*** United States boys clothes: suit pants knickers age








United States Knicker Suits: Ages

Boys wore knickers suits from about 5 years of age to the teen years. This varied over time. We first see large numbers of boys wearing knickers in the 1910s. Boys commonly wore knee pants in the 1900s and by the end of the decade we see boys wearing both knee pantrs and knickers. We see teenagers in high school wearing them in the 1910s. This was essentially the same age range as the boys wearing knee pants in the 1900s, perhaps a slight drop in age. We are still developing information on age at this time. Older boys wore both long pants and knickers. The choice was up to the parents. Some suits were sold with two pairs of pants, both long pants and knickers. We are not entirely sure how it was decided which pair of pants were worn for what occassioin. Gradually the age of boys wearing knickers declined. We see fewer olderboys wearing knicker suits in the 1920s. And by the 1930s they were mostly worn by boys in primary (elementary) school), especially by the late 30s. Knickers went out of style in the 1940s. Some photographs note a boy's ge. Most do not. Thus we have had tob estimate ages in the available photographs. Here we can not be precise, but we believe that our age estimates are rarely off more than a year. Here we welcome reader assessments as a corrective factor.

Age 3

During the era that knickers were popular (1910s-30s), pre-school boys commonly wore knee pants or short pants. We can see this in the photographic record. Tunic suits were also popular for younger boys during the 1900s and 10s and could be worn instead of propersuits. They comsisted of both knee pants and bloomer knickers. But actual knickers were so prevalent that we see some younger boys wearing them as well. Maila order catalogs offere ueful sizing informkation. In some cases the younger boys wore knickers with blouses rather than suits. This was probably mot common during the summer. But for theseyounger ages, knickers were not nearly as coommon as for school age boys. Some parents insisted on short pants until boys were a certain age before buying knickers. Commedian Wallie Cox remembering his childhood complains about this. This varied from family to family. In many families this was not an issue.

American knickers 5 year olds
Figure 1.--Most boys did not begin school until 6 years of age. Boys began school at age 6. Kindergarten was not yet very common in the 1910s. This boy pictured with his tricycle looks to be about 5 years old. H wears a collar-butting Norfolk sit.

Age 5

Boys wore knickers suits from about 5 years of age to the teen years. This varied over time. Tunic suits were popular in the 1900s and 10s and nostly worn with bloomer knicklers. Younger boys such as 5-year olds were the first age group to begin wearing knee pants (mid-19th century). They continued to wear knee pants throughout the rest of the 19th century. Knickers were not very common. When American boys began wearing knickers (1910s), many 5-year olds continued wearing knee pants (1910s) and then short pants (1920s). Some 5-year olds got knicker suits, but for this agfe group there wre other alternatives such as tunic suits, Oliver Twist suits, and sailor suits. Tunic suitswere worn with bloomer knickers. Oliver twist suits were worn with knee pants, and sailor suits with various types of pants.

Age 6

Almost all boys at 6 years of age wore either knee psnts or knickers in the early-20th century. By te 1910s this was mostly knicker suits, although knee pants continued to be worn by some younger boys. Boys began school at age 6. Thus school portraits are asefgul source of information. There were various outfits for younger boys to wear. They wore a variety of outfits, mostly suits of some kind to school in the 1900s and 1910s. This included juvenile outfits like Oliver Twist suits and sailor suits. Throughout the 1910s-30s, boys in elementary (primary) school wore knickers and not just the 6-yeatr old First Graders. Many boys wore knicker suits to school in the 1910s, but in the 1920s, especially by the mid20s, suits began to become less common. Whole boys continued to wear knickers it was less common to wear knicker suits.

Age 7

As knee pants began to be established in the mid-19th century it was not only pre-school boys that wore them, but also younger elementary (pimary) school boys includubg 7 years olds. We do not see many American boys wearing knickers in the 19th century. It was very common for 7-year olds to wear knee pants by the 1870s. When boys made the transition from knee pants to knickers (1910s), they followed the same age conventions current for knee pants. While older boys were mostly wearing knickers, we see many 6 and 7-year olds still wearing knee pants in the 1910s and short pants in the 1920s during First and Second Grade. This varied regionally. And some of the 7-year olds in Second Grade wearing shorts apired to earing knickers like the older boys.

