Figure 1.--This Midwestern snapshot shows a young mother holding her baby that is waving and two boys sitting beside her. The boys wear kneepants suits with black long stockings. Knee pats were almost universal for boys in the 1900s. The snapshot is undated, but looks to have been taken about 1905.

There were very significant changes in the pants worn by American boys in the 20th century. We notice quite a wide range of different types of oants being born and the changes began at the end of the first decade. American boys at the turn of the 20th century mostly wore knee pants. Virtually all boys wore them, including older boys. A good example is Harry Lodge about 1908. They were commonly worn by boys of all ages. At the end of the 1900s decade we see boys very rapidly switchung over to knickers, although many tounger boys continued to wear knee oants. Long pants were not common. Rompers were wirn by younger boys and girls. Styles changed substantially by the 1910s, knickers were much more common. We see fewer older teenagers wearing them. Knee pants continued to be worn, but mostly by younger boys. Short pants also appeared in the 20th century (1920s), but for many years were not popular with many boys. And we begin to see some long pants. Knickers were very commonly worn by American boys until World War II (1941-45). They were stndard, almost universal in the 1910s and still very common in the 1920s. Knickers continbued to be worn in the 1930s, esoecilly the early-30, but we begin ti see more shorts nd long psnbts as the decade otogressed. After the War long pants became increasingly prevalent (1940s). Some boys wore short pants, but knickers disappeared. Boys by the 1950s especially after the early-50s were mostly wearing long pants. Shorts were mostly weirn by younger boys, althogh there were regionl and social class differences. Shortalls were popular for a time (1960s). Short pants began to become more popular in the 1960s, but mostly as cassual summer and sports wear. We see peddle pushers, but ghey were mostly iorn by girls (1970s). The increasing popularity of basketball and and soccer increased the appeal of short pants with boys. A range of sporty styles of shorts became popular in the 1970s. When dressung up boys mostly wore long pants. Long baggy cargo shorts became popular in the 1990s.

The 1900s

American boys at the turn of the 20th century continued to wear mostly knee pants, the standard type of pants worn by boys during the 1890s. Knee pants were almost universally worn by American boys in the 1900s. We note boys wearing knee pants suits as well as with blouses during the summer. Virtually all boys wore them, including many teenagers, especially younger teenagers. This varied from family to family. A good example is Harry Lodge about 1908. They were commonly worn by boys of all ages. We also see younger boys wearing bloomer knickers with tunic suits. his was a particularly popular outfit for younger boys throughout the decade. Toward the end of the decade, we see quite a number of boys wearing knickers as knee pants became less stylish. For the most part, however, boys mostly wore knee pants in the 1900s. They were mostly worn with black long stockings, although many boys went brefoot in the summer. This was especially the case in rural areas. Younger boys might wear white stockings or three-quater socks, but long stockings were mostly worn by school-age boys, at least boys by age 7or 8 years of age. Older boys might wear long pants. This varied from family to family. Boys commonly began wearing long pants by age 14-15 years, but we note yonger boys wearing long pants and older boys wearing knee pants. We also note boys in rural areaswearing overalls, but this did not become common until the end of the decade. We are not etirely sure why overalls which appeared in the mid-19th century suddenly became popular for boys in the late-1900s. Children both boys and girls mostly wore long black stockings. Few boys at the time wore long pants.

Figure 2.--Knickers bgan to become more popular in the late-1900s. Most American boys in the 1910s wore knickers. Knee pants went out of style except for younger boys.

The 1910s

Styles for boys pants/trousers changed very substantially during the 1910s. The bigest shift was from knee pants to knickers. This fashion change began in the late-1900s. Knickers had largely replaced knee pants except for younger boys. This was a process begun in the late 1900s. Knickers were the principal type of pants worn by American boys. Boys commonly wore above-the-knee knickers. They were almost entirely worn with black long stockings. A few boys wore them with knee socks, but long stocking were much more common. For the first time, American and European boys were dressing in very destinctive ways. This same fashion shift did not take place in Europe. We see boys of all ages wearing knickers, but not as many older teenagers that were wearing knee pants in the 1900s. We begin to see the older boys in high school more commonly wearing long pants, but knickers were still worn in high schools. Knee pants did not entirely disappear. They continued to be worn, but mostly by younger boys. We note many younger boys wearing tunic suits with bloomer knickers. There were also Oliver Twist suits, mostly worn with knee pants rather than bloomer knickers. These outfits, both tunic suits and Oliver Twist suits were mosly worn by boys from more affluent families. Overalls became very common for boys in rural areas. We begin to see them in the late-1900s, but in thrughout the1910s they were very common. We are not entirely sure why overalls seem to have suddently appeared in the late-1900s. You would have thought they souuld have been widely worn in the 1900s and late-19th century. But it is the 1910s when they become widely worn. We see see almost all the boys at some rural schools wearing them. While the pants worn by boys changed with the adoption of knickers, one thing that did not change for school-age boys was the hosiery. Knickers were almost entirely worn with long stockings. Black long tockings were very common, especially for boys. This was also true in the 1900s with boys wearing knee pants. A few boys wore knickers with knee socks, but long stocking were much more common. Long stockings were also very common with girls.

