Figure 1.--This American portrait of a boy wearing a knickers suit is undated. We would say it was probably taken in the 1910s, but at this time are not quite sure how to destinguish between 1910s and 20s knickers suits. The knickers in the 1910s tended to have fuller cuts, but we are less sure about differences in the jackets. Not the boy's cap matches his jacket.

American boys mostly wore long pants in the 19th century, although knee pants became very common in the 1890s. We see bloomer knickers during the mid-19th century, but we do not see knickers being worn very commonly. Knickers gradually became more important after the turn of the 20th century. Knee pany were still quite common in the 1900s, but by the 1910s knickers had become the most common type of pants worn by American boys. We see most school age boys wearing them up to about 15 years of age, but this varied from family to family. Knee pants went out of style and short pants appeared after World War I, but knickers were more popular for school-age boys. There were social class and regional differences. We are not yet sure about stylistic differences in the 1910s and 20s. We think knickers in the 1910s tended to have very full cuts. Knickers were still very common in the 1920s, but grdually it became less common for olders boys to wear them. This trend continued in the 1930s when we see ore boys wearing long pants. It was less common for teenagers to wear knickers in the 30s. Knicers very rapidly went out of style in the 1940s. Here a factor may have been the War and the need to us fabric more efficiently.

The 19th Century

American boys mostly wore long pants in the 19th century. Long pants were almost exclusively worn in the early-19th century. Some boys might have worn knee breeches in the very early-19th centyryblike their fathers, butwe think that long pants were fairly standard even in the 1800s. We are not entirely sure just when knickers first appeared. Photography in the form of Daguerrotypes provide quite a number of images for the 1840s and 50s, but the posing often does not tell us much about the trousers being worn. We believe some younger boys were wearing shortened-length pants, but we are not yet sure about the types. Some surely included knickers or bloomer knickers. We know much more about the 1860s. The predominate style was long pants, but we see younger boys wearing a variety of shortened length pants, including knee pants and knickers. It is a klittle difficult ti destinguish knickers from bloomer knickers. Knee pants seem more common among the shortenrd-length types in America. Knickers seem more popular in Europe. The lengths tended to be well below the knees. And by the 1870s we see mostly knee pants among younger boys. Long pants were more common. Bloomer knickers were worn with tunic suits. Knee pants became very common in the 1890s and became shorter. By the late-90s we see older boys wearing knee pants. Knickers were much less common. We do see younger boys wearing bloomer knickers with tunic suits.

The 20th Century

Knickers gradually became much more important after the turn-of-the 20th century. We see them in the 19th-century, but knee pants were much more common. Knee pany were still quite common in the 1900s, but this began to change at the end of the decade. And in the 1910s knickers had become the most common type of pants worn by American boys. They were not universal, but they were by far the most common type of suit trousers during the 1910s, 20s, and early-30s. They virtually became a characture of school boys, especially in the 1910s. They were usually worn with flt caps. Knickers continued to be standard in the 1920s, although we see fewer boys wearing suits to school. We see most school age boys wearing them up to about 15 years of age, but this varied from family to family. A good example is a unidentified New York boy in the 1910s. Anoher good example is an unidentified American boy wearing a sporty cjhheck suit in the 1910s. Knee pants went out of style and short pants appeared after World War I, but knickers were more popular for school-age boys. There were social class and regional differences. We are not yet sure about stylistic differences in the 1910s and 20s. We think knickers in the 1910s tended to have very full cuts. Knickers were still very common in the 1920s. They grdually it became less common for olders boys to wear them. This trend continued in the 1930s when we see ore boys wearing long pants. It was less common for teenagers to wear knickers in the 30s. Knicers very rapidly went out of style in the 1940s. Here a factor may have been the War and the need to us fabric more efficiently.

Created: 3:31 AM 12/10/2007
Last updated: 1:50 AM 9/13/2012