Figure 1.--This European boy looks to be wearing a "T" shirt with knitted shorts. I'm not sure what country this, but may be France. Hopefully our European readers can recognize the country. I m not sure anout the date, perhaps the late 1940s. A French reader believes that the late-1950s is more likely. Click on the image for a fuller discussion.

We do not think that knit shorts were very popular in America, other than for babies. That is my initial assessment, our American readrs may have further comments. We have, however, noted them being worn in Europe. They appear to have been especially popular in Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. A French reader writes, "There were numerous magazine advertisements after World War II for wool knit shorts sets, mostly for boys 2-6 years old." We believe that they were worn in several other European countries as well. They were probably worn in England, Italy and Spain, but our information here is very limited. We also notice Japanese boys wearing them. Hopefully our European and Japanese readers will provide some additional information here.

America

We do not think that knit shorts were very popular in America, other than for babies. That is my initial assessment, our American readrs may have further comments.

Belgium

England

A British reader writes, "I remember my youger brother wearing a knitted shorts set when he was about 3 or 4. I don't think they had belonged to me or my older brother - they'd probably been hand-made by the old lady I told you about who was always knitting our jumpers. I remember these because he didn't want to wear them and my mum was fighting to get him dressed while me and my older brother fought over our school clothes. They were of light-blue wool and buttoned on to the matching jacket - certainly at the back, I'm not sure about the front and they were elasticated at the legs. It was around the Summertime so he wasn't wearing a lot else with the suit. Whether he didn't like all the buttoning up - the jacket had buttons too - or just wanted to be dressed like me and my brother ( he hadn't started school yet) I don't know and I'm not sure if my mum made him wear it much again but I remember what a fuss he made over it that morning and me being worried that we would be late for school." -- Bill

France

Knitted shorts were often worn as sets with matching or contrasting tops. A French reader writes, "There were numerous magazine advertisements after World War II for wool knit shorts sets, mostly for boys 2-6 years old." Another French reader believes the boy here may be French, probably in the 1950s. Our reader writes, "In the 1940s, this sort of tee shirt didn't exists in France. One can see it after the middle 1950s. This image could have been taken in France during the late 1950s. Knitted shorts often worn as sets (in french = ensemble ) were very popular for little boys age 2-6 years old. Until the 1960s, they were commonly worn with a sweater for playing outdoors. Boys under 2 years of age rarely wore these sets. They were dressed in rompers, wool rompers during the winter. So the little boy like the little girl had their little legs in open air, but the head coved with a bonnet nd the feet coved by wool kneesocks." Older boys wore knit shorts as well. One magazine in the 1950s offered knit shorts for boys 5-8 years of age. There may have beem knit shorts for boys even older, but ththy were mostly for boys under 8 years of age.

Germany

Italy

Japan

We also notice Japanese boys wearing them.

(The) Netherlands

Spain

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Created: January 5, 2004
Last updated: January 6, 2004