Knickers: Color


Figure 1.--This wealthy American family was photographed in the late 1920s. The boy, who looks to be about 10 years old, wears a sport jacket with white knickers. Note that he does not wear white stockings or kneesocks with them.

Knickers were usually dark colors. In America brown was a particularly common color. This was certainly true of the knickers that came with suits which were generally dark, sibsued colors. HBC has noted that brown was a common color of the knickers worn by American boys. HBC has noted Ameican boys wearing white knickers during the summer, commonly with a sports jacket. This was rather a sporty costume worn by boys from affluent families. I do not know if white knickers were common in any other country. HBC has noted American boys wearing them beginning about the mid 1929s, but they were not much worn after the early 1920s. Most mothers, of course, wouldn't think of white knickers for their sons. White knickers were also worn with white sailor suits, but were no as common as long pants, kneeapnts, pr short pants. The darker colors were much more practical for knickers because active boys would soon get his pants dirty and the darker colors would not show the dirt so obviously as white knickers.






Christopher Wagner




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Created: August 2, 1998
Last edited: November 20, 2001