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United States boys clothes : chronology 20th century
United States Boys' Clothes: Chronology--20th Century Periods
Figure 1.--This cabinet card is undated, but the oudoor shot, mount style, and whicker furniture suggest that ikt was taken in the early1900s decade. It is a good indicator of pipoular styles at the time. Notuce that only the yiunger boys are wearing Fauntleroy styles.ir, .
Late 19th century styles continued after the turn of the century. Little boys continued to wears dress, although not with as elaborate trim. The age of boys wearing dresses began to decline, especially in the 1910s.
Little Lord Fauntleroy suits were still popular. After the turn of the century
Fauntleroy suits with short pants (rather than kneepants) began to appear and
were increasingly worn with white stockings or white knee socks. The size of the jackets increased to cover the blouse entirely. In addition large lace collars began to be replaced with ruffled collars and smaller bows. Some ruffled collars were wore with open necks. Increasinly kneepants and long stockings were replaced with either shortpants or knickers worn with knee socks. Short pants became particularly popular in Britain and Europe while knickers became more popular in America. America was a much more rural society in the late 19th and early 20th century tha it is now. Many Americans live on the farm or in small rural towns. When they dressed up they followed the same dressy styles as boys in the cities wore--although the latest styles probably took a little longer to reach rural America in the days before television. A dramatic change occurred in the clothes worn by America boys
after the First World War (1914-18). Dresses and kilt suits for younger boys disaapeared as did Fauntleroy suits and kilts. Sailor suits were still worn, but most by younger boys. Knee panrs disappeared. Some boys wore the new short pants with kneesocks imported from England, but knickers proved much more popular in America. Boys continued to dress more formally than is common today. American boys mostly wore knicker suits. Suits and jackets were still more commonly worn than today. Double breasted styles were popular, but single breasted jackets the most common. Parents generally purchased patterned knee socks for boys, although some boys wore ankle socks during the summer. What Americans now refer to as Eton suits for little boys appeared for the first time in the 1920s. Youner boys were the most likely to wear short pants. They were most common with affluent families which were more apt to follow and other European styles. In the early 1920s knickers were worn with long stockings or knee socks, but by the 1930s it became common to wear them with ankle socks--especially during the summer. Overalls were commonly worn by rural boys, but city boys had not yet begun to wear what we now call jeans. Caps and hats were commonly worn by both men and boys. One of the most popular style of cap was the flat cap. During the winter stocking caps were widely worn. Suits were less commonly worn as casual styles became increasingly accepted when families moved to the suburbs. One casual style popular in the 1940s and early 50s was an openecked shirt worn with a wide collar that did not button at the neck. Suits changed from large lapels in the 1940s to very narrow lapels in the 1960s. Flashy sports jackets with contrasting fabrics in the 40s and early 50s changed
to more conservative styles in the 60s. Madras and searsuckets jackets were popular. Even by the 60s, some younger boys were still wearing them with short pants. Knickers began to become less common by the early 1940s and were not commonly worn by 1945. Little boys commonly wore shorts, but by the early 1950s most America boys wore long pants, often jeans. Jeans for pre-teen boys might be lined in red plaid flannel. Jeans were not considered fashionable, however, and many secondary schools did not allow them, although his had begun to change by the late 1960s. The move toward casual clothes was accentuated by the Beatnicks of the 1950s and the Hippies of the 1960s. Both adopted jeans as a kind of uniform of the movement. Shorts were more common in some areas such as the South and California. Also more affluent boys would often have a short pants suit for dress occasions, but rarely for boys over 11 or 12, and even this became increasingly less common in the 1960s. Major changed occurred in boys clothing beginning in the 1970s. The
move has been to casual clothing. All kinds of jeans were worn and they emerged as fashion statements. The full impact of the Hippies began to filter down to the average child. Children eventually demanded jeans, but not just any jeans--it was designer jeans in the 1970s. Other insisted on buying jeans that looked worn or even torn. The "T" shirt emerged as a major fashion, especially ones with statesments, logos, or athletic or music group images. Boys no longer dressed up in short pants and kneesocks, except for the very youngest and even younger boys wanted longs by the 1980s. While boys didn't want to dress up in short pants, they increasingly wanted to wear shorts for casual wear. Many boys started wearing short pants which in the 1970s and early 80s were cut quite short. All kinds of new styles appeared, including running shorts, OPs, camp sorts, cutoffs, and others. Many boys wore cutoffs that would not wear any other type of shorts. The style of shorts changed dramatically in the 1990s to longer, baggier styles to match the oversized hip-hop jeans that had become popular. You can also follow American fashion developments on a decade to decade basis. This permits more precission than the era discussions above. Some decaded were closely related with only minor differences. But there important changes and characteristic depatures of each decade.