Age 8

Virtually all 8-year old boys wore suits with shortened-length pants in the 1890s. At the time in America it was virtually all knee pants. In Europe boys commonly wore both knee pahts and knickes. We do not see many noys wearing knickers until the late-1900s. Boys very quickly shifted from knee pants to knicker suits. Knicker suitswere almot universal for 8-year olds in the 1910s. Norfolk styles were very popular. Norfolk knicker suits worn with flat caps were very popular schoolwear. We note boys wearing overalls in rural areas, but when they wore suits, it was almost always knicker suits. The same was true in the 1920s. We see some 8-year olds wearing short pants suits, but knicker syitswere much more common. Short pants suits seem more common for well-to-do families, but even here knicker suits were more common. We see fewer boys wearing suits to school in the 1920s. We mostly see boys waring knicker suits with dark long stockings, but beginning in the lte-20s we see patterened knee socks. And during the 30s, knee socks began replacing long-stockings. We continue to see 8 year olds wearing knicker suits in the early-30s. Gradually as the decade progressed we see more boys wearing long pants suits and by this time American boys werev no longer commonly wearing suits to school. By the 1940s knicker suits had begun to disappear, although we still see some in the early-40s. By the end of the War (1945) they were rarely seen. Younger boys might wear short pants suits, but even for 8-year olds, long pats suits were more common. This varied from family to family, but social class factorswere also involved.

Age 9

Knee pants when they first appeared in the mid-19th entyry were worn by younger boys. By the 1870s we see moreand more 9-year olds wearing them and thus was fairly standard by the 1880s, although more boys wore long longs in rural areas auntil the 1890s. When knickers replaced knee pants (1910s), the same conventions for knee pants were simply transfered to knickers. Most school age boys wore knickers in the 1910s and 20s and quite a few did in the 30s as well. A good example is an unidentified American boy weaing a sporty check suit in the 1910s.

Age 10

Knee pants when they first appeared in the mid-19th century were worn by younger boys, but not so much 10 year olds. By the 1870s we see 10-year old wearing them and quite a number of 10-year olds by the 1880s, although more boys wore long pants in rural areas until the 1890s. By the late-80s, it was common for 10-year olds to wear knee pants. When knickers replaced knee pants (1910s), the same age conventions for knee pants were simply transfred to knickers. An exception was rural areas. At the same time knickers replaced knee pants, overalls appeared in rural schols. And many of the boys in the age range for knickers wore overalls instead. Virtually all 10 year olds in urban areas wore knickers and knicker suits. Most school age boys wore knickers in the 1910s and 20s and quite a few did in the 30s as well. Suits were a different matter. Suits were common at school in the 1910s and to a lesser extnt the 1920s. We continue to see knickers in the 1930s, but less commonly as part of suits. Here school level was a factor. Boys at 10 were till in elementary (primary) schools where most of the boys wore knickers during the 1910s-30s. Only in the late-30s do we note significant change. We still some 10-year olds wearing knickers in the early-40s, but rarely after mid-century when knickers disppeared for all age groups.

American knickers 11 years old
Figure 2.--This American boy wears a knickers suit, we think in the 1910s. Notice how the knickers were pulled up above the knees.

Age 11

American boys 11-years old did not at first wear knee pants when they appeared in the mid-19th century. This did not begin to change until the 1880s when knee pants became more widly worn. Even then we do not see a lot of 11-year olds wearing knee pants. This finally chnged in the 1890s and knee pants very quickly for reasons we do not fully understand became standard wear for most American boys. This included 11-year olds and many teens as well, esopecially younger teens. Virtually all 11-year old wore them except for some boys in rural areas. When knickers replacd knee pants (1910s, the same conventions for knee pants were simply transfred to knickers. Most school age boys wore knickers in the 1910s and 20s. Boys at 11 years of age were still in elementarty school, the 6th grade. They were the oldest boys in six-year primary schools. And knicker suits were standard school wear at the time. Boys wore knicker suits to school in the 1910s, except in rural areas. The suits declined somewhat in the 1920s, but boys still wore knickers to school, usually with long stockings. You see very few American 11 year olds not wearing knickers during this period. Short pants were not nearly as popular in America as in Europe. Younger boys might wear short pants, but 11-year olds mostly wore knickers. And quite a few 11-year olds also wore knickers in the 30s as well, especially the early-30s. Most 11-year old shifted from long stockings to knee socks, commonly with bigt patterns. This was in contarasty to the long stockings which were usually black or some other dark color. Which meant they no longer has to wear stocking supporters. Many boys at age 11 began compalining about having to wear stocking supporters. By the end of the decade, we see many boys wearing long pants, especially the older boys. We also see boys wearing knickers with ankle socks.

