Figure 1.--This American boy wears a double-breasted knickers suit. American boys mostly wore knickers with first long stockings and then knee socks. We note some boys, however, in the 1930s wearing knickers with ankle socks--especially during the Summer. This was less common with knicker suits, but as you can see here not unknown. Also note that the weather here still looks chilly.

American boys have worn suits over time with a variety of pants, including knee breeches, kneepants, knickers, bloomer knickers, short pants, and long pants. The styling and popularity of these types of pants as well as the age conventions have varied over time. Of course the different types of pants were worn during the various periods affected by age, family preferences, regional, seasonal, social class differences, and other factors. Knee breeches were common during the 18th century. Only at the end of the century did some boys begin wearing long pants. Boys commonly wore long pants during the early and mid 19th century. Kneepants and knicker bloomers appeared in the mid-19th century. Kneepants appeared more commonly in the 1860s and became an increasingly important type of pants for boys as the 19h century progressed, especially in urban areas. . Kneepants were very widely worn at the turn of the 20th century. Knickers gradually became more important un the early 20th century. Short pants appeared after World war I, but knickers were more populasr. Short pants were never as popular in America as they were in Europe. Long pants increased in popularity during the 1930s and rapidly replaced knickers in the 1940s.

Chronology

The styling and popularity of the various types of pants or trousers worn with suits as well as the age conventions have varied over time. Of course the different types of pants were worn during the various periods affected by age, family preferences, regional, seasonal, social class differences, and other factors. Knee breeches were common during the 18th century. Only at the end of the century did some boys begin wearing long pants. Boys commonly wore long pants during the early and mid 19th century. Knee pants and knicker bloomers appeared in the mid-19th century. Kneepants appeared more commonly in the 1860s and became an increasingly important type of pants for boys as the 19h century progressed, especially in urban areas. . Kneepants were very widely worn at the turn of the 20th century. Knickers gradually became more important un the early 20th century. Short pants appeared after World War I, but knickers were more popular. Short pants were never as popular in America as they were in Europe. Long pants increased in popularity during the 1930s and rapidly replaced knickers in the 1940s. Younger boys might wear shirt psnts suits, but this gradualy declined in popularity, especualy by the 1970s.

Types

American boys have worn suits over time with a variety of pants, including knee breeches, kneepants, knickers, bloomer knickers, short pants, and long pants. The popularity and age conventions for these different types of pants have varied significantly over time. Since the beginning of the 19th century, long pants suits have been the most commom, but there have been significant periods in which shortened-lenhgth pants have been important, often for specific age groups. Knee breeches were popular throughout the 18th century. Long trousers have been the most common type of suit pants since the turn-of-the-18th century. Other trouser types, including knickers, knee pants, and short pants hsve also been very common. Popularity have been affected by a large number of factors. We also notice a range of cut and styling for suit pants. This is somewhat covered by by the suit jackets in the availsble photographs.

Age

The first destinctive suits for boys were skeletin suits. The pants at first were knee breeches like men wore, but by the turn of the 19th century, long pants became standard. This was the first time that boys after breeching began wearing different suit pants than their fathers who continued wearing knee breeches for some time. Thus age became a factor in the selection of suit pants. Long pants became standard for a while, but around mid-century we see various kinds of shortened-lenhth pants become stylish for younger boys, including knee pants and bloomer knickers. This was primarily for boys from fashionable fashionable city families. So we see boys to about years of age in some cases a little older wearing these pants. Gradually older boys began wearing knee pants and by the 1890s we begin to see some teenagers wearing them. And this time the fashion trend was much more widespread demographically. The knee pants shifted to knickers in the 1910s and we begin to see the age range decline slightly. The age range continued to narrow in the 1920s and by the 1930s many bous were wearing long pants suits like their fathers. Some younger boys up to about age 10 years wore short psnts suits. Here social class factors were involbed. Boys from well to dio familirscwere more likely to wear short pants suits. Knicker suits went out of style in the late-1930s and early-40s. More and more boys woee long pants suits in the 1950s and 60s and the age of boys wearing short psnts suits declined. Short pants suits largely disappeared in the 1970s.

Created: 4:00 AM 12/14/2005
Last updated: 2:55 AM 2/23/2011