Figure 1.--The photo was taken in early-20th century near Toledo. It shows a group of children drawing water from a well. A seated girl is wearing the traditional Spanish canvas shoes--espadrilles. Many children did not have shoes or only wore them for special occassions or when the weather got cold.

Only limited information is available at this time on clothes worn by Spanish boys. We have very limited written information about Spain. We have noted a few images which provide us some information. Smocks were worn by Spanish boys. Many elementary schools do seem to have required them, but I do not know if there was a national rule. There appears to have been some regional differences, with destinctive styles in Catalonia. We have little information on Spanish tunics at this time. There is no indication that Spain has diverged from the general European pattern concerning tunics. We do have one 1916 image. I believe sailor suits were very popular in the late 19th as in most of Europe, ut have no specific image at this time. Sailor suits were being worn by boys for first communion even in the 1990s. Boys commonly wore blouses in the late 18th century. I have limited information on blouse styles. I do not know how popular Fauntleroy blouses were. One image shows a boy wearing a destinctive stripped blouse with aclarge collar and back flap. Boys in the late 19th century might wear large floppy bows with blouses. Keepants were the primary dress of Spanish boys in the late 19th century. They continued to be worn until the 1920s. Knickers band short pants became increasingly common in the 1910s. Spanish boys by the 1920s were wearing short pants, knickers, and long pants. Short pants were very commn in the 1920s and 30s, but I am unsure as to the relative popularity of these styles. By the 1930s boys commonly wore short pants and many boys wore smocks to school. After the 1960s short pants became much less common as most boys wanted to wear jeans. Boys wore long dark stockings with kneepants. Socks began to be worn in the 1910s as boys began wearing knickers and short pasnts. White three-quarter or kneesocks might be worn with short pants for formal occasion. Spanish school children were commonly wearing smocks by the 1930s, although I am not sure when this paractice first began. Short pants were common until the 1970s.

Smocks

Smocks were worn by Spanish boys. Many elementary schools do seem to have required them, but I do not know if there was a national rule. There appears to have been some regional differences, with destinctive styles in Catalonia. One Spanish contributor reports that boys in a small town near Barcelona wear a front buttoning smock with a brown belt. Normally the whole of Cataluna wears the very same type at school, white with blue stipes and blue collar, pocket and cuffs. I still, however, have little information on Spain. At this time we do not have information on Spanish smocks in general, but only school smocks.

Tunics

We have little information on Spanish tunics at this time. There is no indication that Spain has diverged from the general European patter concerning tunics. We do have one 1916 image.

Suits

We believe sailor suits were very popular in the late19th centurt as in most of Europe, nut have no specific image at this time. We note sailor suits were being worn by boys for first communion in the 1990s. The styles were admiral uniforms rather than the enlisted styles in most bother countries. We have not found mamy photographs of Spanish boys wearing Fauntleroy suits. We are mot entirely sure why. Spain was a relatively poor country. This means that fewer families could afford fancy clothes for children. Bit it also mean that that there was less money for phptographic portraits as wellm so the absence of many examples in part may reflect the smaller size of the photographic record. As best we can tell in Spain Faintleroy suits were modtly worn by boys from wealthy families. Inlik America where quite a large mumber of boys wore Fauntlrtoy suits o trgular suits with Fauntleroy elemenbts. As far as we cam tell, this was much less common in Spain. One example we havev found is the Besabe boys painted by Julio Tomero de Torres (1919). The noys have lace collars rather than the more common ruffled collars. They also wore short pants with white socks rather than knee pants with long stockings.

Blouses

Boys commonly wore blouses in the late 18th century. I have limited information on blouse styles. I do not know how popular Fauntleroy blouses were. One image shows a boy wearing a destinctive stripped blouse with aclarge collar and back flap.

Bows

Boys in the late 19th century might wear large floppy bows with blouses.

School Uniform

Spanish school children were commonly wearing smocks by the 1930s, although I am not sure when this paractice first began. Short pants were common until the 1970s. Young kindergarten age children still commonly wear smocks in Spain. It is no longer common, however, for older boys to wear them--but some still do. A Spanish contributor to HBC in 1999 reported school boys about about 7 or 8 years old still wearing the smocks over their street clothes.

Pants

Keepants were the primary dress of Spanish boys in the late 19th century. They continued to be worn until the 1920s. Knickers band short pants became increasingly common in the 1910s. Spanish boys by the 1920s were wearing short pants, knickers, and long pants. Short pants were very commn in the 1920s and 30s, but I am unsure as to the relative popularity of these styles. By the 1930s boys commonly wore short pants and many boys wore smocks to school. After the 1960s short pants became much less common as most boys wanted to wear jeans.

Hosiery

Boys wore long dark stockings with kneepants. Socks began to be worn in the 1910s as boys began wearing knickers and short pasnts. White three-quarter or kneesocks might be worn with short pants for formal occasion. I am unsure wehat kind of socks were worn with knickers. Boys were still wearing dark long stockings with knicketrs for formal occasions in the 1920s.

Footwear

Footwear in Spain is similar to that in the rest of southern Europe. Traditionally as a relatively poor country, many children went barefoot, especially younger children. The one major distinctly Spanish footwear we note of is the espadrille--a slip on canvas shoe that appeared in the early-20th century. We see them in other countries, but they seem to have appeared in Spain and been the most commion there. Of course seasonality is afactor in Spain as the climate is warmer than northern Europe. Spnish children today are largely dressed in the pan-European fashions that began to develop in the 1970s. Trendy sneakers are today more popular than espadrilles.

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Created: October 15, 2002
Last updated: 2:40 AM 4/26/2020