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American boys with only a few exceptions did not wear uniforms to school. Many mothers dressed up the children for school, but they did not wear uniforms. So the fashions we see at school were the populsar fashions of the day. We see major changes in boys' headweat at the turn of the 20th century. This was a process that was onservable in the 1890s, but was even more pronounced in the 1900s. Boys in the 19th century mostly wore hats, but in the 20th century they mostly wore caps. This major shift took place around the turn of the century anbd was clearly observable by the 1900s. Hats becanme seen as formal wear. We seem some younger boys wearing wide-brimmed hats, but not so much to school and the fashion was going out of style. It was much more common in the 1890s. Another major change that took place around was the long established convention if younger boys wearing skirted grments like their sisters. This was a childhood fashion convention for centurties, including the 19th cnentury. This began to change in the late-19th centuty. We are not entireky sure why. We suspect it had to do with the Fauntleroy Craze, but that is only a guess. Public eduvation was also involved. American boys rarely wore skirted garments to school. This essentialy placed definitive limits on wearing skirted garments and ultimately helped a well-entrenched fashion convention. Children still commonly dressed up for school in the 1900s. We see a varirty of suits. There were some styles for younger boys. They varies in their perceive suitabilty for school. We see boys wearing a variety of juvenile suits to school in the 1900s. Fauntleroy suits were not very common at school, although we see a few younger boys wearing them. Fauntleroy elements, however, were observable. The Fauntleroy craze, however, was declining during the decde. Boys also wore sailor suits in the 1900s, especially city boys. And this style was not declining, it was still very popular. We ee all kinds of permutations of the sailor style. They were worn by boys in primry (elementary) school to about 10 years old or about. This was a little youngwr than was common in Europe. We see older gurls wearing sailor outfits, but not boys. Most boys in cities came to school in suits. Boys commonly wore regular suits and ties. We see both single- and double-breasted jackets. In rural areas schoolwear was more varied. A lot of boys wore blouses. We don't get to se much of the shirts and bloses worn because so many mays wore suit jackets covering up ghe sirts and blouses. We can tell about the wrist cuffs that they were long sleeved shirts. We note that girls dresses had elbow-length sleeces, but the boy had long sleeves. And we see the collars. Boys wore collared shirts. Shirt waists wore with detachable collars were still common at the time, but not commonly worn at primary schools. We do see some in the highschools. We note both pointed collars and rounded collars. We do not see many Eton collars, at least worn by most American boys. They were more poular with boys from well-to-do families. Children usually took off their winterwear for the school oportraits which were often taken in the warmer months at ant rate. But we do notice that sweaters do not yet seem very common. We begin ti see sweaters as an importaht garment in the 1910s, commonly heavy button up collars worn like jackets, but we do not see many in the 1900s. Almost all American boys wore knee pants to school in the 1900s. This was a trend that began in the mid-19th century. Knee pants were virtually universal in the 1890s abd 1900s except in rural areas where long pants were nore common than in urban areas. Manby school portraits in the 1900s show all the boys wearing knee pants. They were even common with teenagers, except for the very oldest. This only began to change at the end of the decade. For some reason about 1908 we begin to see boys wearing knickers. Knickers suddenly became very popular. We see them in Britain during the late-19th century, but not very commonly in America. This change occurred very rapidly. Most scholl children, both boys and girls, wore long stockings. Black long stockings were especially common. It is a little dfficult to be sure about the color, but we mostly see dark colors and they were not all black. We believe black was the dominany colors. Some children, mostly girls, wore white long stockings, but the black and dark colors were much more common. We rarely see any kind of hosiery besides long stockings. The children commonly wore stocking supporters to hold up the stockings. Children in the cities, both boys and girls, wore high-top shoes. High-tops were also worn by adults. We notice a shift from button shoes to lace-up shoes during the decade. although we still see some button shoes in the 1910s. We see sandals appearing at the end iof the decade, but we do not commonly see them at schools. In rural areas many boys in warm weather came to school barefoot.
