Figure 1.-Here we see how mny children dressed for backyard play in the dsuburbs during the 1970s. Short pants were common (August 1972). Click on the image to see how they dressed up in long pants. These photographs were the popular square format taken with inexpendsive cameras like the Brownie.

Boys wore many different types of pants in the early 20th century, includung short pants, knee pants, knickerrs, and long pants. By the 1970s there were onky two basic types of pants, short and long pants. We see capri pants/peddle pushers, but very few boys wore them. The most commom type of pants for all occassions were long pants. This included casual wear, play, school, and dressing up. Short pants by tghe 1970s were relrgted primarily for summer casual/play wear. There were a variety of factirs involving pants in the 1970s, including age, seasony, region, and social class. Long pants were standard boys wear in the 19h century until the late-19th century when knee pants becam common. We see knee pants, knickers, and short pants in the early, 20th century, but by mid century, long pants were becoming standard again except for really young boys. This was the case in the 1970s, although short pants were becoming increasiongly common for casual summer wear. Dressing up in short pants suits was becoming less and lss commom by the 70s, especially the late-70s. Alhough suits were becoming less common, boys who wore them, including younger boys commonly wore long pants suits. A lot of boys in the early 1970s wore bib overhalls. They were not like the baggy ones that you see farmers and industrial workers wear. These were more on the dressy side, they came in several colors: denim blue, gray, and light blue. The legs had a slight flare on them. Flared pants were very popular and could were striped or brightly colored. Most boys ended the decade wearing jeans or corduroys when they had to wear long pants. All kinds of jeans were worn and they emerged as fashion statements. Jeans compltd fashiob transition. Jeans acwquired a kind of reble image thanks to Holllywood movies. Many high (secondary) schools banned them (1950s). Then in the rebellion and protest became trendy (1960s). Levi Straus and other jean manufacturers after pushing clean-cut image (1960s) adopted the rather edgy imaghe for jeans in their marketing (1970s). Girls eventually demanded designer jeans. Other insisted on buying jeans that looked worn or even torn. Denim came to dominate the fashion scene in America and for that matter around the world. Interestingly, jeans even played a role in the Cold War.

Long Pants

Long pants were standard boys wear in the 19h century until the late-19th century when knee pants becam commoin. We see knee pants, knickers, and short pants in the early, 20th century, but by mid century, long pants were becoming satandard again except for really young boys. This was the case in the 1970s, although short pants were becoming increasiongly common for casual summer wear. Dressing up in short pants suits was becoming less and less common by the 70s, especially the late-70s. Alhough suits were becoming less common, boys who wore them, including younger boys commonly wore long pants suits. Even for play and casul wear, long pants were the most common. This included the summer. Shorts wre worm during ther summer and were now seen as only ppropriate for summer casual wear. Even so many boys wore long pants in the summer. A factor here was the popularity of jeans. We see jean shorts, but mostly boys and increasingly girls wore long pants jeans. Designer jeans were all the thing for girls. And for school, long pants were standard even in elementary (primary) schools. Chino done in cotton twill were very common for school wear. We also see polyester. This was a synthetic fabric not commonly used for shorts. And high schools gave up on banning jeans. All kinds of jeans were worn and they emerged as fashion statements. Children eventually demanded designer jeans. Other insisted on buying jeans that looked worn or even torn. Jeans came to dominate the fashion scene in America and for that matter around the world. They became increasingly popular for even casual dress where. But of course it was for leisure that they dominated. Moms proved ingenious on how to extend the life of a pair of for ever.

Jeans

All kinds of jeans were worn and they emerged as fashion statements. Jeans compltd fashiob transition. Jeans acwquired a kind of reble image thanks to Hollywood movies. Many High schools banned them (1950s). Then in the rebellion and prfotest beczme trendy (1960s). Levi Straus and other jean manufactures after pushing clean-cut image (1960s) adopted the rather edgy imaghe for jeans in their marketing. Girls eventually demanded designer jeans. Other insisted on buying jeans that looked worn or even torn. Denim came to dominate the fashion scene in America and for that matter around the world. Interestingly, jeans played a role in the Cold War. the Soviet Union was bulding space craft, but coulc not mAufcture a decent pair of jeans, simething in great demand behind the Iron Curtin. This exposed a weakness in the Soviet economy that would eventuallybleadd to the collapse of the Soviet Uniom. Jeans became increasingly popular for even casual dress where. But of course it was for leisure that they dominated. Moms proved ingenious on how to extend the life of a pair of for ever. You sure can make those jeans last and fix them. But are we talking girls or boys here? and how old? When asked, "Do any of you have any great ideas on how to repair holes in the knees on kids jeans? I know I can always cut them off and make shorts. The iron on patches just peel off and I don't want a tacky zig-zag around them". One inventive mom replied:

When my kids were little it was a snap. I would get different colors of flannel (plaids for the boys and flowers, geometric designs, anything goes for the girls) and put cuffs around the bottoms and quilted patches on the knees (inside and out ... they last longer this way) and then make a pocket to match on the boys plain t-shirts and maybe ruffles or a design around the neck on the girls plain t-shirts. They looked pretty sharp even if I do say so.. and this also helped on hand me downs ... they usually couldn't wait til it was their turn to wear them. And those cuffs usually added another year for that person to wear the jeans.

