Long Pants Suits: Chronology


Figure 1.--Boys in the 19th century mostly wore long pants suits. This did not gein to change until the late 19th century. Younger boys began to wear shortened length trousers in the mid-19th century, but thy were not common for older boys until late in the century. These boys were photographed in Fresno, California, probably in the 1870s.

Boys and men wore knee breeches in the 18th century. Only laborers and farm laborers wore long pants or troyusers and sailor wore long pantaloons. People of quality looked down on such people. The French referred to them as the sand cullotes or those without short pants, meaning knee breeches. Only at the end of the century did boys from affluent families begin to wear long trousers in the new skeleton suit style. Interestingly, boys began wearing short pabnts suits years before their fathers. Boys since the introduction of skeleton suits in the late the 18th Century have worn long trouser suits. The skeleton suit with long trousers was the most stylish fashions for boys in the early 19th century. For years, however, their fathers refused to wear them. It was not until the 1820s that gentlemen began wearing long trousers. Long trouser suits of various forms were common in the early and mid-19th Century. Boys at the beginning of the 19th century might wear a lace collared tunic over long trousers before graduating to a proper suit. After mid-Century knee pants became more common. American catalogs in the 1880s tended to show knee pants suits through 12 years of age and long pants suit begining at 10 years of age. By the end of the Century boys it was increasingly common for teenagers to be dressed in knee pants suits. Many boys might spend many of their teen years in knee pants. This varid greatly from family to family, but for teenage boys in knee pants, receiving their first long pants suit became a major rite of passage. Reserving long pants for older boys and men remained a common convention in America, England, and Europe up to the First World War. After the war, fashion standards became much more diverse. American boys commonly wore knickers, but increasingly younger boys began wearing long pants. The conventions in Europe varied widely from country to country and family to family, but usually boys throughout Europe did not get long pants suits until an older age than was the case in America. Did this not begin to change in many cases until the 1960s. Boys around he world mostly wore long pnts suits. There were a few exceptions. Short pants suits were sometimes worn for formal occassioins like weddings. Some schools had short pants suits for school uniforms. Younger Japanrse boys moght wear short pnts suits when they began school. For the most part, howeve, boys wore long pants suits. Boys did not, however, very commonly wear suits.

The 18th Century

Boys and men wore knee breeches in the 18th century. Only laborers and farm laborers wore long pants or troyusers and sailor wore long pantaloons. People of quality looked down on such people. The French referred to them as the sand cullotes or those without short pants, meaning knee breeches. Only at the end of the century did boys from affluent families begin to wear long trousers in the new skeleton suit style.

The 19th Century

Interestingly, boys began wearing short pabnts suits years before their fathers. Boys since the introduction of skeleton suits in the late the 18th Century have worn long trouser suits. The skeleton suit with long trousers was the most stylish fashions for boys in the early 19th century. For years, however, their fathers refused to wear them. It was not until the 1820s that gentlemen began wearing long trousers. Long trouser suits of various forms were common in the early and mid-19th Century. Boys at the beginning of the 19th century might wear a lace collared tunic over long trousers before graduating to a proper suit. After mid-Century knee pants became more common. American catalogs in the 1880s tended to show knee pants suits through 12 years of age and long pants suit begining at 10 years of age. By the end of the Century boys it was increasingly common for teenagers to be dressed in knee pants suits. Many boys might spend many of their teen years in knee pants. This varid greatly from family to family, but for teenage boys in knee pants, receiving their first long pants suit became a major rite of passage.

The 20th Century

Reserving long pants for older boys and men remained a common convention in America, England, and Europe up to the First World War. After the war, fashion standards became much more diverse. American boys commonly wore knickers, but increasingly younger boys began wearing long pants. The conventions in Europe varied widely from country to country and family to family, but usually boys throughout Europe did not get long pants suits until an older age than was the case in America. Did this not begin to change in many cases until the 1960s. Clothing in the 20th century became increasingly casual, no where more so than in America. Boys after the 1930s began to wear suits less, including long pants suits. Long pants suits by the 1960s were becoming the standard for boys wear. By the late 1900s boys were even developin casual styles for suits.

The 21st Century

Boys around he world mostly wore long pnts suits. There were a few exceptions. Short pants suits were sometimes worn for formal occassioins like weddings. Some schools had short pants suits for school uniforms. Younger Japanrse boys moght wear short pnts suits when they began school. For the most part, howeve, boys wore long pants suits. Boys did not, however, very commonly wear suits.








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Created: 3:47 AM 11/22/2007
Last edited: 3:47 AM 11/22/2007