While our school section is a very valuable source of fashion information, generally it does not provide a lot of information on headwear. We see major changes in boys' headweat at the turn of the 20th century. The great properion of school images are taken wiyhout headwear, not all but the vastproportion. We see major changes in boys' headweat at the turn of the 20th century. This was a process that was onservable in the 1890s, but was even more pronounced in the 1900s. And the rathrer limited school headwear captures the change underway. Boys in the 19th century mostly wore hats, but in the 20th century they mostly wore caps. This major shift took place around the turn of the century anbd was clearly observable by the 1900s. Hats becanme seen as formal wear. We seem some younger boys wearing wide-brimmed hats, but not so much to school and the fashion was going out of style. It was much more common in the 1890s.
Another major change that took place around was the long established convention of younger boys wearing skirted garments like their sisters. This was a childhood fashion convention for centurties, including the 19th century. This began to change in the late-19th centuty. We are not entirey sure why. We suspect it had to do with the Fauntleroy Craze, but that is only a guess. Public education was also involved. American boys rarely wore skirted garments to school. This essentialy placed definitive limits on wearing skirted garments and ultimately helped a well-entrenched fashion convention. We still see some yoinger boys wdearing skirted garments, but fewer than ever brefore and increasingly younger boys. Ther was one exception--tunic suuits. The tunic was a very popular garment in the early-20th century. Interestingly, we do not see many examples at school. Of course the girls almost entirely wore skirted garments. And this for the most poart meant dresses. Some girls wore blouses and skirts, but a distincr minority. Most girls put on drsses to go to school. And we have not yet found images of girls wearing pants =to school. We suapect that theremay have been a few in rural areas, but our archive is large enough to confirm that there were not very many. We notice a range of styles, mostly with high necks. white anbd other light-colors were popular as wll as a range of prints.
There were different shirt-like garments in the 19th century. This included blouses, shirt wairs, and shirts. this would change in the 20th century, but was still common in the 1900s decade. A lot of boys still wore blouses. We alsosee shirt waists, meaning essentially a shirt without a collar. This is what was wirn with stachable collars. We don't get to see much of the shirts and bloses worn because so many mays wore suit jackets covering up the sirts and blouses. We can tell about the wrist cuffs that they were long sleeved shirts and blouses. While Fauntleroy suitgs were declining in popularity, we see a lot of boys even younger teens earing Fauntleroy blouses. These were not the huge elabnorate blouses, nut they had large ruffled collars, often dome with patterns. We note that girls' dresses had elbow-length sleeves, but the boy still all had long sleeves. And we see the collars. Boys wore collared shirts. Shirt waists wore with detachable collars were still common at the time, but less commonly worn at primary schools. We do see some in the highschools. We note both pointed collars and rounded collars. We do not see many Eton collars, at least worn by most American boys, but we do see some in the city schools. They were most poular with boys from well-to-do families or at least families in comfortable circumstances.
Children usually took off their winterwear for the school portraits which were often taken in the warmer months at any rate. But we do notice that sweaters do not yet seem very common. We begin to see sweaters as an importanht garment in the 1910s, commonly heavy button up collars worn like jackets, but we do not see many in the 1900s. Long stockings might be considered cold-weather wear, but they were not seasonal, at least to school. The children wore them in both warm and cold wearther, although manhy children went barefoot in the summer. For school, children wore long stockings and shoes. Rural children might go barefoot to school. .
Children still commonly dressed up for school in the 1900s. This was common in the 19th century and continued to be in the early-20th century. Many boys wore suits to school, especially in urban areas. In rural areas schoolwear was more varied. Boys less commonly wore suits, especially younger boys. Older boys dressed more like city boys. We see a variety of suits. There were some styles for younger boys. They varied in their perceived suitabilty for school. We see boys wearing a variety of juvenile suits to school in the 1900s. Fauntleroy suits were not very common at school, in part becaise they were mostly for younger boys and the Fauntleroy Craze after the turn-of -the century began to peter out, although we see a few younger boys wearing Fauntleroy outfits. Fauntleroy elements and styling, however, were still observable. We still notice a lot of boys wearing Fauntletoy-influenced items, especially blouses. We see Fauntleroy blouses worn by boys in their early teens. These were not quite elaborate as a classic Fauntlleroy blouse, but they were definitely Fauntleroy innfluenced blouses with large ruffled collars. Boys also wore sailor suits in the 1900s, especially city boys. And this style was not yet declining to the extent of Fauntleroy suits. Sailor styles were still very popular. We see all kinds of permutations of the sailor style. They were worn by boys in primary (elementary) school to about 10 years old or about. This was younger than was common in Europe, especially in some continetral countries. We see older girls wearing sailor outfits, but not boys. There were also sailor dresses and blouses for the girls. Most boys in cities came to school in suits. Boys commonly wore regular suits and ties. We see both single-and double-breasted jackets. Many nod these sduits ewere some with small lapels.
