Figure 1.--This school portait shows a priomsry (elenmentary) school photograph. The children look like 4th graders, about 10 year olds. It looks to us like a California school because there are a few Mexican and Asian faces. The fact that so many boys are wearing overalls suggests that the school was in a farming area. We would guess the photograph was taken in the late-1930s, perhaps even the very early-40s. There are several clues suggesting the late-30s. The overalls are better made than the overalls we see in the 1910s. We only see one boy wearing knickers, and they are the knit cuffed hem type. In additin he is wearing them with bkle socks. The boys look to be earing low-cut oxfords. None of the girls are wearing hair bows. One boy wears a plaid jacket. Three boys wears short-sleeved shirts. We mostly see white shirts. The girls mostly wear short-sleeved dresses. One girl wears a sailor blouse and skirt. We don't see many blouses and skirts. The only information on the portrait is the name of one of the boys--Robert McSpadden

Boys' pants were quite diverse in the 1930s. The youngest boys in primary school might dress in short pants. Most boys wore knickers and by the end of the decade long pants, often with sweaters when the weather turned cool. Usually only the younger boys wore shorts although there were some regional differences. There were also social class diiferences. Boys in the South or from well-to-do families were more likely to wear short pants. There were also seasonal differences. One of the most popular style in the 1930s was corduroy knickers. Knickers were the dominant pants at the beginning of the decade, but steadily declined in popularity as the decade progressed. We see more and younger boys weaing long pants. Long pants gradually became more common during the 30s, even for younger boys. So we see many primary boys wearing long pants by the end of the decade. While we see fewer suits, children were expected to dress properly for school. Neither boys or girls wore jeans which were beginning to become popular as playwear, especially with boys as a result of movie westerns. An exception here were rural boys, they did not wear jeans, but they commonly came to school in overalls. Overalls had a bib-front, but were a type od pants.This began in the late-1900s deccade and continued durung the 1930s. Overalls generally disappeared in the early-40s as many rural residents began to get factory jobs in th city -- part of the World War II Arsenal of Democracy. By the end of the War (1945), we no longer see significant differences between the clothing worn by city and rural boys.

Diversity

Boys' pants were quite diverse in the 1930s. The youngest boys in primary school might dress in short pants. Most boys wore knickers and by the end of the decade long pants, often with sweaters when the weather turned cool. Conventions were changing in the 1930s so we see quite a range of the pants that mothers were selected for their sons. And the best record of this is the countless school portraits being taken. Boys mostly wore knickers in the 1920s and this was still the case in the early-1930s. Younger boys might wear short pants. By the 1930s, shorts were becoming a seasonal garment so we see fewer during the Winter even for younger boys. Knickers were still very common, although by the end of the decade declining in popularity. Another development by the late-30s is boys wearing knickers with ankel socks rather than knee socks. Long pants became increasingly popular as the decade progressed. As a result by the end of the decade we see large numbers of boys, including some younger boys wearing boys, wearing long pants. This diversity was less apparent in rural areas, where boys mostly wore bib-front overalls. These virtually all involved long pants. We don't see rural boys wearing short pants bib-overalls.

Age Trends

Usually only the younger boys wore shorts although there were some regional differences.

Social Class

There were also social class diiferences. The major difference here concerned pants. Boys in the South or from well-to-do families were more likely to wear short pants to school. We are not entirely sure why. perhaops a greater imopact of European fashion.

Seasonality

There were also seasonal differences. One of the most popular style in the 1930s was corduroy knickers. This was a major school garment, especially in the Fall when the temperatures bgan to fall. This of coutse was shortrly after September when school began.

Decadanal Shift

Knickers were the dominant pants at the beginning of the decade, but steadily declined in popularity as the decade progressed. We see more and younger boys weaing long pants. Long pants gradually became more common during the 30s, even for younger boys. So we see many primary boys wearing long pants by the end of the decade. While we see fewer suits, children were often expected to dress properly for school.

Regional Differences

We see notable regioinal differences in pants during the 1930s. The primary duifference was that boys in the Southern states tended to wear short pants more than in the North. This of course was due to he warmer weather in the South. The difference between the Souther states and the far northern states was substantial. And of course this was before home and school air conditioning. Winter weather in the 30s were longer and summer-weather shorter than is the case today. Which may have affected wearing shorts to school. And in America, most of the school year is during the realtively cool Fall, winrer, and soring months,. This didn't affect knickers much because worn with knee socks they were as warm as long pants. Of course there were other factors involved, especially the fact that older boys did not want to dress like little boys. But reguonality was clear a factor as it can be obssrved in the photograohic record. We only observe this in the elementary schools. This was only the boys. Girls continued wearing dresses and to a lesser extent skirts to school. Boys in the South commonly had short pants for summer wear. Some school-age boys in the North did not have short pants.

Rural Schools

There were still major differences between urban and rural schools in America during the 1930s. This was especially true of boys pants. Neither boys or girls werre yet wearing jeans which were just beginning to become popular as playwear, especially with boys as a result of movie westerns. An exception here were rural boys, they did not wear jeans, but they commonly came to school in overalls. Overalls had a bib-front, but were a type od pants.This began in the late-1900s deccade and continued durung the 1930s. Overalls generally disappeared in the early-40s as many rural residents began to get factory jobs in the city -- part of the World War II Arsenal of Democracy. By the end of the War (1945), we no longer see significant differences between the clothing worn by city and rural boys.

Hosiery

There was a drmatic change in hosiery in the early 20th-century mostly wore long stockings or after World War I we begin to see knee socks (1920s). We know this because most boys wore knee pants (1900s), knickers (1910s), and to a lesser extent, short pants (1920s). So we can seev the hosieryb that they were wearing. Boys began tob wear long pants (1930s, but knickers and short pants were still common. And we begin to see both bioys anf girls wearing ankle socks. We ee see bnoys weauing ankle socks with knickers. We can not see the hosiery wirn wirh klong pabnts, but mostly it woukd have been ankle socks.

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Created: 10:27 PM 11/15/2018
Last updated: 6:15 PM 8/26/2024