Figure 1.--Here we see an unidented school portrait. It looks to be a schoolmin a small tiwn. The boys wear both regular garments and overalls. All the boys in front, exceot for one wears overalls. only one boy wears knickers and black long stockings. The girls all wear dresses along with long stockings. This allsuggests the 1920s, although the very early-30s is possible.

Overalls had been worn in America since the mid-19th century. They were a garment for men working in mining and subsequently in factories. They also began being worn by farmers, but we are not sure just when. But as far as we can tell, they were not being worn by boys in the 19th century. We have many portraits from small rural schools, but don't see boys wearing them to any extent to school in the 19th century. We believe that is a good indicator that boys in general were not yet wearing them. We have 19th century school portraits, but school photography only became a well-established tradition in the 1880s. And by that time, examples of overalls being worn should have show up by then if they were common. We have considerable information on American 19th century schools We also have information on individual 19th century schools. And we we just do not see school children wearing overalls. All this changed in the 20th century. And we see it at individual schools And this occurred almost entirely at rural schools. As best we can tell, overalls only became a major American school garment in the late-1900s decade. This is when we begin to see them at school. We are not sure why children, almost entirely boys, suddenly began wearing them to school. We see very few children wearing overalls to school in the early- and mid-1900s decade. Suddenly we see quite a number of boys wearing them in the late-1900s, but only at rural schools. This is the same time for some reason we see knickers appearing and replacing knee pants. This was mostly at urban schools. We see lots of overalls, but rarely knickers. And by the early-1910s we see large numbers of boys wearing overalls at rural schools. They were sturdy, practical and inexpensive. Overalls were very common American school wear during the 1910s-30s and we still see in the early-40s, but only at rural schools. We note countless examples of these rural schools with the boys wearing overalls. We do not see them at city schools. There was a stark difference between rural and city schools. We do see them, however, at small towns in rural areas. Overalls declined in popularity during the 1940s as differences between urban and rural children began to disappear. States were closing small rural schools and consolidating them for financial purposes. At the same time farm income was rising. And many farm people good paying jobs at munition factories during the War. Many wanted to keep factory jobs. It is at this time, after World War II in the late-40s when jeans appeared. Jeans proved popular with children, even girls began wearing them.--although at first to a lesser extent. Farm kids on the other hand no longer wanted to wear overalls, especially at school--they would have been teased as being hicks.

The 19th Century

Overalls had been worn in America since the mid-19th century. Overalls and photography in America appeared at basically the same time (1840s), They were a garment for men working in mining and subsequently in factories. They also began being worn by farmers, but we are not sure just when. But as far as we can tell, they were not being worn by boys in the 19th century. Here our major source is school photography. But while photography appeared in the 1840s, it took some time for school photography to develop. Early photography was mostly studio photography. This meant for the most part small facilities in the cities. America was still a very rural country with most people living in rural areas. While individuals could go into the city to have a portrait taken, bringing school children as a group into town was impossible. And even city school children could not be brought to a studio. In America, the first great leap outside the studio was the Civil War (1861-65). And gradually we began to see photographers became more mobile and are able to go to the schools (1870s), eventually even schools in remote rural areas. Thus we begin to see a significant photographic record developing of American schools, including some from small rural schools. But we don't see boys wearing overalls to any extent to school in the 19th century. We believe that is a good indicator that boys in general were not yet wearing them. We have 19th century school portraits, but school photography only became a well-established tradition in the 1880s. And by that time, examples of overalls being worn should have show up by then if they were common. We have considerable information on American 19th century schools. We also have information on individual 19th century schools. And we we just do not see school children wearing overalls.

The 20th Century

All this changed in the 20th century. Unlike the 19th century, there is an enormous photographic record of American schools throughout the 20th century. And we see it at individual schools. And this occurred almost entirely at rural schools. While the change in American school wear 20th century was dramatic, but not right at the turn-of-the 20th century. As best we can tell, overalls only became a major American school garment in the late-1900s decade. This is when we begin to see them at school. And at the same time city boys began switching from knee pants to knickers. And we are not yet sure why such major changes occurred and in such a short time frame. We are not sure why children, almost entirely boys, suddenly began wearing overalls to school. It dies not appear to have been an economic matter. The 1910s were boom years for American farmers. We see very few children wearing overalls to school in the early- and mid-1900s decade. Suddenly we see quite a number of boys wearing them in the late-1900s, but only at rural schools. Before this you could not tell if you were looking at rural or city school children, unless you could see their school in the background. After this,m it was easy to tell just by looking at how they were dressed. This is the same time for some reason we see knickers appearing and replacing knee pants. This change was mostly at urban schools and you generally don't see rural kids wearing knickers. We see lots of overalls, but rarely knickers. And by the early-1910s we see large numbers of boys wearing overalls to school throughout rural America. It is understandable, overalls were sturdy, practical and inexpensive. While economic conditions boomed in the 1910s, they crashed in the 1920s and 30s. Rural areas experienced a depression a decade before urban areas. A part of the equation is that school children, especially rural children were less likely to be dressed up for school as had been the case in the 19th century. Overalls were very common as American school wear during the 1910s-30s and we still see in the early-40s, but only at rural schools. We note countless examples of these rural schools with the boys wearing overalls. We do not see them at city schools. There was a stark difference between rural and city schools. We do see them, however, at small towns in rural areas. Overalls declined in popularity during the 1940s as differences between urban and rural children began to disappear. States were closing small rural schools and consolidating them for financial purposes. At the same time farm income was rising. And many farm people good paying jobs at munition factories during World War II. Many wanted to keep factory jobs. It is at this time, after World War II in the late-40s when jeans appeared at school. Jeans proved popular with children, even girls began wearing them.--although at first to a lesser extent. This was in part because of Hollywood as well as World War II. American kids began seeing their cowboy movie heroes wearing jeans, but never bib-front overalls. At the same time, the military during the War began issuing jeans for work wear. Even before the War, states began closing down small rural schools and bussing farm children to town schools. And the farm kids involved no longer wanted to wear overalls, especially at school--they would have been teased as hicks. Jeans appeared in primary schools as boys wear (1950s) and despite some resistance by school authorities finally in high schools (1960s). Girls were slower to adopt jeans, but when they did designer jeans appeared (1970s). Overalls made the transition from utilitarian rural wear, to hig fashion city wear.

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Created: 12:09 AM 6/2/2023
Last updated: 12:22 AM 12/11/2023