Suspenders were widely worn in the 19th century. Belts were not common as a way to hold up pants. This is becuse pants at the time were cut much higher than is the case today. This made the belt rather impractical. Here we are talking about adults and older boys. Trousers were not commonly done with belts until well into the 20th century, they were not eveb done with belt loops. For younger boys belts were also not practical because they did not have pronounced hips to go along with belts. This is why button-on styling was so common with children, especially boys. Suspnders were not needed. And because girls mostly wore dresses, suspension was not an issue. Many American boys wore stocking suspenders which could also be used used to hold up pants. These were less common nin Europe which is why suspenders were so much more common for boys in Europe than in America. Thus suspenders were not worn with blouses. They were, however, needed with shirts. Shirts had shirt tails which meant that stocking suporters could not be used to hold up pants.
Almost all American boys wore knee pants to school in the 1900s dcade. This was a trend that began in the mid-19th century. Knee pants were virtually universal in the 1890s abd 1900s except in rural areas where long pants were more common than in urban areas. Many school portraits in the 1900s show all the boys wearing knee pants. They were even common with teenagers, except for the very oldest. This only began to change at the end of the decade. For some reason about 1908 we begin to see boys beginning to ewear earing knickers. Knickers suddenly became very popular. We see them in Britain during the late-19th century, but not very commonly in America. This change occurred very rapidly. ASnd we are not sure why. Some of the younger boys coninued to wear straight-leg knee pants. Most boys by 1910, however were wearing knickers. n exceotion was in rural areas abiut the smae time we begin to see a substantial number of boysd bginning to newrar overalls. Afain we have no idea why. Boys not wearing blouses or button-on clothes, commonly wore suspenders to hold up their pants. Belts were not yet very common. Bib-overalls were commonly worn by workers and we think farmers, although we are not positive about farmers. We do not see boys in rural areas wearing overalls. We rarely see them in school portraits until the end of the 1900s. Suddenly about 1908 we begin to see overalls in rural schools. This was about the sanme time tht knickers aopopeared in city schools. We only see overalls at the time in rural schools and they became virtually synomamous with hillbillies. We have no idea why this developed occured so suddenly or at the time.
Most scholl children, both boys and girls, wore long stockings which is readily apparent because boys so commonly wore knee pants. Black long stockings were especially common. There vwere colored stockings. It is a little dfficult to be sure about the color, but we mostly see dark colors and they were not all black. We believe black was the dominany colors. Some children, mostly girls, wore white long stockings, but the black and dark colors were much more common. Younger boys might wear white stockings. We rarely see any kind of hosiery besides long stockings. Socks wewre rare. Anerican hildren commonly wore stocking supporters to hold up the stockings. Long stockings were also commion in Europe, especially northrern Europe. There was one very significant exception to children wearing long stockings. Many boys came barefoot to school. Thus is something we do not see much in the 19th century because so much of the photograophy was studio photography for which mothers dressed up the children. Children going barefoot was very cimmon in the 19th century. We do not think that going barefoot was more common in the 1900s. We think that going barefoot was primarily an economic matter and thor prosperous the the opulation, the more children wore shoes. We do see more portaits of barefoot children studio ohotograohy which is something we do not understand. Here we mean regular portraits, not school pportraitsd. This is a phenoknenom we notice in the early 20th cedntyry, it tghen becomes rare agaiom in the 1920s
Children in the cities, both boys and girls, wore high-top shoes. High-tops were also worn by adults. We notice a shift from button shoes to lace-up shoes during the decade. although we still see some button shoes in the 1910s. We see sanbdals appearing at the end iof the decade, but we do not commonly see them at schools. In rural areas many boys in warm weather came to school barefoot.
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