Figure 1.--This 1955-56 class portrait from a French school in Algeria shows at least one boy wearing knickers. It was the last year boys at the school were noted wearing knickers. |
|
Some boys still wore knickers in the 1950s, but it was becoming increasingly less common and mostly primary school age boys. The pattern differed from country to country. We notice a few American boys wearing knickers in the early 1950s, but it was not very common and we no longer see knickers by the mid-1950s. Growing up in the late 1940s and earkly 50s, however, I never remember seeing them. As far as we can tell in America they were primarily worn as suit pants. Knickers were somewhat more common in Europe during the 1950s. They seem to have been especially popular in Scandinavia. We notice knivckers being worn in most of the Scaninavian countries during the 1950s. The pattern was different in Europe than America. Younger boys mostly wore shorts. We note younger secondary school boys in Italy wearing short pants and only a few boys wearing knickers. Boys wearing knickers were older boys who no longer wanted to wear shorts, but whose parents did not think they were quite ready for long pants. We do not notice knickers in England, but we have noted French and German boys wearing them. We notice them being worn in the mid-1950s, but they were clearly going out of style. School photographs around 1955-56 show some boys wearing knickers, but such images are quite rare by the late 1950s.
Some boys still wore knickers in the 1950s, mostly in Europe. The popularity of this style of pants had substantially declined. Knickers were becoming increasingly less common and mostly worn primary school age boys. They were seen as old fashioned in America. The situation in Europe was a little different. There were probably several factors involved here. Euroipe in r=the early 1950s were still recovering from the effect of World War II. The economic situation promoted frugality and disciouraged fashion spending, a situation which caused the persistence of older styles. Also in Europe, knickers had been seen as a kind of teenage garment and not associated with childhood as in America. There were oproibably some practgical features such as the suitability of knickers for skiing. This may explain their popularity in Scandinavia.
The pattern differed from country to country.
We notice a few American boys wearing knickers in the early 1950s, but it was not very common and we no longer see knickers by the mid-1950s. We notice knickers being advertized in clothing catalogs during the 1940s, especially the early 40s. We have not noted knickers in American clothing catalogs during the 1950s. Growing up in the late 1940s and earkly 50s, however, I never remember seeing them. As far as we can tell in America they were primarily worn as suit pants. Knickers were somewhat more common in Europe during the 1950s. The pattern was different in Europe than America. Younger European boys boys mostly wore shorts and knickrtrs were often seen as an appropriate style for teenagers.
A reader tells us, "Knickers were quite common in continental Europe for older boys and young men during the 1930s. They were in fact worn up through at least the 1950s in places like Austria and Denmark. I remember seeing university students in Copenhagen in the late 1950s wearing knickers with pullover sweaters. The style was popular with men under the age of 30 and lots of highschoolers wore them also. The Danish and Austrian style knickers were rather close-fitting and didn't have much blousing at the knees--no more than an inch."
We do not notice knickers in England.
We have noted French boys wearing them. We notice them being worn in the mid-1950s, but they were clearly going out of style. School photographs around 1955-56 show some boys wearing knickers, but such images are quite rare by the late 1950s. A lycee in French Algeria is a good example.
We note younger secondary school boys in Italy wearing short pants and only a few boys wearing knickers. One example is the Liceo Foscarini located in Venice. Boys wearing knickers were older boys who no longer wanted to wear shorts, but whose parents did not think they were quite ready for long pants.
They seem to have been especially popular in Scandinavia. We notice knickers being worn in most of the Scaninavian countries during the 1950s, perhaps less so in Denmark. School portraits during the the 1950s quite coimmonly show at least some boys wearing knickers. We note a Swedish school in 1952.
Another example is a Swedish schoo in 1955. Here the girls are also wearing knickers and one boy has rollked up his long pants to knicker length. We wonder if this is not associated with the popularity oif skiing in these countriues. Knickers have some oractical advantages over long pants for skiers
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Cloth and textiles]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Topics]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Satellite sites]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
Navigate the Historic Boys ' Clothing Web chronol ogical pages:
[The 1900s]
[The 1910s]
[The 1920s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web style pages:
[Retturn to the Main knickers chronology page]
[Jackets]
[Long pants suits]
[Blazers]
[Kilts]
[Sailor suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Ring bearer/page costumes]
[Eton suits]