American knickers 12 year olds
Figure 3.-- Children at age 12 years began the 7th grade. We find that most 12-year old boys by the 1890s were wearing knee pants and then began wearing knickers when the began standard in the 1910s. This unidentified biy in the 1930s wore a knickers suit. Knickers were still common for 12-year olds.

Age 12

Children at age 12 years began the 7th grade. Age 12 was the last year of primary school, although in some areas children attended primary schools with 7th and 8th grades. This was mostcommon in rural areas where high schools were not available. Busses did not appear to any extent until after World War I. Other chikldren attended junior hifg schools with 7th-9th grades. This affected how the boys dressed because it affected whether they went to school with younger or older children. Knee pants were almost universal for 12-year olds in the 1890s and 1900s. And cionventions for knn pants simply transfrred to knikers (1910s). Knickers were very common for 12 years old throughout the 1910s-30s. They were still fairly standard in the 1910s and common in the 30s. They were almost universal in the 1910s, but only a minority of 12-year olds were wearing knickers by the 1ate-1930s. Knicker suits ar a little different. Boys very commonly wore knicker suits in the 1910s. Many boys in the 1900s and 10s attended elementary schools that had programs through 8th grade. We see many of these boys wearing knicker suits for their 8th grade graduation. More casual clothes began to appear in the 1920s. Far fewer 12-year olds boys were wearing suits to school by the 30s, except at private schools. Boys did wear suits for special occasions such as graduation. One major change in the 30s was boys sgifted from long stockings to knee socks. Some younger boys continued wearing long stockings, but almost all 12-year olds changes to kneesovks whicgh meant they no longer had to wear sticking supporters. Generally speaking most parents though that knickers were suitable for 12-year olds theough the 1920s. Boys at 12-years of still wore knicker suits in the 1930s, espcially the eraly 30s. They were mostly worn with patterned knee socks. By the end of the decade, knickers had declined in popularity. We still see knicker suits, but long pants suits had become incrasingly prevalent. Some boys in ghe late-1930s began wearing their knickers without knee socks, especially during the summer. This was not common ealier and only asccelerated the transition to long pants. We see this mostly withb the older grade school boys wearing knickers.

American kniockers 13 year olds
Figure 4.--Thes children look to be 13 years old. They have just graduated from elementary school. Many elementary schools in the early 20th century had programs through 8th grade, in part because most children did not go on to secondary school. The paper frame and clothing suggests to us that this portrait was taken avout 1910.

Age 13

When knee pants first appeared in the mid-19th century, teenagers, even younger teenagers did not wear them. This did not begin to change until the 1880s, but even then it was rare for teenagers to wear knee pants. Only in the 1890s, espcially the 1890s did knee pants suddenly become standard for younger teenagers. We even see older teens wearing them, although this varied from family to family and demofraphically as well as social class. And when knickers repalced knee pants (1910s), the same conventions simply transferred to teenagers. We see younger teenagers commonly wearing knickers in the 1910s. This was essentially the same age range as the boys wearing knee pants in the 1900s, perhaps a slight drop in age. Most 13-year olds wore knickers in the 1910s, but the proportion began to decline in the 1920s. The age af buying long pants began to be accepted as about 13-14 years of age in the 1920s. We see some boys with suits that had both knickers and long pants. It is not entirely clear to us what was worn when. This varied from family to family. Some families postoponed wearing long pants a bit, but 13-14 years of age became a widely accepted transitional age. This was to a large extent because 13 was the age boys made the transition from elementary (primary) school to secondary school (junior high school) or began working. This varied chronologically. Beginning about age 13-years, some parents began thinking that boys this age should graduate to long pants. We are not ure if this was a change in parental thinking ir more complaining from the boys. This was not to common in the 1920s, but became more common in the 30s. Another factor here was when boys stopped wearing long stockings. Some boys objected to the long stockings more than the knickers. A major shirt in the 30s was that virtually all 13 year-old shifted from long stockings to knee socks when wearing knickers. This was highly desirable for the boys because it meant that they no longer had to wear stocking supporters. We suspect that the brightly patterened knee socks were a concession to the boys so that fewer would insist on wearing long pants. We nte that many 13 year-olds were wearing long pants by te 1930s. We note the 12-13 year-old 8th graders at St. Stanislaus School are wearing both long pants and knickers in 1933. Most seem to be wearing long pants, but we see quite a few boys wearing knicker suits. Some schools adopted regulations on this, but in America many schools just left it up to the parents.


