boys now mostly dress up in long pants and wear short panmts as casual attire during the war summer months.
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