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Knee pants continued to be the dominant style of trouser for boys in the 1900s until the very end of the decade. We see this in both catalogs ahd the photographic record. Almost always the knee pants had three button trim at leg hem. They were cut at knee level. Some crossed the knee while others just covered the knee. We think this depended some what on the boy's height. We don't think mothers bought specific lengths. We see little variation in length, although some boys out grew their knee pants. We see boys of all ages wearing them. Even older teenagers might wear knee pants them if still in school. They were common even in high school. We see some boys weating knicker suits, but they were not very common until the later years of the decade, especially 1909. We see them being described as 'straight-leg' knee pants to differentiate them from knickers. They were often cut quite tight, in sharp contrast to knickers which were becoming more popular. Knee pants suits were almost always worn in America with long stockings. We do not see boys wearing them with socks as was common in Europe, but some boys did go barefoot at the time, even wjen dressing up in suits. This was most common in the South. We begin to see knickers becoming more popular in the late 1900s. By the end of the decade we see knickers rapidly increasing in popularity and replacing knee pants. A few boys were still wearing knee pnts suits in to the 1910s, but not very many. We do see yonger boys still commonly wearing knee pants, but not as part of a suit. American and European suits were similar in the 1900s. This only began to change in the 1910s with the rapid adoption of knickers. We are not sure why knee pants rapidly when out of style in the late-1900s and knickers suddenly became more popular. Perhaps it was just the need for a new style. Or perhaps someone helped to popularize the new style. We just do not know at this time, but would be very iunterestedcin any insights readers might have. .
Knee pants continued to be the dominant style of trouser for boys in the 1900s until the very end of the decade. We see this in both catalogs ahd the photographic record. Almost all american boys wore them. They were somewht less common in rural areas. They were worn by boys of a wide age range. We see some boys weating knicker suits, but they were not very common until the later years of the decade, especially 1909.
Almost always the knee pants had three button trim at leg hem. They were cut at knee level.
Knee pants in the 19th cntury were often cut quite long. Calf-length were common. By the 890s and turn f the 20th century, knee length pnts were standard. Some knee pants were made to lengths crossing the knee while others just covered the knee. We think this depended some what on the boy's height. We don't think mothers bought specific lengths as was done with long pants, but here we are not positive. We see little variation in length, although some boys out grew their knee pants.
We see boys of all ages wearing them. Even older teenagers might wear knee pants them if still in school. Almost all school-age boys wore them. Knee pants were almost universal in elementary (primary) school. You can see tht in 1900s school portraits. We even see some high-school boys wearing knee pants. They were less common with older teens, but not unknown. They were common even in high school. This was the decade in which aiuder age range wore knee pants than any other decade. Fewer younger boys wore dresses and more older boys wore knee pants.
We see boys teen agers common wearijg knee pants. A good example is G. Ward Hogan at age 14 years, about to turn 15 years. We do not know, however, just when he got hi first pair of long pants. It could have been age 15, or possibly later.
We see them being described as 'straight-leg' knee pants to differentiate them from knickers.
Knee pants were often cut quite tight, in sharp contrast to knickers which were becoming more popular.
Knee pants suits were almost always worn in America with long stockings. Almot always forvbiys wearing suits this meant black long stockings. Some younger vboys wore white stockings, but not with stabdard suits. Black long stockings were very common. And with the increased prevalence of knickers at the ebnd of the decade, boys continued wearing the same black long stockings. We do not see boys wearing them with socks with knee pants suits as was common in Europe, but some boys did go barefoot at the time, even when dressing up in suits. This was most common in the South.
We see very little difference from year to year in the knee pants suits boys wore in the 1900s. This trend is difficult to follow becaue only a fraction of the available images are dated. Unless the portrait or snapshot is dated you can not tell the year by the styles of the suits. Cabinet mount and postcard backs can help with the date. But as far s we can tell with the dated images and catalogs we have found, nothing much concerning suit pants occurred during the decade until the very end of the decade. Interestingly, at about the sane time, koveralls began appearing in rural schools. As far as we know this was an unrelated development. But only with the suddenly increased populsrity of knickers can we see any difference in the years. This only began to change at the end of the decade, especially 1909.
We begin to see knickers becoming more popular in the late-1900s. We noice many boys such as G. Wade Hogan wearing straigh-leg knee pants in 1907, butbeginning about 1908 we see a very rapid shift to knickrs. By the end of the decade we see knickers rapidly increasing in popularity and replacing knee pants. A few boys were still wearing knee pnts suits in to the 1910s, but not very many. We do see yonger boys still commonly wearing knee pants, but not as part of a suit. American and European suits were similar in the 1900s. This only began to change around 1909 with the rapid adoption of knickers. We are not sure why knee pants rapidly when out of style in the late-1900s and knickers suddenly became more popular. Perhaps it was just the need for a new style. Or perhaps someone helped to popularize the new style. We just do not know at this time, but would be very iunterestedcin any insights readers might have. .
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