Figure 5.--This boy had his portrait taken wearing a knickers suit. The AZO stamp box dates this card to the 1907-18 era. Notice how full the knickers are cut. He looks to be about 14 years old.

Age 14

When knee pants first appeared in the mid-19th century, teenagers, even younger teenagers did not wear them. They were only for younger boys. This did not begin to change until the 1880s, but even then it was mostly older primary boys that began wearing kneepants to a greater extent. It conrinued ton be rare for teenagers, even younger teens, to wear knee pants. Only in the 1890s, esocially the late-1890s, did knee oants suddenly become standard for younger teenagers. and when knickers repalced kne pants, the same conventions simply transferred to teenagers. Boys began senior high scjool at age 14 in the 9th grade. Only a small minoruty attended high school in the 19th century and even it the early-2-th centutry, it was still a minority. Almost all of the boys would have worn knee pants or knicker suits in the 1900s and 1910s. Many would have commonly wore knickers in the 1920s, but suits became less common. We see 14-year olds wearing knicker suits with long stockings. This was lss true with kbee siocks, in part because by the time knee sicks became popular in the 1930s, many 14-year olds were no longer wearing knickers. Also in the 1920s many parents started buying long pants suits by the time boys reached 13-14 years of age. Only a minority of boys entered senior high school in 1900s. Here school portraits can help us follow developments, helping to solve the problem of photographs that do not have age information. Here there was a social class divide. Most upper- and middle-class boys attended high school. Most woking-class boys did not. And thus social class dfferences in dress were a factor. Many if not most parents in the early 1900s thought that knee pants or knickers were suitable for 14-year olds or even older boys. This changed by the 1930s when most but not all parents thoughtb that boys by age 14 years should be wearing long pants. Boys at age 14 yeas if the began working would often begin wearing long pants. The percentage of boys attendubng high school gradually increased as the decade continued, especially in the 1930s, in part because of the Depression. Virtually all of the boys entering high school in the 1930s wore long pants. Knickers were still commion in elementary school, but not in high schools.


Figure 6.--

Age 15

American teenagers at age 15 commonly wore knee pants and knicker suits in the 1900s and 1910s, mostly knee pants suits in the 1900s and knicker suits in the 1910s. This was the age, however, that you begin to see more boys wearing long pants suits, even during this early period. There were differences from family to family, but knee pants and knickes were very common, especially in urban areas. We probanly see more boys at 13 and 14 years of age wearing knicker suits, but by age 15 years we see a more even split and by the 1910s probably more boys wearing long pants suit. This is aittle complicate to assess with any oprecission, but we believe that this assessment is not off more than a year at worst. We are less sure about knickers in geeral. After World War I in the 1920s, some boys still wore knicker suits, but the older boys, incluing 15 year olds were a destinct minority. And by the 1930s we no longer see 15 year olds wearing knicker suits to any extent. There my have been some in the early-30s, but the photographic record suggests it was not very common and probably virtually non-existent by the late-30s. There may be some isolated exceptions such as Senate pages or private schools, but believe this is the general patern. And after te early-40s we no longr see many boys of any age wearing knickers. These trends can be followed by the various mail order catalogs. We believe, however, that the size offered often lagged somewhat behind popular conventions, especially at times when the conventions were changing. Companies adjusted stock to the orders received and thus it takes a little time for the store purchasing units to adjust. The huge number of available snapshots and portraits in the photographic record are probably a better reflection of the popular age conventions.


