Figure 1.--The term 'Knickerbocker'shortened to knickers was an American creation. It was the British, however, who firstr adoped the pants as a major style for boys in the second half of the 19th century. American boys more commonly wore straight-leg knee pants. For some unknown reason this suddently changed in the earky 20th century when British boys began wearing short pants and American boys wearing knickers. Here we see an unidentified English boy. It clearly is a new suit, we supect his school uniform. The portrait is undated, we would guessit was taken in the 889s. The studio was Wright & Co. in Blackburn.

We have not been able to find a good, clear account of the origins of knickerbockers or knickers as Americans call them. We have a good idea as to the development of the terminology, but not the actual fashions. We assumed at first that they kneepants and knickers evolved from the kneebreeches that were worn in the 18th and early 19th century. This may have been the case, but we note that for several decades in the 19th century, boys mostly wore long pants, thus the relatiinship seems unclear to us. Also we made the mistake when began HBC to lump two types of garments together and call them knickers. We believe that this may be a mistake. We notice boys in the mid-19th century wearing short length pants with elasticized leg openings. These garments which we call bloomer knickers were commonly worn by younger boys with with tunics. They were different from the pantalettes also worn with tunics in that they were a suit made of the same material. We see them with both tunics and fancy suits of various designs like Zouave suit. Boys did not wear these bloomer knickers We think that there evolution may be related to that of bloomers. The garment that we more commonly think of as knickerbockers/knickers we begin to see much later. We have not yet worked out the chronology, which may in fact differ among countries. Our preliminary assessment is that knickers as part of men's and boy's suits began to be widely worn in the 1880s. Unlike the bloomer knickers discussed above, the knickers that appeared in the 1880s were not just worn by little boys. We see contry squires or sportsmen (hunters) wearing them, often with Norfolk jackets. In America baseball players begun wearing them. They were also popular with cyclists because the short length legs did not get caught in bycicle chains. Schools boys also began wearing them, but here we are not yet sure of the chronology.

Information Needed

We have not been able to find a good, clear account of the origins of knickerbockers or knickers as Americans call them. If readers know of a good historical account, we would be interested in pertinent citations.

Dutch Connection

We see pants that look rather like knickers in the 17th century. They rather disappeared in the 18th century when men and boys commonly wore knee breeches. Apparently the Dutch were known for wearing loose, voluminous trousers. We are not sure about Dutch-Americans. The term "knickerbocker' was the creation of American novelist Washington Irving, who borrowed the name of a Dutch neighbor. While Irving wrote a history of New York, an Englishman, famed illustrator George Crushank drew the illustrtions. We are not sure if we was depicting the nearby Dutch or Dutch Americans. We are unsure ablout Dutch fashions. We think these voluminous trouswrs may have been more folk dress than fashionable clothing. It was a style we see Dutch boys wearing into the 20th century.

Terminology

We have a good idea as to the development of the terminology. The term Knickerbockers was originally the term to describe the Dutch settlers who first populated the New York area in the 1600s. It eventually became the term used to describe the style of pants that these Dutch settlers wore. The pants were rolled by the knee and became known as "Knickerbockers" which became shortened as "Knickers". The figure of the Dutch settler became symbolized by the figure of "Father Knickerbocker" in full Dutch outfit of cotton wig, three cornered hat, buckled shoes, and knickers. I am not sure when the term "knickerbocker" was first used to describe the pants. Washington Irving's History of New York <1809) was written under the fictitious name of Diedrich Knickerbocker which helped to popularize the term in to popular mind. We are less clear as to when knickerbokers began to be used with the sence of shortened leg, baggy trousers. Apparently by the 1830s "Knickerbocker" in New York was used to describe the quaint Dutch-descended New Yorkers who still had old-fashioned customs including long-stemmed pipes and knee-breeches even though other New Yorkers were wearing long trousers. Several sources tie the work of the English artist George Cruikshank’s illustrations to Washington Irving’s book Knickerbockers History of New York as playing the major role in associating the term knickerbockers with shortenened length bloucy pants. The "New York Knickerbockers" were a social and athletic club organized on Manhattan's (Lower) East Side in 1842. Their favorire passtime was baseball. The Knickerbockers did not at first wear knickers, but early baseball teams also caps appropriate from English schoolboys playing cricket. Other terms appeared for knickers, such as "plus fours", meaning knickers made with extra material to blouse out more. The British before World War II (1939-45) used the term "knickers" differently than Americans, using it for short trousers. We are not sure, however, why the British, especially after World War II began using the term for ladies underwear. Here the Cruikshank illustrations may have been a factor. Cruikshank was widely known in England for his illustrations Charles Dickens' classic works. He also illustrated Irving's History of New York when it was published in London. He showed the Durch Knickerbockers in their loose breeches and by the 1860s short loose ladies undergarments, a kind of abbreviated version of pantaloons, were called "knickers" in England. The term was also used to describe other garments such as boys short pants, but after World WAr II was almost universally in England used to describe women's underwear.

