Figure 1..--Here we see boys wearing overalls. We think it was a California school in the late-1930s. Overalls were very common at American schools with rural students during the 1910s-30s. These overalls look better done than the first boys' overalls we see in the late-1900s decade.

There are several different types of long pants worn to school. This has varied over time and from country to country. Notice that these different types of pants are not just types of long pants, but applied to many of the other pants lengths (shorts, knickers, and knee pants) as well). Button-on pants with drop fronts, were common in the 19th century. The most common type worn to school is dress pants. They were also called suit trousers, meaning pants worn for formal to semi-formal occassions. They are uually done in woven or suiting material and may or may not be part of a suit. These pants in the 20th century commonly open at the front with a zipper or buttons. Boys not wearing suits, normally wore slacks which are trousers which are not part of a suit. Less expensive materials are commonly used for boys' slacks such as drill, but more expensive than used for play wear. Dress pants or slacks were the type mostly used for school uniforms. These were normally straight pants, meaning is straight all along its length. There were also bell bottoms, but not commonlky worn to school, although fashion trends mean that we have seen them at schools. There were many variations dealing with suspension (belt loops), pleats, fly front, pockets, cuffs, and other features. Jeans are of American origin and made of a rough and thick material -- denim. They are characterized by double stitching lines all along the seams done in a thick thread. Jeans were once seen as unsuitable for school and unfashionble. This of course has changed, depending on the country. Denim in particular has become very fashionable. The first jeans to appear at school were overalls. Overalls also called dungarees are primarily an American garment. Fatigue trousers are another American style. They are military inspired pants, first worn by American soldiers in Vietnam war. Features include an inner drawstring and buttoned down cargo pockets. They are done in camouflage fabric.

Length

There are several different types of long pants worn to school. This has varied over time and from country to country. Notice that these different tyes of pants are not just types of long pants, but applied to many of the other pants lengths (shorts, knickers, and knee pants) as well).

Button-on

Button-on pants with drop fronts, were common in the 19th century. We see button-on pants in the 20th century, but were mostly a style for younger boys.

Dress Pants

The most common type worn to school is dress pants. They were also called suit trousers, meaning pants worn for formal to semi-formal occassions. They are uually done in woven or suiting material and may or may not be part of a suit. These pants in the 20th century commonly open at the front with a zipper or buttons. The transition from buttons to zippers began with children's clothes and was well acceped by the late-1930s. Dress pants were a little to be done with zippers than other types of pants.

Slacks

Boys not wearing suits, normally wore slacks which are trousers which are not part of a suit. Less expensive materials are commonly used for boys' slacks such as drill, but more expensive than used for play wear. Dress pants or slacks were the type mostly used for school uniforms. These were normally straight pants, meaning is straight all along its length. There were also bell bottoms, but not commonlky worn to school, although fashion trends mean that we have seen them at schools. There were many variations dealing with suspension (belt loops), pleats, fly front, pockets, cuffs, and other features.

Overalls

Overalls also called dungarees are primarily an American garment. The appeared in the mid-19th century, at first a hardwearing garment for miners. They were gradually adopted by factory workers as American industrailized and eventually by farmers as well. We are not sure just when they began to be adopted by farmers. It appears for some reason to be later than factory workers. They were not adopted to any extent by rural school children until the early-20th century. We are not sure why all of a sudden we begin to see farm children weaing overalls to school. Perhaps it was when farmers bedgan wedaring overalls. The best indicator as overalls as school wear is school portraits. And this allows us to precisely date when overalls began to appear in American schools--about 1908. Amrican children did not wear uniforms. Thus the clothing they are wearing in the school portraits are a good indicator of popular styles. We do not begin to notice them at schools until after the turn of the 20th century. We note a boy at at a rural Tennessee school in 1902 wearing what look like home-made overalls. This is the eatrliest indicator we have of school usage. Our assessment of school portraits suggest that overallswere not all that common at rural until about 1908. And that they were not worn at all at urban schools. It was not until the end of the decade, however, that we note them beng commonly worn to school and only at rural schools. We seem them being worn very commonly at rural schools through the 1930s and into the earl-40s. A good example is the Bellevue School in Illinois. We do not know why they suddenly became so common. Boys in rural America commonly went to school in overalls through the 1930s and into the early 40s. nd they akmost always wore long pants overalls.

Jeans

Jeans are of American origin and made of a rough and thick material -- denim. They are characterized by double stitching lines all along the seams done in a thick thread. Jeans were once seen as unsuitable for school and unfashionble. This of course has changed, depending on the country. Denim in particular has become very fashionable. The first jeans to appear at school were overalls. Overalls were not worn by city boys to school. But jeans without the bib-front became a school school standard.

Fatigue/Cargo Trousers

Fatigue trousers are another American style. They are military inspired pants, first worn by American soldiers in Vietnam war. Features include an inner drawstring and buttoned down cargo pockets. They are done in camouflage fabric.

Created: 2:51 AM 11/16/2018
Last updated: 10:48 AM 6/24/2019