Figure 1.--Most boys wore long pants in the early and mid-19th century. Even younger boys after they were breeched wore long pants. We note shortened-length pasnts in the 1850s, but long pants predominated through the 1870s--especially in rural areas. These boys look to be about 10-12 years of age. Both would have probably been wearing knee pants if the portrait had been taken in the 1890s. They were from Rochester, Minnesota. We are not sure about the gender of the younger child, but because of the center part was probably a girl. The portrais not dated, but we suspect was taken in the 1870s.

Long pants in American towns and cities rapidly replaced knee breeches for boys in the early 19th century, although it took longer for men to make the transition. America at the time had a very rural population. Long pants were more common in rural areas than breeches even before this fashion shift was made in the towns. Long pants were particularly prevalent on the frontier. American boys commonly wore long pants through the 1850s. A good example is the Wallis brothers in 1852. Shortenen length pants began to appear in the 1850s. Often younger boys after they were breeched wore suits with bloomer knickers. This was primarily for boys from affluent city families influenced by European fashion. We note knee pants in the 1860s. The average American boy did not begin wearing kneepants, however, until the 1870s. By the turn of the 20th century it was common to see even older tennagers wearing kneepants or knickers. A boy's first pair of long pants became a major event--at least for the boy. Fashion choices for boys varied among families. Some quite young boys might wear long pants, but until the 1940s many American boys did not wear long pants until they were 13-16 years old.

Chronological Trends

Long pants in American towns and cities rapidly replaced knee breeches for boys in the early 19th century, although it took longer for men to make the transition. America at the time had a very rural population. American boys commonly wore long pants through the 1850s. A good example is the Wallis brothers in 1852. Shortened length pants began to appear in the 1850s. Often younger boys after they were breeched wore suits with bloomer knickers. We note knee pants in the 1860s, but long pants were still very common. A good example is C. Stewart, a very young by in 1865. Another example is Ollie Vail,an American boy about 7-8 years old. The average American boy did not begin wearing knee pants, however, until the late-19th century. Only in the 1890s do we see most boys wearing knee pants. By the turn of tghe 20th century it was common to see even older tennagers wearing kneepants or knickers. Catlogs at the tome often only ffered knee pants for younger boys. Knickers wee very common beginning in the 1910s, but we see more boys wearing long pants in the 1920s and by the 1930s they wee quite cmmon. We begin to see many more long pants offered in the 1930s. After World War II in the 1950s long pants had become very common for American boys. Many boys did not like wearing short pants. Throughout the rest f the 20th century most boys wore long pants. After the 1960s, however, short began to become popular for casual wear, especialy during the summer.

Social Class

One factor affecting the type of pants boys wore was social class. Almost all boys wore long pants in the early 19th century. We see boys beginning to wear various types of shorttened-length pants in the mid-19th century. These were mostly youngher boys from fashionable middle-class families. Boys from working-class families more commonly wore long pants. A factor here was school. Working-class boys tended to quite school before middle-class schools. You do not begin to see compulsory attendance laws until the late-19th century. And boys usually wore long pants after they began to work if they had not done so earlier. We do not see working-class boys commonly wearing knee pants until the 1890s.

Age

The age of boys wearing long oants has varied over time as fashion trends and conventions have fluctuated. Boys of all ages after breeching in the early 19th century commonly wore long pants at a time when aduts might wear knne breeches. We do not see shortened-length panrs until mid-century. The first shortened length pants (knee pants and bloomer knickers) were worn by yonger boys who had been breeched, boys from about 4-8 years of age. These were shortened-length pants made for fancy suits. Older boys and many younger boys at this time mostly wore long pants. We do not see older boys commonly wearing knee pants until the 1890s. Not all boys wore knee pants, but they were very common. We even see older teenagers wearing them. They then became standard for American boys. The fashion shifted to knickers in the 1910s. A boy's first pair of long pants became a major event--at least for the boy. Fashion choices for boys varied among families. Some quite young boys might wear long pants, but until the 1940s many American boys did not wear long pants until they were 13-16 years old. After World War II, long pants became common even for very young boys. Short pants became more of a casual, warm weather garment.

Demographics

Long pants were common in rural areas than breeches even before this fashion shift was made in the towns during the early 19th century. Long pants were particularly prevalent on the frontier. We begin to see different kinds of shortened-length pants appearing in the United States during the mid-19th century. Suits with shortened-length pants were mostly worn by younger boys from fashionalble Eastern cities. Long pants continued to be more common in rural areas throughout the 19th century, except the very end of the decade. Shortened-length pants were for boys from affluent city families influenced by European fashion. This did not begin to chabnge until the very late-19th century when knee pants became nearly universal for American boys. Even teenagers wore them. Rural boys also wore them, although perhaps not such old boys. Here social class was a factor. Rural America was not as propsperous as urban America. And boys tended to quit school at an earlier age than in the city. We see rural boys wearing knee pants in the early 20th century, but during the 1900s, overalls appear. This can be seen very clearly in school phhotography. Overalls very quickly became very widely worn in rural areas. If mnot wearing overalls, some younger boys in rural areas wore knee pants and knickers through the 1930s, but long pants were more common than in cities.

Types

We are not sure at this point jst how to categorize long pants. We are inclined to use a utilitarian aproach. Thus we have dress pants and work pants. The best known worn pants would be overalls and jeans. Overalls appeared first and evetually morphed into jeans which gradually became a high-fashion item. In between dress pants and work pants would be a range of pants, often clled slacks in America whih might be considered smart casual wear. Boys also wore slacks to school before jeans becme popular.

Reader Comments

A reader writes, "My story is this: My Grandpa made a desk that belonged to my Mom and she gave it to me since it was always in my room. (I'm now 47). I just now thought to look under the one small drawer for writing and found that he made it in June 1916. He was 15 years old. Two inches below that date, he wrote "First Long Pants Sept 19, 1916" My question is: What in the world does that mean? Did boys back then NOT wear long pants? Maybe just knickers? My Grandpa was born and raised in Southern California." [Louise] American boys in the 1910s mostly wore kneepants or knickers. The age at which a boy got his first long pants varied from family to family. Some boys got long pants earlier than your granjdfather, but some boys got them later. Some boys wore knickers all through high school.

Sources

Louise, Anita. E-mail message, November 18, 2004.

Created: 3:46 AM 11/19/2004
Last updated: 10:04 PM 1/3/2009