Figure 1.--We begin to see shortened length pants becoming somewhat more common in the 1860s, but long pants were the dominant type of pants worn by boys. This included quite young boys only recently breeched. This CDV shows a boy about 5 years old with a hoop toy. The studio was A.J. Fox, St. Louis, Missouri. The portrait is undated, but looks like the 1860s.

Boys wore a wide variety of pants and trousers during the 19th century. Some boys still wore knee breeches at the turn-of-the 19th cenbtyury. Boys commonly wore long pants during the early- and mid -19th century. Boys were quicker to make the transition from 18th century knee breeches than their fathers. We do not yet have much information on the early-19th century, especially for boys living on the frontier, which at the turn-of-the century was still east of the Mississippi. The standard boys suit style during the early 19th century was the skeleton suit. We think they were mostly worn by younger boys in the fashionable northeastern cities. Some were worn with knee breeche in the late-18th century, but we mostly see long pants by the early-19th century. Boys also wore tunics with long pants in the early-19th century. Knee pants and knicker bloomers appeared in the mid-19th century. It seems to have been a style for fashionable families, but the photographic record suggests that these shortened-length pants were not very common. Photographs first appeared in the 1840s giving us a way of assessing popular fashions. Unlike painted portaits, they were inexpensive and for the first time we begin to get large numbers of image. Knee pants appeared more commonly in the 1860s. CDVs and cabinet cards appeared in large numbers. Knee pants at first were worn by younger boys and tended to be long--commonly cut at calf level. Long pants continued to bevthe primary type of trousers worn by Amerivsn boys. Knee pants, however, became an increasingly important type of pants for boys as the 19h century progressed, especially younger boys in urban areas. Norfolk styling was popular. And Little Lord Fauntleroy suits appeared for younger boys. Both were worn with knee pants. Knee pants were very widely worn by the 1880s, but still by younger boys. This changed in the 1890s, we begin to see older boys wearing knee pants, including tennagers. The conventions vried from famiky to family. Boys of all ages were wearing knee pants by the late-1890s. There was some difference between urban and rural areas.

The 1800s

Some American boys still wore knee breeches at the turn-of-the 19th cenbtyury. Boys commonly wore long pants during the early- and mid -19th century. Boys were quicker to make the transition from 18th century knee breeches than their fathers. We do not yet have much information on the early-19th century, especially for boys living on the frontier, which at the turn-of-the century was still east of the Mississippi. Fronier boys, however were unlikely to wear suits. The standard boys suit style during the early 19th century was the skeleton suit. We think they were mostly worn by younger boys in the fashionable northeastern cities. Some were worn with knee breeche in the late-18th century, but we mostly see long pants by the early-19th century.

The 1820s

Boys also wore tunics with long pants in the early-19th century.

The 1850s

Knee pants and knicker bloomers appeared in the mid-19th century. It seems to have been a style for fashionable families, but the photographic record suggests that these shortened-length pants were not very common. Photographs first appeared in the 1840s giving us a way of assessing popular fashions. Unlike painted portraits, they were inexpensive and for the first time we begin to get large numbers of images. A popular suit style was a military style blue jacket whivh buttoned at the collar anbd a row of closely spaced buttons, often brass buttons. These jackets were almost always wiorn with long pants.

The 1860s

We see more boys wearing suits in the 1860s. Suits in fact were by now standard wear for boys. CDVs appeared in the early 1860s and cabinet cards later in the decade. This has provide an unparalled body of photographic evidence. The number of images was an order of magnitude beyond what was aavailable in the 1840s and 50s with Dags and Ambros. We note many boys just wearing blouses and othe shirt-like garments for portaits in the 1840s and 50s, but by the 60s, boys were mostly wearig suit coats in portraits. The cut-away jacket was a popular style for younger boys. We see them worn with both knee pants and long pants. Knee pants appeared in the 1860s, but mostly for very young boys in fashionable big cities. Long pants were much more common. The boy here is aiod example (figure 1). Even quite young boys might wear long pnts in the 60s. The collar-buttoning military-style jacket was also popular and almost always worn with long pants. Long pants continued to be the primary type of trousers worn by American boys. They are by far the mjor style worn by boys during the decade, even younger boys. Virtully all older boys wore long pants.

The 1870s

We notice more boys wearing suits with knee pants in the 1870s. They were almost entirely younger boys under 8-10 years old. The age increased slightly durung thge decaded, but not much. Many younger boys still wore long pants, especially in rural areas. We do not see older boys wearing long pants.

The 1880s

Boys wore suits as atandard garment in the 1880s. Knee pants became an increasingly important type of pants for boys as the 19h century progressed, especially younger boys in urban areas. Norfolk styling was popular. And Little Lord Fauntleroy suits appeared for younger boys. Both were worn with knee pants. Knee pants were very widely worn by the 1880s, but still by younger boys at the begiining of the decade. We see more and more boys wearing knee pnts as the decade progressed. By the end of the decade, most younger boys in cities were wearing knee pants, teenagers even younger teenagers still wore long pants. Knee pants were less common in rural areas, especially for older boys. A few boys wore knickers, but straight-legs knee pants were much more common. The Gauntleroy Craze began at mid decade. This was predominately a style for younger boys, especially the classic style with a cut-away jacket. American boys almost always wore Fauntleroy suits with knee pants. Sailor suits were also popular. We see them worn with both knee pants and long pants. Knickers were less common with sailor suits.

The 1890s

Almost all portraits of boys show them wearing suits. The same is true in school portraits. The primary exception is boys who just wore blouses during hot summer weather, but they modtly put on jackets for formal portaits. Almost all boys wote knee poahnts suits in the 1890s. Knee pants were somewhat less common in rural areas. An exception is boys wearing sailir suits. Some sailor suits were done with long pants. There were also knickers, but they were not very common. It was kneepsnrs thst were standard wear for boys. Not only do we see more boys wearing knee pants, bur we so older boys as well. The age of boys wearing knee pants also changed in the 1890s, we begin to see older boys wearing knee pants, including tennagers. Knee pants were fairly common for younger teenagers, but by the end of the decade we also see older teens wearing knee pants. While knee pants were almost universal for younger boys, the pattern was more varied with teenagers, especially older teens. The conventions varied from family to family. Boys of all ages were wearing knee pants by the late-1890s. There was some difference between urban and rural areas.

Created: 6:31 AM 8/29/2010
Last updated: 11:48 PM 11/18/2017