Figure 1.--This American CDV is unidentified. We would guess it was taken at the 1860s. This boy is wearing a cut-away jacket. At the time most boys wore long pants. Some younger boys had suits with bloomer knickers, but most boys wore long pants suits. Notice that there are no creases.

Boys commonly wore long pants during the early- and mid-19th century. Only at the end of the 18th century did some boys begin wearing long pants as part of skeleton suits. This was the first dedicated children's outfit. At first long pants were first worn by boys rather than men, but gradually as the 19th century progressed became standard for both boys and men. This continued until the mid-19th century when some younger boys began wearing types of shortened-length pants, both bloomer knickers and knee pants. We use the term knee pants, but at first they were worn well below the knee, commonly at calf level. Most boys in the 19th wore long pants. This was especially true in rural asreas which were less affected by fashion trends. Only by the 1890s did knee pants became standard for boys. Even many older boys wore them. After the turn of the 20th century in the 1900s, knee pants continued to be common for boys. This very rapidly changed. American boys began weaing knickers and European boys short pants. Even during the period that knee pants were popular, some boys wore long pants. American boys mostly wore knickers in the 1910s. Long pants increased in popularity during the 1930s in America and rapidly replaced knickers in the 1940s. Some younger boys wore short pants suits in the 50s, but long pants suits were more common. Shorts began to be seen as casual wear. At the same time we begin to see a continued trend toward informality and fewer boys wearing suits. Age was a factor in the types of pants worn. The cut of the trousers varied substantially over time. Pocket arrangements and cut also varied, although this is difficult to see in photographs of boys wearing suit jackets. There were differences among families. There were also soicial class factors involved here. There were differences in the types of pants depending on the type of suit. Suits for youner boys were more likely to be worn with shortenedlength pants. Some long pants had cuffs. This varies over time. Front vents were another stylistic element. Creasses became important in the 20th century. Flannel was a very important material in the 19th century.

Chronology

Boys commonly wore long pants during the early- and mid-19th century. Only at the end of the 18th century did some boys begin wearing long pants as part of skeleton suits. This was the first dedicated children's outfit. At first long pants were first worn by boys rather than men, but gradually as the 19th century progressed became standard for both boys and men. This continued until the mid-19th century when some younger boys began wearing types of shortened-length pants, both bloomer knickers and knee pants. We use the term knee pants, but at first they were worn well below the knee, commonly at calf level. Most boys in the 19th wore long pants. This was especially true in rural asreas which were less affected by fashion trends. Only by the 1890s did knee pants became standard for boys. Even many older boys wore them. After the turn of the 20th century in the 1900s, knee pants continued to be common for boys. This very rapidly changed. American boys began weaing knickers and European boys short pants. Even during the period that knee pants were popular, some boys wore long pants. American boys mostly wore knickers in the 1910s. Long pants increased in popularity during the 1930s in America and rapidly replaced knickers in the 1940s. Some younger boys wore short pants suits in the 50s, but long pants suits were more common. Shorts began to be seen as casual wear. At the same time we begin to see a continued trend toward informality and fewer boys wearing suits.

Age

Age was a factor in the types of pants worn. The age of boys wearing long pants suit varied over time. At times virtually all boys wore long pants suits. And even when knee pants and knickers were popular, there were always some boys who wore long pants. Virtually all boys after breeching wore long pants in the early-19th century. The age of breeching varied from family to family, but boys as young as 3 years might wear long pants at the ime. We begin to see shortened-lenth pants in the mid-19th century. Thus boys 3-4 years might wear these bloomer knickers and knee pants, but we see most boys wearing long paznts by about 8 years of age, certsinly 10 years. There was a social-class factor to these shortemed-lengh suits which seem most populsr in the fashionaznle cities. Quite young boys wore long pants in rural areas. Knee pants became increasdingly popular in the late-19th century. By the 1890s we see quite old boys wearing knee pants, but even so there were some boys, esoecially in rural areas wearing long pants. After the turn-of-the 20th century, knickers began replacing knee pants. Quite old boys wsore knickers, but we see more and more older boys wearing long pants, especially by the 1920s. Knickers begn going out of style in the 1930s and were mostly worn by pre-teens ikn the 30s. Some boys wsore short psnts suits, but ny the 1940s, modt boys by age 10 years were wearing long pznys sxuits. Again social class was a factor. Sime slightly older boys from affluent families might wear short psnts xuits. Long pants beczme increasingl populsr in the q950s. We see some younger boys wearing Eton suits toi about age 7 or 8 years, but most boys swore long pants suits. This trend continued in the 1970s when short pznts suits were mostly for pre-school boys. A major factor by this tome was the declining popularity of suits ikn general as boys increasingly wore casual styles.

Cut

The cut of the trousers varied substantially over time. We notice tightly fitted pasnts trimly cut at some times. At other times we note a baggy cut. This was normally changing fashions rather than individual preferences.

Styling Elements

Pocket arrangements and cut also varied, although this is difficult to see in photographs of boys wearing suit jackets. . There were differences among families. There were also soicial class factors involved here. There were differences in the types of pants depending on the type of suit. Suits for youner boys were more likely to be worn with shortenedlength pants. Some long pants had cuffs. This varies over time. Front vents were another stylistic element. Creasses became important in the 20th century. Fllannel was a very important material in the 19th century.

Created: 11:10 PM 9/17/2007
Last updated: 11:40 PM 11/5/2009