Figure 1.--These boys are 6-years old and wearing matching tams for their first day of school. The image is undated, but we think it was taken in the 1900s. For more informaion, about their first day of school portrait, click on the image.

We note some German boys wearing tams. German boys in the late-19th century and at the turn-of-the 20th century, like many European boys, at the time also wore tams. I do not know what the German term for tams was. We note that the French called them Scottish berets, the Germans may have done this also. We are unsure how common tams were, but we have noted a few images of German boys wearing them. They were worn by primary school age boys. As far as we can tell the tams worn by German boys had poms and streamers as was the case. We are not sure about the colors. The available shows a black or very dark-colored tam. I think they were worn by both boys and girls, but cannot yet confirm this. We note being worn in the early 20th century before World War I (1914-18). We believe they were also worn in the late 19th century. They were worn with a variety of outfits. We note German boys wearing tams up to about 10 years of age. We see one unidentified younger boy wearing a tam with his sailor suit about 1910. His brothers wear student caps. The boys here wear tams with single- and double-breasted suits (figure 1). You can tell that they were 6-years old and just beginning school. They both are holding their school gift cones.

Chronology

We note some German boys wearing tams. We are not entirely sure about the chronology yet, but the time frame seems relatively narrow. Based on the photographic record we see them about 1880-1910. We note tams in the late-19th century by the 1880s. We can confirm that boys wore them in the 1880s. They may have appeared earlier, but our archive is not extensive enough yet to confirm this. We are not yet sure how common they were in the late-19th century, but we have found several examples. We note them at the turn-of-the 20th century. We also note them being worn in the early-20th century before World War I (1914-18). The boys here look to have been photographed in the 1900s (figure 1). We do not see German boys boys wearing tams after the War. We do, however, see quite a number of German boys wearing berets in the inter-War era and even in the 1950s after World War II.

Terminology

I do not know what the German term for tams was. We note that the French called them Scottish berets, the Germans may have done this also. As the beret is a relted garment, this may have been the term used.

Popularity

We are unsure how common tams were, but we have noted a few images of German boys wearing them. We note other European boys tam as well. We are not yet sure if they were particulasrly popular in Germany. We do not see large numbers of boys wearing them, but we do see some examples in the photographic record.

Age

They were worn by primary school age boys. We note German boys wearing tams, perhaps up to about 10 years of age. You can tell that they the boys here wearing tams were were about 6-years old and just beginning school. They both are holding their school gift cones for the first day of school.

Styles

We note various styles of berets. Some were rounded. Others were done in straight sections sewn together.

Poms and Streamers

As far as we can tell the tams worn by German boys had poms and streamers as was the case in other countries. The poms are easy to identify. They were done in various sizes. We are not sure about the pom colors. The streamers are more complicated as almost all the available inmages are frontal portraits.

Colors

We are not sure about the colors. The available images we hasve fojnd show boys wearing black or dark-colored tams.

Social Class

We believe that tams in Germany were primarily worn by boys from relatively affluent families. This would mean middle-class and upper-class families. We believe tams were much less common with working-class families. This is strongly suggested by the photographic record. The boys we see wearing tams seem smartly dressed in fashionable outfits.

Gender

We think they were worn by both boys and girls, but cannot yet confirm this. We are not sure how common they were for girls. We believe thast the age conventions for firls were different than fior boys.

Accompanying Outfits

Tams were worn with a variety of outfits. We see one unidentified younger boy wearing a tam with his sailor suit about 1910. His brothers wear student caps. The boys here wear tams with single- and double-breasted suits (figure 1).