** United States boys clothes: garments -- pants knee pants age








United States Knee Pants: Age

American boy knee pants
Figure 1.--Here we see three brothers, about 6-14 years old. Note that the little brother wears a knee pants suit while his older brothers wear knickers. The snapshot is undated, but was probably taken in the 1910s or perhaps the early-20s. Also notice thst the younger boys wears a Norfolk jacket whilke his brothers have sing;e-breasted jackets. The younger brother also wears an Eton collar and floppy bow, rather than the regular collar and neck tie his brothers wear.

The age of American boys wearing knee pants varied over time. At first in the mid-19th century, knee pants and bloomer knickers were worn by younger boys. We see either pre-school boys are early-primary children wearing them. The age of the boys wearing knee pants gradualy increased. By the 1890s most boys amd many teenagers were weazring knee pants. We see by the turn-of-the 20th century even some older teenagers were wearing knee pants. The knee-length knee pants became standard for both boys and teenagers. We see boys of all ages wearing them. A good example is 9-year old Harvey Eldridge Hannaford. This began to change again during the the 1900s. By the end of the decade most boys were wearing knickers. Knee pants became seen as old fashioned. In the 1910s knickers essentially replaced kneepants. Knee pants fid not disappear all together. We note in the 1910s that some younger boys continued to wear knee pants rather than knickers. We are not entirely why this age bifurcation occurred or how common it was, but we do notice catalogs ciontinued to offer knee pants suits, modtly for younger boys. During the 1910s mostly younger boys wore knee pants, older boys more commonly wore knickers or to a lesser extent long pants. Kneepants were still worn in the early-1920s, but almost entirely by younger school-age boys. This only continued a few years. By the mid-20s we no longer see knee pants. Younger boys wore either short pants or knickers.

5 Years


6 Years

The age of American boys wearing knee pants varied over time. At first in the mid-19th century, knee pants and bloomer knickers were worn by younger boys. We see either pre-school boys are early-primary children wearing them. By the end of the decade most boys were wearing knickers. Knee pants became seen as old fashioned. In the 1910s knickers essentially replaced kneepants. Knee pants did not disappear all together. We note in the 1910s that some younger boys continued to wear knee pnts rather than knockers. We are not entirely why this age bifurcation occurred or how common it was, but we do notice catalogs continued to offer knee pants suits, mostly for younger boys. During the 1910s mostly younger boys wore knee pants, older boys more commonly wore knickers or to a lesser extent long pants. Kneepants were still worn in the early-1920s, but almost entirely by younger school-age boys. This only continued a few yeats. By the mid-20s we no longer see knee pants. Younger boys wore either short pants or knickers.

7 Years


8 Years


9 Years

We see boys of all ages wearing them. A good example is 9-year old Harvey Eldridge Hannaford.

10 Years

The age of the boys wearing knee pants gradualy increased. By the 1890s most boys amd many teenagers were wearing knee pants.

11 Years

We mostly see American boys 11-years old wearing long pants throughout the 19th century. Shortened-length pants like knee pants appeared at mid=century, but were mostly worn by younger boys after breeching. There were variatiions from family to family, but we see very few boys in the 1860s and u0s wrearing knee pants at age 11 years. This began to change in the 1880s, but it is not until the 1890s that we commonly see 11-year olds wearing knee pants. There were demographic differences. Knee pants were almost universal in the city, but not as common in rural areas. This trend continued after the turn-of the 20th century. Knee pants were almost universal for 11-year old boys in the 1900s. They were almost universally worn with long stockings. At the end of the decade we see bous shifting to knickers. Some younger boys wore knee pants in the 1910s, but not many 11-year olds. By the 1920s we no longer see knee pahnts to any extent in America, but we continue to see them in some European countries.

12 Years

American boys for most of the 19th century wore long pants. Shortened-length pants like knee pants appeared at mid-century, but were worn by younger boys. Only in the later-19th century do we begin to see older boys wearing knee pants. We see a few 12-year olds wearing knee pants in the 1880s, but only in the 1890s do se see large numbers of boys that age wearing them. For a short period even older boys wore them. By the end of the decade and in the 1900s, it was fairly standard for 12-years olds to wear knee pants. Not all American boys wore them, but the great majority did, perhaps somewhat less commonly in rural areas. They were even common along working-class boys, although by 12-13 they began to change to long pants after leaving school. The prevalence of knee pants changed sharply in the 1910s when knickers became the dominant style. Knee pants did not disappear completely, but were largely ecipsed by knickers. Younger boys continued wearing a variety of knee pants outfits.

13 Years

When knee pants first appeared in the mid-19th century they were first worn by younger boys in fashionanle families. Gradually they became more popular with school age boys from a wider spcial spectrum. Even so, we rarely see boys over 10-years of age wearing them through the early-1880s. Only in the late 80s do we begin to see younger teens wearung knee pants. This was still a minority of boys that age amd we do not botice older teens wearing them. A good example are boys in the Utica Free Academy (1887). One of the boys here earing knee pants looks to be 13 years old. Another looks to be 14 years. Only in the 1890s do knee pants become standard wear for younger teens and also worn by mid- and even older-teens as well. This is confired by available catalogs with sizing information. This continued into the 1900s when knee pants began to be replaced with knickers.

14 Years

Only in the late 80s do we begin to see younger teens wearung knee pants. This was still a minority of boys that age amd we do not botice older teens wearing them. A good example are boys in the Utica Free Academy (1887). One of the boys here wearing knee pants looks to be 13 years old. Another looks to be 14 years. Only in the 1890s do knee pants become standard wear for younger teens and also worn by mid- and even older-teens as well. This is confirmed by available catalogs with sizing information. This continued into the 1900s when knee pants began to be replaced with knickers. We see by the turn-of-the 20th century even some older teenagers were wearing knee pants. The knee-length knee pants became standard for both boys and teenagers. A good example is an unidentified Iowa boy who looks to be about 14 years old in the early 1890s. This began to change again after the turn of the century, especially by the 1910s. We contibue to see teenagers commonly wearing knee pants in the 1900s decade. A good example is one of the Hemphill boys in the early-1900s. He looks to be about 14-years old, perhaps 15. (Boys at the time looked younger than modern boys.) Anotherr example is Maine boy Charles Bullock who we believec was about 14 years old.

!5 Years










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Created: 1:18 AM 10/19/2009
Last updated: 9:43 PM 3/5/2022