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Norfolk suits were very popular in America during the 1910s. A Norfolk knickers suit was almost a standard convention for schoolwear along with a flat cap. For some reason the fashion for boys suits very suddenly changed from knee pants to knickers about 1909. Just as mosts boys in the 1900s wore straight-leg knee pants, bous in the 1910s mostly wore knickers. Some younger boys wore knee pants, but knickers very rapidly becanme standard boys' wear. We note them worn very commonly at school. We still see city boys still wearing suits to school in the 1910s. Norfolks suits seem the most common and they were commonly knicker suits until the last years of secondary school. Boys commonly wore knickers through age 13-14 years and some boys even longer. Older boys wearing knickers was still relatively common in the early-1910s, but less so by the end oif the decade. This varied from family to family. We notice Schman Norfolk suits that were called Knockabout suits in 1911. We note National Norfolk knicker suits in brown and grey. Note that brown was at the time a very popular color for boy's suits and pants. Both suit and pants were lined. I am not positive about the use of the term Cassimere with these suits. They were made in sizes 7 to 17/18 years. Probably not to many boys were still wearing knickers at age 17 years, but a few were, especially in the early 10s. the ad is a little misleading. Parents also had long pants suits to chose from. The long pants suits were less likely to be made with Norfolk jackets. The three-piece suits consist of a jacket, knickers, and detachable belt. We notice Sears Norfolk suits in 1919.
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