Most American boys in the 19th century wore knee pants rather than knickers in the 19th century. Knickers became more common after the turn of the 20th century, especially by the 1910s. We note boys wearing knickers from abou 5-18 years of age, this varied chronologically. We note quite old boys wearing kneepants at the turn of the century, although this varied from family to family. We note many high school boys wearing knickers in the 1910s, although most boys but not all boys had shifted to long pants by the time they graduated, usually at age 18 or 19 years. Short pants appeared in America during the 1920s, but were mostly worn by younger boys. Most boys of any size, especially if they were still in shorts, wanted their knickers as soon as possible. Knickers came to be almost a symbol of American boyhood as short pants came to symbolize British boyhood. As short pants suit were more common on older boys who at 15 or American boys in the 1920s might wear knickers during high school or at least the first few years of high school. By the late 1930s and early 1940s boys generally wore knickers in primary (elementary) school and would get their first long pants suit at least by the time they were 13 or 14 which was about the time they began high school. This can be traced in some detail, both because of the photogaphic record and the popular mail order catalogs. The problem with the photographic record is that the age of the subjects are often not indicated.

2 Years Old

We note very young boys un 1912 wearing what look like knickers, but may be what we would call bloomer knickers. The junior suits they were made for were tunic suits or suits with rather long jackets. These outfits were made for boys from 2 1/2 to 9 years of age. The suits for the younger pre-school boys were mostly the tunic suits.

4 Years Old

One of the last knicker suits we note being adverstized was a Sears knicker suit in 1942 done in sizes 4-10. (The ad copy is a little indestinct.)

5 Years Old

Many 5 year olds when short pants first became popular wore short pants rather than knickers. We note a St. Louis boy who looks about 5 years wearing short pants in 1922. Note his brother who was about 2 years older is wearing knickers. Sears offered a variety of knicker suits in 1925. Some were done in sizes as small as 5 years of age.

6 Years Old

At the time knickers were popular, age had a significant impact on the tye of pants chosen, although this varied from family to family. Age 6 is important because this is the age most children in American began first grade. Many 6 year olds wore shhort pants to school, but quite a number began school wearing knickers. Short pants were never as common in America as in Europe. Many boys did not want to wear them, so we mostly see younger boys wearing shorts. This the vast number of American boys wore knickers. There were some differences with shorts being more acceptable in the South and with fashionable affluent families more in tunee with European fashions. This can be seen in school portraits. And even more by their second or third year in school. Some boys wore shorts seasonallym but for many they wore shorts all the time until they graduated to knickers and than wore kniclers all the time. Sears in 1919 offered blue surge knicker suits in sizes 6-18 years of age. We also note Dubbelbilt Boy's Suits in 1919 done in sizes from 6 to 18 years. Sears in 1939 offered cord jackets and knickers in sizes 6/8-14/16. We notice Sears knickers suits in 1939 in sizes from 6/8-16/17.

7 Years Old

Some second graders wore short pants to school, but many wore knickers. We note Norfolk knicker suits in 1912 being made in sizes from 7-18/19 years of age. Sears in 1919 offered a back-to-school outfit (Norfolk knicker suit) in sizes from 7-18 years. We notice knickers suits in 1925 beginning at age 7 and 8 years. Sears offered knicker suits in 1930 from 7-17/18 years of age.

8 Years Old

American boys commonly wore knee pants, kbnickers and short pants at age 8 years. Knickers were very common in the 1910s and boys at this age commonly went barefoot during the summer as we can see (figure 14). W still see some knee pants in the 1910s and short pants in the 20s and 30s, but knickers were fairly standard. Shirt oants were nott as common as in Europe, but knickers wre much more common. Often all the boys at school wear knee oants or knickers at age 8 years (3rd grade). We note a pattern for a reefer coat made in sizes 8-14 years. It is show with knickers, although I'm not sure the pattern included the knickers. Sears in 1939 offered cord jackets and knickers in sizes 6/8-14/16. We notice Sears knickers suits in 1939 in sizes from 6/8-16/17.

Figure 9.--This boy looks to be about 9 years old. We would guess the portrait was taken in the 1920s. Note the black long stockings.

9 Years Old

Most 9-year old boys wore knee pants in the 1900s. The fashion shifted to knickers in the 1910s. Throughout the 1910s-30s, knickers were commonly worn by boys 6-14 years of age. Almpst all 9-year olds wore knickers in thee 1920s except for some boys who might wear short pants. Here both climate and social class were factors. We begin to see some 9 year olds wearing long pants in the 1930s, but knickers were more common until the late 30s. Boys this age also might wear short pants. Knickers were still worn in the early 40s, but rapidly weny out of style.

10 Years Old

Throughout the 1910s-30s, knickers were commonly worn by boys 6-14 years of age. One of the last knicker suits we note being adverstized was a Sears knicker suit in 1942 done in sizes 4-10. (The ad copy is a little indestinct.)

