Figure 1.--These primary students look to be the beginning year. The photograph is undated, but looks to have been taken in the early 1900s. The children look to us to be from working class families. The impage is unidentified, but looks German. Note that none of the boys wear suspender kneepants. Click on the image to see the rest of the clas and their teacher. Image coutesy of Album1900.

We have no images of suspender shorts from the 1900s at this time. The earliest kind of suspender shorts were shorts or kneepants held up my men's-style suspenders. (The British term is braces.) In the 1900s knee pants were more common than short pants. We have not noted, however, suspender kneepants with suspender straps in the same material as the kneepants. Suspenders didn't carry a juvenile connotation, as suspender shorts later did. Suspenders used a standard method for keeping trousers up. We note school portaits and do not notice boys wearing suspender pants. We do notice suspenders, but not suspender pants where the straps were the same material as the pants.

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Peter Pan collars] [White kneesocks] [Sailor suits] [Short pants suit] [Shortalls]
[Eton suits] [Knee socks] [Rompers] [Smocks]

Created: December 10, 2003
Last updated: December 10, 2003