Figure 3.--Knickers continued to be standard for American boys and were work with black long stockings, although patterned knee socks appeared at the end of the decade. Some mostu younger boys might wear short pants. There were also social class connotations.

The 1920s

Knickers continued to be the prirmary type of pants worn by American boys in the 1920s. A major trend associated with pnts is that we see fewer bpys wearing suits in the 1920s, especially to school. To some extent, suits were becoming seasonl. There was also a definite trend toward more casual dress. This meant that were less suit pants sold and more stand alone pants being purchased. This would lead to the appearance of sets, most commonly short sets, meaning button-on shirts corrrdinated with the pants, usually by color. We rarely see kinicker sets. Knickers were no longer virtually universal as they were in the 1910s, but they were still very common. The primary difference was that fewer older boys were wearing them. We see some knee pants suits still being dome for younger boys in the early 20s, but that was less and less common. We also see short pants suits by the mid-20s. The shorts at first were often about the same length as knee pants had been. Knickers continued to be standard boys wear. This was a destinctive North American style. (Knickers were also commonly worn in Canada as well during the 1920s following the American pattern.) Knickers were not nearly as common in Europe. We do see some knickers in Europe, but they were mostly worn by teenagers and not very common. This fashion difference between Europe and America can often be used to identify American photographs. Boys mostly wore above-the-knee knickers at the beginning of the decade, but gradually longer styles became more popular with the boys. We seem some boys wearing long pants for play. Most boys wore knickers to school, except for older teenagers. We see fewer older boys wearing knickers in the 20s, but most boys wore them. Boys in rural areas still commonly wore overalls that became popilar at bout the same time as knickers. Short pants also appeared in the early-20th century and were widely worn by European boys. They were much less popular with American boys for reasons we do not entirely understand. We see some American boys wearing them, but mostly younger boys and boys from affluent families with British orientations. We do not yet see seasonlity having a major impct. They were much less common among middle-class and especially working-class families. We note different types of pants. We do not note suspender pants as commonly as in Erope, but we do note bib-front pants and button-on pants. Short pants became for younger pre-school boys and the early poriunary years. After that we mistly see knickers. Boys did commonly wear shorts at summer camps. Unlike European Boy Scouts, American Boy Scouts for the most part did not wear short pants--except at camp. Many camps had uniforms for the children. Generally knickers were the type of pants most American boys continued to wear. We still commonly see boys in rural areas wearing overalls. They were still a demographic phenomenon. They were not worn in cities, but were very common in rural areas. We do not yet see jeans. Hosiery did change. While long stockings were common in the early-20s, we begin to see knee socks becoming increasingly important by the end of the decade. Boys hated the stocking supporters that had to be wirn with long stockings. Knee socks did not require the restrictive supporters needed for long stockings. Ankle socks were still not very common.

Figure 4.--This boy in the 1930s looks to have come from an affluent family. He holds his Jack Russel terrier. Knickers were widely wrn in the 1930s. but more amd more American boys were wearing long pants.

The 1930s

Knickers were very commonly worn by American boys in the 1930s. Knee pants were no longer common in the early 30s and had disappeared by the end of the decade. Knickers were especially common in the early-30s. Older boys were less likely to wear them, but they were still very common. A good example is an air show about 1930. Several boys can be been in the photograph and they are almost all wearing knickers. There were social class factors here. We believe tha knickers were more common with middle-class than working-class boys. Probably boys attending an air show were from middle-class or other affluent familirs. Knickers were very common in primary (elementary) schools. Most boys wore knickers with long stockings or knee socks at the behinning of the decade. By the end of the decade we see more and more boys wearing ankle sicks with knickers. Younger teens might wear them to high school, but this was much less common by the end of the decade. Younger boys might wear short pants, but here social-class factors were involved. Short pants were most common among affluent familirs especially for boys beyond 6-7 years of age. Shorts by the 30s were to some extent seasonal. we see quite a number of boys wearing shorts in the summer, especially in the South. Perhaps even more important were other factors such as age and family conventions. Some boys wore shorts even in the winter. We see more and more boys wearing long pants which were quite common by the end of the decade. Boys in rural areas still often wore overalls, even to school. A major trend in the oants mnerucan boys wore during the 1930s was a continued trend for increasing informakity in dress. We continued to see fewrer boys wearing suits, especially to school. We no longer see primary-chool boys wearing suits to chool, although we do still see sime biys at scondary school weafring yits. This meant fewer boys were wearing suit pants and increasingly pants purchased separately for eveyday wear. A new boys' clothing item appeared in the late-1920s-short sets. These were coordinated button-on shirts and pants--usizlly short pnts. They were coordinated, usually color coordinated. They became a major fashion item for primary school boys. They would become standard fashion itens in mail order catalogs throughout the 1930s abd 40s. Button-on styling went out of style by the 1950s. Scouting became a major activity for boys in the 1920s. American Boy Scouts continued to wear knicker-like leggings in the 1930s. Most Scouts around the world wore short pants. There was a dhort onts option, but most American boys for the most part only wore shorts at Scout camps. The BSA finlly created a Cub program (1930). The Cubs could choose knickers or short pants. .