11 Years Old

Throughout the 1910s-30s, knickers were commonly worn by boys 6-14 years of age.

12 Years Old

Throughout the 1910s-30s, knickers were commonly worn by boys 6-14 years of age.

13 Years Old

Throughout the 1910s-30s, knickers were commonly worn by boys 6-14 years of age. Age 13 is important because this is the age that boys finished 8-year grammar (primary) and junior high school. Period graduation portraits show boys at 13-years of age wearing kne oants and knickers. Knickers were very common ghrough the 19290s. Not all boys wire them, but many did.

Figure 14.--American boys generally enter high school as freshmen (9th grade) at 14 years of age. We see many noys still wearing knickers at age 14 in the 1910s and the early 20s, but this was less common by the 1930s. Here we see a family scene in the 1910s. The older boy looks to be avout 14 years old and wears knickers with black long stockings. His little brther looks to be about 8 years oldand wears knickers while going barefoot.

14 Years Old

We see many boys wearing knickers at age 14 years of age. Not all 14-year olds wore knickers. This depended somewhat on the family and social class, but many 14-year olds wore knickers. This varied, however, chronologically. At first in the 1910s, the age trends for knee pants continued as did ghe length of the triser cut. Throughout the 1910s-30s, knickers were commonly worn by boys 6-14 years of age. It is not until the 1930s, especially the late-30s, that we see fewer 14 years olds wearing knickers. Age 14 is important because this is the age that boys began senior high school. American boys generally enter high school as freshmen (9th grade) at 14 years of age. We see many noys still wearing knickers at age 14 in the 1910s and the early 20s, but this was less common by the 1930s. Sears in 1939 offered cord jackets and knickers in sizes 6/8-14/16. We suits being made with two pairs of pants, knickers and long pants. We are not sure what the conventions were for wearing the knickers and longs. Boys at age 14 always wore knickers with at first long stckings and later knee socks, even durung the summer.

Figure 15.--This American boy looks to be about 15 years old. He wears a knickers suit in 1915.

15 Years Old

It was very common for 15 year old boys to wear knee pants in the 1900s and we continue to see 15 year olds wearing knickers in the 1910s. It was very common in high school, although many boys did not continiue their education after primary scjool in the 1900s. Families varied and we also see 15 year olds wearing long pants in the 1910s. We note bots from all social classes wearing knickers. This included working-class families. Even some boys after leaving school wore knickers. This was quite common in the 1900s when boys also wore knee pants. Older boys wearing knickers began to decline in the 1910s, but was still common in the 1900s and early-1910s. We notice a knickers suit in 1925 made up to age 15. We note a pattern for a reefer coat made in sizes 8-14 years. It is shown with knickers, although I'm not sure the pattern included the knickers. By the 1920 knickers many boys were getting long pants at about 14 years of age. But we still see 15 year olds wearing knickers.

16 Years Old

Sears in 1939 offered cord jackets and knickers in sizes 6/8-14/16. We notice Sears knickers suits in 1939 in sizes from 6/8-16/17. One of the problems we have in using the photographic record is that often ti age of the subjects is not indicated. Here we see a photograph of a group of freshmen at the University of Wyoming in 1913-14 (figure 1). Garrett Price wears a knickers suit in the photograph. He looks a little younger than the others. Some boys look young for his age or perhaps he had skipped a grade in school, but he much at least be 16 years old, perhaps 17.

17 Years Old

W think it was more common for older teenagers to wear knee pants which were popular in the 1900s than knickers in the 1910s. Most 17 year ols wore long pants rather than knickers. But some 17 year olds did wear knickers. It is not all together clear to us jusy how common it was. We notice knickers suits in 1925 made up to age 17. Sears offered knicker suits in 1930 from 7-17/18 years of age. We notice Sears knickers suits in 1939 in sizes from 6/8-16/17. By the late 1930s, however, the photographic record suggests that knickers were not very common for 17 year olds.

18 Years Old

Age 18 is important because this is the age that boys graduated from highschool. One question we have about the boys wearing these older sizes of knicker suits if all there other psnts weres knickers or if they often wore long pants, but there dress suit was a knickers suit. This may have varies from family to family. We note Norfolk knicker suits in 1912 being made in sizes from 7-18/19 years of age. Sears in 1919 offered blue surge knicker suits in sizes 6-18 years of age. Sears in 1919 offered a back-to-school outfit (Norfolk knicker suit) in sizes from 7-18 years. We also note Dubbelbilt Boy's Suits in 1919 done in sizes from 6 to 18 years. Sears offered knicker suits in 1930 from 7-17/18 years of age.

19 Years Old

We note Norfolk knicker suits in 1912 being made in sizes from 7-18/19 years of age.

Created: 8:28 PM 6/23/20061
Last updated: 3:47 AM 10/28/2013