Knee Breeches

We assumed at first that they kneepants and knickers evolved from the kneebreeches that were worn in the 18th and early 19th century. This may have been the case, but we note that for several decades in the 19th century, boys mostly wore long pants, thus the relatiinship seems unclear to us. The connection with kneepants seem strongest , because kneepants and knee breeches look similarly and kneepants have the decorative button trim at the leg hem that recalls knee breeches. Also kneepants became popular before knickers. One source describes knickers as "Tweedy successor to knee breeches". But we see no continuity between knee bbreeches and knickers.

Bloomers

American reformer Amelia Bloomer (1818-94) was born in Homer, New York. She lectured and wrote to support the temperance movement and women's sufferage, two inter-linked issues. She is best knowm for energetic promotion beginning in 1848 of the "bloomer" costume. Bloomer in fact did not device bloomers, but merely endorse them as a practical alternative for the restrictive women's fashions of the era. Bloomers were in fact originally devised by Elizabeth Smith Miller. Although ultimately unsuccessful, they were an important step in the development of modern practical clothing. A reder writes, "I think above-the-knee knickers developed from bloomers with elasticized closure around the upper leg. Some of the early catalogs describe knicker suits as having "bloomer trousers". In fact "bloomers" and "knickers" were originally synonymns." HBC notes that bloomers and bloomer knickers for boys appeared at about the same time.

Types of Knickers

Also we made the mistake when began HBC to lump two types of garments together and call them knickers. We believe that this may be a mistake.

Bloomer knickers

We notice boys in the mid-19th century wearing short length pants with elasticized leg openings. These garments which we call bloomer knickers were commonly worn by younger boys with with tunics. This was not an American style, but rather a style imported from Europe. We are not sure yet what the contemporary term was for these pants. They were different from the pantalettes also worn with tunics in that they were a suit made of the same material. We see them with both tunics and fancy suits of various designs like the Zouave suit. Boys did not wear these bloomer knickers We think that there evolution may be related to that of bloomers.

Knickers

The garment that we more commonly think of as knickerbockers/knickers we begin to see much later. We have not yet worked out the chronology, which may in fact differ among countries. Knickers seem most associated with America and Britain, but we are not positive where they first appeared. The use of the term suggests America, but some sources suggest that they were created in England. Our preliminary assessment is that knickers as part of men's and boy's suits began to be widely worn in the 1880s. Unlike the bloomer knickers discussed above, the knickers that appeared in the 1880s were not specialized boyswear. They were not just worn by little boys. We see contry squires or sportsmen (hunters) wearing them, often with Norfolk jackets. Rather than having elasticvized legs, the leg closures were secured with buckled or buttons. Apparently the British country gentleman disciovered that it was a bit tedious sloshing around the muck after a grouse or two. They found that it was a lot easier and less expensive to clean a pair of socks than muddy trouser legs. Thus knickers became the establish costume of the country gentleman. This style continues to this day as a kind of anachronistic country gentleman's outfit. The Knickerbockers were an early American baseball team, but they did not at first wear knickers. (The Knickjerbockers at first in 1851 wore a uniform consisting of a straw hat, white shirt, and blue long trousers. America baseball players eventually began wearing knickers. Knickers also became popular for golfers. They were also popular with cyclists because the short length legs did not get caught in bycicle chains. Schools boys also began wearing them, but here we are not yet sure of the chronology.

Originator

We are not positive who first came up with the idea for knickerbockers or knickers. A HBC reader reports. "The following may be of interest to you, it is taken from my grandmother, born 1884, and from research and written records. The boy's knicker suit was designed by a great-great uncle in the 18th century. Isaac Genese (Jewish) was born in 1839 in London and died in London during 1912. An extract of his obituary reads, 'How the Shaare boy revolutionised existing ideas as to juvenile clothing, and introduced the knicker suit to an astonished London in the seventies, is a matter of history.' This doesnt seem to tie in with your photos of the 1860's however with the passing of time the reporter may have been in error on the exact decade and it may have taken a few years for it to have been universally adopted. I have a copy of the obituary (buried on 28 April 1912) unsure of exact date of death or which paper it appeared in. The obituary is ponderous quarter page item of his place in the Masonic lodge and his business interests etc." [Carlton] We know that boys were wearing shortened length pants that blouced below the knee before the 1870s. Perhaps Genese helpedc popularize the term "knickerbockers" or perhaps he introduced some inovation such as th use of buckles to fasten the pants leg hem other than elastic. We do not have any further details at this time.

Sources

Carlton, Frances. E-mail, April 23, 2003.

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Created: 3:56 AM 1/31/2005
Last edited: 9:43 PM 4/29/2017