Figure 1.--This oval format portrait shows an unientified boy sitting in a chair. He looks to be about 8 years old. The boy wears a Norfolk lapel jacket and neck tie with knickers and long stocking. The high-top shoes are laceups. The portrait is not dates, but looks like the 1910s or early-20s to us. The portrait is done with a book like folder cover. The folder measures 9 3/4 inches by 6 inches. The photographer studio is indicated, but we can't read it.

We note Norfolk suits with all kinds of pants. The matching pants did not have any of the destinctive Norfolk styling, but were usually knee pants or knickers. This simply reflects the popular type of trousers worn by boys at the time. We are not sure to what extent they were done with long trouses. We think this may have been fairly common when the style first appeared in the 1870s and 80s. Most American boys in the 19th century wore Norfolk jackets with matching knee pants. Knickers became more common in the 1910s. The unisentified boy here is agood example (figure 1). Norfolk suits began as smart country or hunting suits for the wellto-do in England. These country suits were worn with knickers, but as the Norfolk suit became a popular boys' style, that connection was broken. Few American boys wore a Norfolk suit as a hunting suit. There was no real association of the boy's Norfolk suit and any specific type of pants. The pants worn with Norfolk jackets was simply the popular types of pants during the various decades in which Norfolk styling was popular. Thus in the 19th century we mostly see Norkolk jackets beong worn with knee pants. This continued into the 1900s, but by the 1910s we mostly see knickers. A good example is Raymond Uferte wearing a knickers Norfolk suit in 1921.

Adult Suits

Norfolk suits began as smart country or hunting suits for the wellto-do in England. These country suits were worn with knickers, but as the Norfolk suit became a popular boys' style, that connection was broken.

Boys Suits

Few American boys wore a Norfolk suit as a hunting suit. There was no real association of the boy's Norfolk suit and any specific type of pants. The pants worn with Norfolk jackets was simply the popular types of pants during the various decades in which Norfolk styling was popular. Thus in the 19th century we mostly see Norfolk jackets being worn with knee pants, although older Amerivan boys still, mostly wore long pants in the 1870s. Knee aonrs were growing in popularity and were stanbdard by bthe 1890s. Knee oants continued to be worn into the 1900s, but by the 1910s we mostly see knickers for Norfolk and other suit styles..

Knee Pants

We note Norfolk suits with all kinds of pants. The matching pants did not have any of the destinctive Norfolk styling, but were usually knee pants or knickers. This simply reflects the popular type of trousers worn by boys at the time. Most American boys in the 19th century wore Norfolk jackets with matching knee pants. When Norfolk suits first appeared for boys (late-19th century), boy commoNly wore knee pants. Thus most photographs in the the late-19th century and very early-20th century) shows bOys wearung knee oants with Norfolk jackets. Knee pants basically went out of styles by the 1910s as American boys primarily shifted to knickers. We do, however, see youinger boys continue to wear knee pants for a while. Knee oants suits were almost always worn with long stockings altough the younger boys who continued to wear them in the 1920s might wear knee socks.

Knickers

Knickers became common for Ameerican boys in the 1910s. We see European boys wearing knickers in the late-19th century, but they were not common in Americaw here knee paants were standard. Suddenly that began to change anout 1908. We have no idea why. We have never seen fashion historians address this subject. The switch to knickers were not only sudden, but very quickly knickers became standard for American boys. We see some younger boys still wearing knee Pants, but the great majority of American boys wpre knickers in the 1910s and 20s nd Norfolk suits were very populat at the time. The unidentified boy here, wevthink in the 1910s is a good example (figure 1). Note the long stockings. Another good example is Raymond Uferte wearing a knickers Norfolk suit in 1921. Thus for the last two ndecades that Norfolk suits were popular, they were mostly worn with knickers. Knickers were also common in the 1930s, especially the early=30s but Norfolk suits by this time were declining in popularity. Knicker suits were also worn with long stockings although in the late-1920s we begin to see brightly patterned knee socks.

Long Pants

We are not sure to what extent Norfolk suits were done with long trouses. Long patys were common for American biys until the kate019th centurym especially the 1ate-1890s. We think this may have been fairly common when the style first appeared in the 1870s and 80s. We have, however, not found many examples. We suspect that in the 20th century that the Norfolk suit was seen as boy's style and boys who were allowed to wear long pants, wanted more adult jacket styles. <>nr>

Short Pants

We have found fewer example of American boys wearing short pants Norfolk suits. We beliece that this is because thatbbiy the time short pants suits behan to apper (1920s), American boys were mostly wearing knickers and then Norfolk suits began going out of style (1930s).

Created: 7:56 PM 8/14/2017
Last updated: 9:47 AM 10/24/2021