Figure 1.-- This photograph shows Bill Matthews (class of 1933) 2 years before he graduated--i.e., in 1931. Bill is only 16 in this photograph although the glasses make him look a bit older. Notice that his tweed knickers are more like plus-fours of the sort that were popular with adult golfers, but I suspect that his parents still were not permitting him to wear longies. The decision about when a boy was allowed to graduate to longies rested pretty much with his parents even though WRA is a boarding school and quite a few boys came from other states. The school had no specific uniforms, but dress codes, which didn't specify whether a boy should wear knickers or longies, were fairly strictly enforced. Boys, for instance, had to wear shirts and ties to meals and to class. In this photo, Bill Matthews seems to be heading for the gym with what looks like some sort of athletic garment over his arm. I haven't been able to figure out exactly what he is carrying. Notice the sleevless sweater, the open-necked white shirt, and the beige stockings worn with the knickers. These could have been long over-the-knee stockings (which some boys wore with knickers) or unpatterned knee socks. Image courtesy of WRA.

During normal classes boys had to wear jackets and ties with their knickers or long trousers but there was no formal uniform. The requirement was only a suit. It was up to the boys and their parents as to what kind of suit. I do not think boys wore short pants suits, although our information on the 1920s is limited. Most boys wore knickers in the 1920s, but by the 1930s many of the older boys and even some of the younger boys were wearing long pants. Many younger boys were still wearing knickers in the early 1940s, but theu rapidly went out of style during the War years (1941-45).

The 1920s

Almost all the younger boys wore knickers in the 1920s. They were not required by the school, but most of the parents thought them approprite for boys. A photograph shows a group of WRA boys standing in front of a heavily foliaged building, the Loomis Observatory, in 1929. These boys belonged to the Western Reserve Academy Astronomy Club. They look like Freshman (called "Frosh" then), which would make them about 14 uears old. Here knickers are virtually universal although one boy may be wearing long trousers. It is hard to tell what kind of pants the boy standing next to the boy at the extreme right is wearing. This boy also wears a WRA beanie whereas the others are all bare-headed. Many private schools had a tradition that required the new boys to wear a beanie for a time as part of an initiation ritual. Perhaps this is one of those beanies, although we are not sure. Some of the boys here wear cardigan or pullover sweaters with their shirts and ties whereas other boys wear suits. Note the hosiery of the boys wearing knickers. Some boys wear patterned knee socks which appear to have cuffs whereas others wear the somewhat more formal plain beige stockings.

The 1930s

Knickers were commonly worn in the 1930s, although by the late 30s they were increasinglty being worn by the younger boys as the popularity over the decade declined. The school archivist has supplied several photographs from the 1930s. A photograph shows two boys at a cabin in the north woods near the school in 1930. The boys seem to be about 16 or 17. Note that one still wears a knicker suit with plain colored stockings while his friend wears long trousers and a casual jacket. Both boys, however, wear formal shirts and ties even though they are in the woods. Here we see a 16-year old Bill Matthews in a knicker suit (figure 1).

The 1940s

Some bous still wore knickers in the early 1940s. This was especially common for boys from conservative families. The archivist at WRA has provided showing boys wearing knickers in the eraly 40s. The archivist points out that during World War II knickers rather quickly went out of style. A HBC reader tells us, "When I arrived there in 1940-41 about half the boys wore knickers, but long pants gradually became the usual dress by about 1943 as I recall. But a few boys still wore knickers up until the time I graduated in 1945. You will note that in the image here (I'm not sure of the precise date--I guessed about 1944 but it could well have been earlier)--three of the boys are wearing knickers). The other boys, who have taken off their trousers, must have all been wearing long pants because they wear men's garters which were never of course worn with knee socks and knickers. So I'd say about 50 percent or more in 1940-41 and only about 10 percent by 1945. But of course age was involved. [HBC note: This corresponds with HBC's assessment, that knickers were still quite common in te 1930s, but declined very rapidly during World War II.] Boys entered the school at about 13 or 14. A lot of these boys wore knickers. But by the time they reached 16-17, they changed to long trousers. Knickers were more common in the first 2 years. In the final 2 years they were much less common. Almost none of the graduating boys wore knickers because by then they were 17 or 18. Knickers had pretty well died out entirely by 1945 as I recall, but perhaps a few of the younger boys still wore them. Many of the boys came from quite conservative families politically, and this may have translated into conservative clothing styles also--i.e., wearing knickers up until about 16. No long stockings at all. That was a change for me, because I had worn them before I entered the school at about 13. Knee socks were worn with knickers but more plain colors than patterns (if I remember correctly)--blues, greys, browns. I think some patterned knee socks were worn but not the ones with such prominent patterns. Most boys wore round garters to keep up knee socks because the socks wouldn't stay up on their own and socks falling down was considered a no-no and rather "lower class". The boys already had these round garters because they needed them for their soccer socks. Mostly they were just rounds of ordinary elastic, often sewed by their mothers and with a name tag stitched in so they wouldn't get lost in the laundry. The grown up thing, of course, was to wear long trousers with shorter socks held up with adult men's garters. These, as the illustration I sent you shows, fasten around the bare leg underneath the knee and have a supporter fastener suspended from the elastic band to attach to the top of the sock. Nearly all boys wore these the minute they got their long pants because sloppy socks around the ankles was very unfashionable and no bare leg was supposed to show when you sat down or crossed your legs. Suspenders were worn a lot too--but usually more with long trousers than with knickers. But most boys wanted to be photographed in long pants during this period. It was after all during World War II and many boys faced being drafted upon graduation (as I myself was)."

The 1950s

As far as I know, by the 1950s all boys were wearing long pants suits.

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Created: April 22, 2004
Last updated: April 22, 2004