A HBC reader tells us, "I wore the regular Levis as well as some other types of jeans in the early 1970s. The two pairs I had were sort of unusal as the pockets and styling were a little different. These jeans were the regular 100 percent cotton and were straight legged. The jeans had two deep side pockets and there was two small flap pockets on the front that were closed by snaps. The waist also had two snap closers one over the top of the other the belt loops were very large--at least an inch wide. The back pockets were long and square they also had snap closed flaps on them. They sort of started mid way on the back side and came down all the way to the upper back of the legs. I would say they were at least 8 inches in lenth. they came in only regular denim blue. They came in boys sizes 8 to 20 and what they called student sizes, waist 28 to 32. Levis also came in shorts. The prices were about $15 a pair for both the longs and the shorts."

Bib-front Overalls

A lot of boys in the early 1970s wore bib overhalls. They were not like the baggy ones that you see farmers and industrial workers wear. These were more on the dressy side,they came in several colors: denim blue, gray, and light blue. The legs had a slight flare on them. They had waist adjusters whuch were two snaps on each side and a zipper fly. The suspender straps did not cross in the back but were sewen on to a small 6 inch flap on the back. The front of the straps had the regular hook type fasterner on the front bib. They had four pockets two on each side and two patch pockets in back. They were made in a half cotton half polyester blend which did not need to be ironed. They were available from J.C. Pennys, Sears, and I think Wards. The Penny's had a name tag on the inside and the Sears type had a small leather patch on the right hip that had the word "Toughskins" on it. They came in size 8 to 20. A HBC reader tells us, "I wore the bib overalls in the early 70s. Un fact I still have a pair my mom found in a batch of old clothes."

Short Pants

Many differnt kinds of shorts appeared, cutoffs, runnng shorts, OPs, camp shorts and others. American boys seemed to like "cutoffs" and many would not wear any other type of shorts. Some were actual cut-down long pants. Most were bought with a rayed hem so they looked like they had ben cutoff. I'm not sure why this style was so popular, but I think it demonstrated that they were casual shorts. A HBC reader reports, "Cut-Offs were very popular in the 70s, just about the only shorts that boys would wear. They could be jeans, slacks, cords, whatever. Some kids cut a slit in the sides of the legs. They were cut from mid-thigh to a few inches above the knee." Not only were more boys wearing shorts, but the Bermudas of the 1960s gave way to a popular shorter length. A HBC reader reports, "I remember some short pants I wore from Penney's. When my mom got them for me about 1971 or 72, I thought at first they were for girls--which of course I objected to wearing. They were very short with only a 4 inch leg seam, no belt loops, only two front side pockets, a zipper fly, and snap waist closer. They had cuffs on the legs about a two inch one. The colors were light green and light blue. The only way I knew they were for boys was because of the zipper fly. I did wear them and so did a lot of other boys. They were made in a permanent press fabric." Rather short cut OP cord shorts in awide range of colors appeared around 1979.

A HBC reader remembers Levis jean shorts, "I think they wereadvetised as: bush jeans, the shorts! The shorts that they sold at that store were the regular Levi four pocket type cut and hemmed at mid lenth. The sizes were the same as I stated above. The colors were denim blue and ecro white. The name of the store was called the jean shop and was located in the Monroville mall. "

A HBC reader tells us that Wrangler also made jean shorts. They were also very popular in the late 60s to mid 70s. The Wrangler shorts came in size 8 to1 8 for boys and student size 28 to 32 waist . The colors I recall were denim blue, tan white, olive green, and powder blue. They were made of 100% cotton denim, cut mid length and hemmed. There was a slight difference between the boys sizes and the student sizes. The boys sizes had only three pockets two in front and one in the back. The closing was the snap type. The student sizes had five pockets, two in back and three in the front. The extra front pocket was a small watch pocket on the upper right front. The closing was a brass metal button type. All had belt loops and the leather Wrangler patch on the right back pocket. Most boys that I knew wore them for play or causal wear. Although all our shorts back then had belt loops, including the camp shorts, it was very seldom that you saw anyone wearing a belt with shorts. I think the reason for that is most boys thought a belt was to dressy looking for play clothes. Another reason was more comfort and the fact that all the shorts at that time had a more snug fit at the waist. I do recall that a lot of us tried to wear them instead of regular swim trucks for our outings at the community pool, but the pool manager put a ban on wearing those kind of shorts in the pool. He said the dye and pieces of the cotton would clog the filtering system. The Wrangler shorts were sold by Claybors Deparment store, G.C. Murphy, and other department stores in the Pittsburgh area."

Flares

Flared pants were very popular and could were striped or brightly colored. Most boys ended the decade wearing jeans or corduroys when they had to wear long pants.

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Created: 4:27 AM 2/9/2022
Last updated: 4:27 AM 2/9/2022