Figure 5.--Younger American boys commonly wore short pants in the 1940s, but wearing shorts were more variable with older boys.

The 1940s

Long pants became the standard boys' wear in the 1940s. Some younger boys wore short pants in the 1940s, but knickers which had been imporrant for 3 decades diappeared. Knickers were declining in popularity during the 1930s, especially the late-30s, but still worn by American boys at the beginning of the 1940s. They were still part of the Cub and Scout uniform. This changed rather suddenly during World War II (1941-45). Knickers very quickly went out of style in the early 40s. We are not entirely sure why they disappeared so rapidly in the early-40s, but a combination of fashion trends and Government efforts to reduce cloth consumption were probably the key factors. We note younger boys wearing short pants, including boys at school, this became kess comno by the end of the decade. We see boys dressing up in short pnts suits, going to school in shorts, and of course playing in shorts. A variety of regional, social class, and seasonal factors were involved here. And there were changescduring the decade. We note boys at elementary school wearing shorts in the early 40s, but this was much less common at the end of the decade. There were a variety of differt types of shorts. Shorts were more common in more affluent families. Some boys wore short pants suits rather than knicker suits, but long pants suits were becoming inceasinglu common except for younger boys. Long pants were becoming more popular in the 1930s and this trend continued during the 1940s. After the War long pants became increasingly prevalent. Many boys wore long pants for play, school, and dressing up and this included during warm summer weather. Jeans began to become very popular for younger boys after the War. Here the movies were a factor, but also they were worn by servicemen during the War, especially sailors.

The 1950s

American boys by the 1950s were mostly wearing long pants. We see pre-school boys wearing short pants, but far fewer school-age boys., especially by-mid decade. This varied somewhat, shorts wre more common in South and durng the summer. They were increasingly seen as casual summerwear for younger boy. And a brand new type of shorts appeared--camp shorts. We do not see them bring worn during the winter. Jeans begame very popular. Younger boys wore them to school. They were very common in lementary chool. I remember some that had flannel linings. Many seconday schools did not allow jeans for boys or girls. Earlie boys would not have wanted to wear jeans to seondary school, but by the 1950s as jeans were becomng increasingky popular they did want to wear them. Thus we mostly see boys wearing slacks to scondary schools. Coton drill was the most popular fabric, but we lso note corduroy. Some boys wore short pants, mpstly younger boys. Shorts were not very common at elmentary (primary) school and were nopt allowed at secondary schools. Shorrt pants suits were going out of style, but were still worn to some extent. They were less common than in Europe. We do see mostly younger boys wearing short pants suis as well as some boys from well-to-do families. Obe exception was First Communion, many boys still did First Communion in short pants suits. Long pants suits were becoming standard except for the youngest boys. At the same time we see fewer boys wearijg suits. White suits with whire shorts and white knee socks were popular. Even less common than short pants, however , were knee socks. One xception was the Boy Scouts who still wore knee socks with the short pants uniform. Most boys who wore short pants wore ankles socks with them. Knee socks were becoming seen as al's hosiery style. ung seen The preppy style appeared in the 1950s and we see some college boys wearing Bermuda shorts for casyal wear.

The 1960s

Short pants began to become more popular in the 1960s, but mostly as cassual summer wear

The 1970s

The increasing popular of basketball and abd soccer increased the appeal of shorts with boys. A range of sporty styles of shorts became popular in the 1970s. When dressung up boys mostly wore long pants.

The 1980s

The 1990s

Long baggy cargo shorts became popular in the 1990s.

Created: 12:41 AM 4/24/2007
Last updated: 4:36 AM 6/4/2021