Late 19th century styles continued after the turn of the century. Little boys continued to wears dress, although not with as elaborate trim. The age of boys wearing dresses began to decline, especially in the 1910s.
Little Lord Fauntleroy suits were still popular. After the turn of the century
Fauntleroy suits with short pants (rather than kneepants) began to appear and
were increasingly worn with white stockings or white knee socks. The size of the jackets increased to cover the blouse entirely. In addition large lace collars began to be replaced with ruffled collars and smaller bows. Some ruffled collars were wore with open necks. Increasinly kneepants and long stockings were replaced with either short pants or knickers worn with knee socks. Short pants became particularly popular in Britain and Europe while knickers became more popular in America. America was a much more rural society in the late 19th and early 20th century tha it is now. Many Americans live on the farm or in small rural towns. When they dressed up they followed the same dressy styles as boys in the cities wore--although the latest styles probably took a little longer to reach rural America in the days before television. Fashion magazines and mail order catalogs made sure that rural America was never to far removed from the latest fashions. Most of the time rural boys would be likely to wear work clothes like overalls. They would often wear such clothes to school--at least elementary school. They were not called jeans at the time, and of course the idea of designer jeans could not even be conceived in the early 20th century, but Levi Straus dungaree overalls were widely worn by men and boys.
Figure 2.--A fashion magazine in 1929 published these drawings showing fashionable boys' clothes seen in the New York City area. Notice the Eton suit which became a standard for younger American boys.
A dramatic change occurred in the clothes worn by America boys after the First World War (1914-18). The inter-war years ushered in an entirely new era of American childrens clothes for both boys and girls. Little boys stopped wearing dresses. Many fancy styles like Fauntleroy suits passed out of fashion. America basically followed European fashions in through the early 20th century, although two classic styles Fautleroy suits and Buster Brown suits did originate in America. Dresses and kilt suits for younger boys disaapeared as did Fauntleroy suits and kilts. They were on the decline in the 1910s, but were essentially out of style by the 1920s. Sailor suits were still worn, but most by younger boys. Knee panrs disappeared. Some boys wore the new short pants with knee socks imported from England, but knickers proved much more popular in America and were still commoinly worn with long stockings. Boys continued to dress more formally than is common today. After World War I, American and European fashions for some reason diverged. Short pants were never as popular in America as in Europe. American boys, especially school-age boys, more commonly wore knickers--even during the summer. American boys mostly wore knicker suits. Suits and jackets were still more commonly worn than today. Short pants existed, but knickers were much more common. Double breasted styles were popular, but single breasted jackets the most common. Parents generally purchased patterned knee socks for boys, although some boys wore ankle socks during the summer. What Americans now refer to as Eton suits for little boys appeared for the first time in the 1920s. Younger boys were the most likely to wear short pants. They were most common with affluent families which were more apt to follow and other European styles. In the early 1920s knickers were worn with long stockings or knee socks, but by the 1930s it became common to wear them with ankle socks--especially during the summer. The Scouting movement that appeared just before World War I, quickly became a major American institution after the War. A popular event during this era were beautiful baby contests when young children were dressed in their best outfits. Overalls were commonly worn by rural boys, but city boys had not yet begun to wear what we now call jeans. Caps and hats were commonly worn by both men and boys. One of the most popular style of cap was the flat cap. During the winter stocking caps were widely worn. Boys from affluent families might wear berets when younger or British-style peaked caps with suits. A popular event during this era were beautiful baby contests when young children were dressed in their best outfits. .