American knickerrs 16 years old
Figure 7.--Here we see an American boy whom looks to be about 16 years ild wearing a knickers Norfolk suit with long stockings, we thinkm during the 1920s. It looks to be a brand new suburb.

Age 16

Teenagers did not wear knee oants when they first appeared (mid-19th centyry). This did not materailly changed until younger teen-agers began wearing knee pants (1890s). Some older teens alsio wore them, but they were by nomeans stanfard for boys by the time they were 16 years old. We see some 16-year olds wearung knee pants, but probably a minority. Age 16 was just at the age where they were more commin for younger boys and much less common fir older boys. Fir the ost part when knickers repalced knee oants, the comventins simmply caried on (1910s). And we do see 16-year olds wearing knickers. But ghis did not lasr very long. Knickers rapidly webt out of style or 16-year olds in the 1920s. Boys at 16 wore both long pants and knickers. This varied from family to family. The choice was up to the parents. Some suits were sold with two pairs of pants, both long pants and knickers. We are not entirely sure how it was decided which pair of pants were worn for what occassion. Presumably the parents sent some guidelines here. Social class was a factor. By 16 years we believe that many of the boys wearing knickers were from relatively affluent families. School was also a factor. Many boys did not attend secondary schools refore World War II. Many of the boys wearing knickers at 16 years would have been boys still in school. We see quite old boys wearing knee pants in the 1900s, but kniclers did not become prevlalent until the end of the decade. We see teenagers commonly wearing knickers throughout the 1910s. Gradually the age of boys wearing knickers declined. We see fewer older boys wearing knicker suits in the 1920s. We note that clothing catalogs in the 1920s show that knickers suits were still commonly made in size 16. And by the 1930s they were mostly worn by boys in primary (elementary) school), especially by the late-30s. Knickers went out of style in the 1940s.

American knickers 17 year olds
Figure 8.--Thie boys here look about 16-18 years of age. The portrait is not dated, but was probanly taken in the 1910s.

Age 17

It was quite common to see older teenagers in high school wearing knee pants and knickers suits in the 1900s and 1910s. Bous in the 1910s wore knickers suits. Boys this age also wore long pants. We are not sure at this time about the relative popularity of long pants and knickers. We think long pants were probably more common, but quite a number of teenagers did wear knickers. This changed in the 1920s when we see fewer older teenagers wearing knickers. We mostly see the older boys wearing knickers suits rather than knickers with just a short or sweater. Older boys wearing knee opants and knickers was the case for a relatively sdhor period. We mostly see this at the turn-of-the-20h century and in the 1900s. It was most common for boys asttending high schiol. Boys who began working 1fter finising the 8-year primary school ptrigram, rsher quickly began wearing lonbg pasnts. And the prevaslence of older boys wearing knickers rapidly declined during the 1910s. Almost always these older teens wearing knickers weore them with blscl long stockings. The brightly patterneed knee socks did not appear until the late-1920s by which time the top age for knickers had largely declined.

Age 18

Boys generally began high school in the 9th grade at age 14 and many were 18 when they finished. Some boys might have gotten a late start are failed a grade. So a number of the older boys at high school would have been 19 years old. Some of the boys definitely wore knicker suits to school and even graduated in them, but this was mostly in thecvlate 1890s, 1900s and early-1910s. Some boys might have gotten long pants suits for graduation, bnut this was during a relstively nrief period. It was all up to tyherir parents. Many boys would have had knee pants suits in the 1900s, but buy the 1910s it would have been mostly knicker suits. We believe that most 18 year olds had long pants suits in the 1910s, but the photographic record shows some older boys with knicker suits. Mauil order catalog sizing also provides some insights here at least to age ranges, but the catalogs privide no oingforkmation on asctualmsales of ghe vrious sizegroups. his changed dramatically and especially after the early-20s that the older boys were mostly wearing long pants suits.





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Created: 3:50 AM 12/11/2007
Last updated: 9:35 AM 8/23/2017