Figure 1.--This American boy is on his front porch. He looks like he is off to a music lesson. He weas a double breastd knickers suit. The photograph looks like it w taken about 1915. He wears high-top shoes with long black stockings. Image courtesy ofthe CF collection. Click on the image for a more detailed discussion of the image. |
Knickers were worn with several different types of clothes. Knickers have been worn with many styles of suits. The earliest was probably the Norfolk jacket. Knickers were being worn commonly by boys with various forms of stylish suits by the 1880s,
perhaps earlier. Tunics were popular for boys' wear during much of the
19th century. While tunics changed little, the pants worn with them did change and varied from long pants, pantalettes, bloomers, and knickers. Most Fauntleroy suits were worn with knee pants or after World War I with short pants. It wa s less common to wear knicker Fauntleroy suits, probably because knickers had the cachet of being a sporting styke, not quite proper for formal party clothes like a Fauntleroy suit. The proper sailor suit was worn with long pants. As kneepants became establish wear for boys in the 1870s, most sailor suits were worn with knee pants. The same transition occured in the 1920s when sailor suits were commonly worn with short pants in Europe. In America where knickers were more common, sailor suits were commonly worn with knickers. Boys by the 1920s were dressing more casually. Suits
were increasingly reserved for formal occaions. Increasingly boys, especially American boys, would wear knickers and a simple shirt, perhaps with a sweater during the colder months. This would be the common atire of American boys in the years before jeans.
Knickers have been worn with many styles of suits. The earliest was probably the Norfolk jacket. Knickers were being worn
commonly by boys with various forms of stylish suits by the 1880s,
perhaps earlier. By the end of the decade quite old boys might wear
knicker suits. This continued through the 1930s, although the age
for wearing knicker suits gradually declined. Knicker suits were made
in both single and double breasted styles. Norfolk jackets continued to be popular with knicker suits.
Tunics were popular for boys' wear during much of the
19th century. While tunics changed little, the pants worn with them
did change and varied from long pants,
pantalettes, bloomers, and knickers. A good example of wearing knickers with tunics is the
Tennyson family in the 1860s. Mrs. Tennyson had a penchant for tunics and her two sons after
energing from dresses, spent much of their childhood in tunics. At first they wore them with pantalettes, but by about 7 years of age began wearing knickers.
Most Fauntleroy suits were worn with knee pants or after World War I with short pants. It wa s less common to wear knicker Fauntleroy suits, probably because knickers had the cachet of being a sporting styke, not quite proper for formal party clothes like a Fauntleroy suit.
The proper sailor suit was worn with long pants. As kneepants became establish wear for boys in the 1870s, most sailor suits were worn with knee pants. The same transition occured in the 1920s when sailor suits were commonly worn with short pants in Europe. In America where knickers were more common, sailor suits were commonly worn with knickers.
Boys by the 1920s were dressing more casually. Suits
were increasingly reserved for formal occaions. Increasingly boys, especially American boys, would wear knickers and a simple shirt, perhaps with a sweater during the colder months. This would be the common atire of American boys in the years before jeans. (Actually
blue jeans were invented
in the 1850s, one of the aftermaths of the California gold rush, but they were not commonly worn by urban boys until the late 1940s.) Knickers were mostly with patterened kneesocks or by the 1920s with ankle socks during the summer. Boys also commonly went barefoot in the summer, especially in the country.
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