Figure 3.--American Scouts in the 1930s mostly wore knickers, but would frequently wear a short pants uniform at camps and special events, like the first American Jamboree in 1937.
Boys' fashions in the period from World War II through the 1960s. We see the increasing popularity of casual styles. Suits declined substantially in popularity. Suits were less commonly worn as casual styles became increasingly accepted when families moved to the suburbs. One casual style popular in the 1940s and early 50s was an openecked shirt worn with a wide collar that did not button at the neck. Suits changed from large lapels in the 1940s to very narrow lapels in the 1960s. Flashy sports jackets with contrasting fabrics in the 40s and early 50s changed to more conservative styles in the 60s. Madras and searsuckets jackets were popular. Even by the 60s, some younger boys were still wearing them with short pants. Knickers began to become less common by the early 1940s and were not commonly worn by 1945. Major changes wew notable. By the end of the period only very small boys were dressing up in short pants. Two major stalwarts were introduced, jeans and "T"-shirts, staples which are now worn around the world.The "T" shirt becamne a boys' standard, especially striped shirts. Preppy styles like button-down shirts were popular. Boys moved very quickly from short pants and knickers to long pants. Little boys commonly wore shorts, but by the early 1950s most America boys wore long pants, often jeans. Jeans for pre-teen boys might be lined in red plaid flannel. American boys wore jeans in the 1950s, both for play and school. We see shorts at school in thge 1940s, but by the 1950s they were not very common. Jeans were not considered fashionable, however, and many secondary schools did not allow them, although his had begun to change by the late 1960s. The move toward casual clothes was accentuated by the Beatnicks of the 1950s and the Hippies of the 1960s. Both adopted jeans as a kind of uniform of the movement. Shorts were more common in some areas such as the South and California. Also more affluent boys would often have a short pants suit for dress occasions, but rarely for boys over 11 or 12, and even this became increasingly less common in the 1960s. Older boys did generally not wear shorts, even for casual wear in the 1940s-50s, although they began to become more popular for older boys in the 1960s. College boys began wearing Bermuda shorts as casual wear in the 1950s and by the 1960s shorts were being worn by some younger boys as casual wear as well. By the 1960s, however, shorts for casual wear and play began to increase in popularity. Quite a few boys, however, refused to wear short pants. Here there were regional and social class differences. Sneakers were strictly for play in the 1940s, but we begin to see primary boys wearing them to school by the 1960.
Figure 4.--After World War II, American boys wanted to wear jeans. In the 1950s, cowboy hats and Davt Crockett Coon Skin Hats were the headgear of choice.
Major changed occurred in boys clothing beginning in the 1970s. The
move has been to casual clothing. All kinds of jeans were worn and they emerged as fashion statements. The full impact of the Hippies began to filter down to the average child. Children eventually demanded jeans, but not just any jeans--it was designer jeans in the 1970s. Other insisted on buying jeans that looked worn or even torn. The "T" shirt emerged as a major fashion, especially ones with statesments, logos, or athletic or music group images. Boys no longer dressed up in short pants and kneesocks, except for the very youngest and even younger boys wanted longs by the 1980s. While boys didn't want to dress up in short pants, they increasingly wanted to wear shorts for casual wear. Many boys started wearing short pants which in the 1970s and early 80s were cut quite short. All kinds of new styles appeared, including running shorts, OPs, camp sorts, cutoffs, and others. Many boys wore cutoffs that would not wear any other type of shorts. The style of shorts changed dramatically in the 1990s to longer, baggier styles to match the oversized hip-hop jeans that had become popular.
