Figure 1.--Knickers uniforms were common in England in the late- 19th century and we continue to see them in the early-20th century. This unidentified boy looks to watchig a cricket match. He wears a school cap, notice the badge. The cap seems to match the jacket, although the knicker pants seem to be a little different with a stripe The snapshot is undated, but was printed with an oval format. It is undated, but was definitely taken in the early-20th century. we would guess that it was was taken about 1910.

Knickers became popular for school wear in the late-19th century. White our early- and mid-19th century archive is limited, the appearace of the CDV begins to provide a substantial photographic record by the 1860s. We at first see mostly long trouswes. Many private schools at the time were being founded and adopting school uniforms. We are not sure precisely when knickers first appeared as either schoolwear or school uinforms. We note that by the 1880s, younger boys at some private schools were wearing knickers to school and they were being adopted as school uniform at many punlic (private boarding) schools. As our archive of 19th century school photographs is limited, we do not have yet have a precise idea as to how common this was. At private boardung schools, the knickers senm more commin than knee pants. at state primary schiols, knee pants seem more common, but we notice considerable variation. They seem much less common at state schools. Some of the available images at late-19th century private schools show the boys wearing knickers. I am not sure what they were called in Britain at the time. We intunue to see knicker uniforms in the early-20th century. This began to change in the 1910s and after World War I (1914-18) in the 1920s knickers become quite rare as a school uniform item. Most boys wore short pants or the older boys wore long pants to school. We have seen some boys wearing knickers in the post-War era, but very few and as far as we can tell mostly at private schools. One London schools was well known for making corfuroy knickers an optional part of the uniform.

The 19th Century

Knickers became popular for school wear in the late-19th century. White our early- and mid-19th century archive is limited, the appearace of the CDV begins to provide a substantial photographic record by the 1860s. We at first see mostly long trouswes. Many private schools at the time were being founded and adopting school uniforms. We are not sure precisely when knickers first appeared as either schoolwear or school uinforms. We note that by the 1880s, younger boys at some private schools were wearing knickers to school and they were being adopted as school uniform at many punlic (private boarding) schools. As our archive of 19th century school photographs is limited, we do not have yet have a precise idea as to how common this was. At private boardung schools, the knickers senm more commin than knee pants. at state primary schools, knee pants seem more common, but we notice considerable variation. They seem much less common at state schools. Some of the available images at late-19th century private schools show the boys wearing knickers. We are not sure what they were called in Britain at the time. The formal name seems to have been knickerbockers.

The 20th Century

We contunue to see boys wearing knicker uniforms at private schools. At state schools we nostly see knee pants at the turn-of-the century. Knickers were much less common. This began to change in the 1910s and after World War I (1914-18) in the 1920s knickers became quite rare as a school uniform item. Most boys wore short pants or the older boys wore long pants to school. We note that in period catalogs that short pants were referred to as knickers. We no longer see boys wearing knicker uniforms after World War I. We see some older boys wearing knickers as sort of smart country wear, but not as part of school uniforms. We have seen a few boys wearing knickers to school in the post-War era, but it was not common. And as far as we can tell this was almost entirely at private schools. One London private prep school was known for making corduroy knickers an optional part of the uniform. Many of the boys preferred them to short pants. It was a well-known school because Prince Charles went there. When the school went coed, even the girls could wear knickers. We also see an East Grinsted school where some of the boys are wearng knickers, we think in the late-1950s. Again it looks like a private school. We note an older class perhaps a little earlier, but no one was wearing wearing knickers.

Created: 8:54 PM 2/7/2015
Last updated: 3:02 PM 6/30/2017