Figure 1.--This is how I recall my school years in the late-1940s and early-50s , except for all the trees in the school yard and the boys wearing knickers. Growing up in Washington, D.C. I don't recall ever seeing boys wearing knickers. (My nrother had a oair jusrt before I arrived in 1943. I never had a pair. There may, however, been regional differences. Notice that the boy here is wearing them with ankle socks even though the photograph was taken during the winter. A younger boy at left may also be wearing knickers, although that is not real clear. There are also two boys wearing knickers in the far background. This suggests to us that the photograph wasctaken in the kate-40s rarher than the eraky-50s.

Although knickers had once been pervasive for boys, they declined in popularity very quickly in the early-1940s. It is unclear to HBC just why this major fashion shift occurred so abruptly. Knickers passed from the boys' fashion scene aburptly in the early-1940s, apparently a casualty of the War. The popularity nof kniockers were declining even before the War, but essentially disappered during the War. We still see them in 1942, but not very commomly by 1945. We see this in the popular mail order catalogs. Wards and Sears catalogues for the 1940-45 period show just how quickly knickers disappeared from the clothing scene. A persusal of a Wards or Sears catalog as late as 1940 and 41 will show a wide variety of knickers and knicker suits. Catalogs by 1945 rarely show knickers. This is another example of the sometimes unforseen impact of war and social upheaval on fashion. Disappeared may be slightly too strong a word. Knickers were no longer an important fashion choice for boys. I was born in 1943 and do not recall ever seeing them. And they are notably absent from the photographic record, but we do see an occadional boy wearing knickers in the post-war era, mostly the late-1940s. Any commonly they ere wirn with ankle socks rather than knee socks. There are a few boys wearing knuckers in theearly-1950s, but it had become very rare.

Late-1940s (1945-49)

Although knickers had once been pervasive for boys, they declined in popularity very quickly in the early-1940s. It is unclear to HBC just why this major fashion shift occurred so abruptly. Knickers passed from the boys' fashion scene aburptly in the early-1940s, apparently a casualty of the War. The popularity nof kniockers were declining even before the War, but essentially disappered during the War. We still see them in 1942, but not very commomly by 1945. We see this in the popular mail order catalogs. Wards and Sears catalogues for the 1940-45 period show just how quickly knickers disappeared from the clothing scene. A persusal of a Wards or Sears catalog as late as 1940 and 41 will show a wide variety of knickers and knicker suits. Catalogs by 1945 rarely show knickers. This is another example of the sometimes unforseen impact of war and social upheaval on fashion. Disappeared may be slightly too strong a word. Knickers were no longer an important fashion choice for boys. I was born in 1943 and do not recall ever seeing them. There may have been regional differences. I grew up in Wasjington D.C., esentially a sourgern city. They may have been more common in the north, especially states along the Canadian border. And they are notably absent from the photographic record, but we do see an occadional boy wearing knickers in the post-war era, mostly the late-1940s. And commonly they ere worn with ankle socks rather than knee socksm exceot for formal occassions.

Early-1950s (1950-55)

There are a few boys wearing knickers in the early-1950s, but it had become very rare. We have found very few examples in the ophotographic record.

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:
[Jackets] [Long pants suits] [Blazers] [Kilts] [S ailor suits] [Short pants suits]
[Ring bearer/page costumes] [Eton suits]

Created: 1:42 PM 11/19/2019
Last edited: 9:23 PM 5/31/2020