Figure 1.--The popularity of different types of pants for sailor suits varied over time. There were, however, always long pants sailor suits. These boys were probably photograohed in the 1920s.

American boys wore a range of pants with sailor suits, including bell bottoms, knee pants, bloomer knickers, knickers, and short pants. Short pants sailor suits were less common in America than in Europe. Interestingly, some sailor suits were available in long pants at times in which younger boys rarely wore long trousers. Thus the variety of pants worn with sailor suits was more varied than with standard sack suits. Presumably long pants were acceptable because this was what actual sailors wore with their uniforms. We see both bell bottoms and long pants, some made with stripes. The choice seems to have depended on individual family preferences. An example of long pants with stripes are the St. Clar boys. The types of pants varied over time. Kneepants were popular in the late 19th-century. Most suits were made with knee pants at this time because that was what most American boys wore. After the turn-of -the 20th century we see a number of suits made with bloomer knickers which were mostly worn with as part of tunc suits. An example is Harold Howes in 1907. We see some boys wearing knicker sailor suits, but they were not very popular and only worn for a few years, mostly during the 1910s. Short pants became more common in the 1920s, but sailor suits in America also began to be worn by increasingly younger boys.

Long Pants

The first sailor suits for boys were made with long pants because they were made to emulate Royal Navy uniforms. The British Royal Family dressed the princes in sailor suits styled like Royal Navy uniforms which of course meant long pants. American mothers followed this precedent when they begabn dressing their boys in long pants. And knee pants were noy universally worn when sailor suits first began to be worn in America. Interestingly, some sailor suits were available in long pants at times in which younger boys rarely wore long trousers. Thus the variety of pants worn with sailor suits was more varied than with standard sack suits. Presumably long pants were acceptable because this was what actual sailors wore with their uniforms. We see many boys in both the late-19th century and the early-20th century wearing long pants sailor suits at a time that most boys did not wear long trousers. There were many different variations. These primarily concerned the waist and the ankle hem. The waist was done with regukar closings. We also see flasp fronts which is how early Royal Navy and American uniform pants were done. We are not sure why the opants were done like this We also see the ankle hems done differently. We see both bell bottoms and regular atraight leg long pants, some made with stripes. Bell bottoms of course come from the style of trousers worn by sailors. The choice seems to have depended on individual family preferences. An example of long pants with stripes are the St. Clar boys.

Figure 2.--This American boy wears a traditionally styled sailor suit, although the collar does not have stripes. As was stafard in Ameriva, the knee pants atre worn with long black stockings.

Knee Pants

The types of pants American boys wore with sailor suits varied over time. Knee pants were very popular in the late-19th-century abnd very early-20th century. We see larger number of boys wearing knee pants sailor suits. This was because knee pants became the syandard boys' wear. Sailor suits were one of the most popular outfits for boys. They were very popular both with boys and parents. We see older boys wearing sailor suits during this period than during the 20th century. This included boys wearing knee pants sailor suits. Most suits were made with knee pants during the late-19th century because that was what most American boys wore. This was especially the case in the 1890s and very early 1900s. Most boys wore them with long dark stockings. There were both dark and white knee pants worn on a seasonal basis, but the dark pants and suits seem more common. Boys commonly wore black long stockings even with white knee pants. Younger boys might wear white stockings, but they were not as common. The knee pants were cut at different length depending on the popular style at the time. Early sailor suits at long, calf-length knee pants. By the 1890s we see actual knee-length knee pants.

Bloomer Knickers

Tunic suits after the turn-of-the 20th century became very stylish for younger boys. Tunic were worn throughout the 19th century, but only in the very late-19th century do we see sailor tunics. They were much more common in early-20th cenyury. We see them worn with a variety of pants, but by a large margin the great majority of American boys wore them with bloomer knickers. These were a type of knickers, but made in a lighter-weight fabric than normal knickers and with draw-string closures. They were made in different styles. The most popular were sailor tunics. we see a number of suits made with bloomer knickers which were mostly worn with as part of tunic suits. The styling varied substantially with tunic suits. We note some traditinal stripes, but there were a wide range of other sailor motifs. All of the styling was done on the tunic itself. The bloomer knickers were very plain and done without any detailing. They were lsrgely covered by the tunic. These were bloused with draw strings. Large numbers of boys wearing sailor tunucs are archived in HBC. An example is Harold Howes in 1907. Some boys also wore wore sailor blouses with these bloomer knickers. It is not always wasy to tell if the knickers are regular or bloomer knickers. They were commonly worn with three-quater socks and long stockings. Strap shoes were often worn.

Knickers

We see some American boys wearing knicker sailor suits, but they were not very popular as other types of pants. These knickers were more substantial with more sophisticated hem closures than the bloomer knickers worn as part of tunic suits. We have only noted knickers sailor suit to any extent in America. Yet even in America they were not very common. American boys only wore knicker sailor suits for a few years, mostly during the 1910s and then even notv that commonly. Some boys may have worn knicker sailor suits in the late-19th century, but they were not very common and we have not yet found any examples in the photograohic record. Knickers were very popular for American boys in the early 20th century. They generaly replaced knee pants during the lte 1900s. They were almost universally worn in the 1910s. I'm not entirely sure why knicker suits were not all that common when knickers were so commonly worn by boys. Knickers were so common that one would think that they were also be widely worn with knicker suits. I think it may have been before the 1920s that younger boys mostly wore sailor tunics and after the 29s short pabnts sailor sits swere more common. Older boys who might have worn sailor suits with knickers were more likely to wear regular (sack) suits than sailor suits. You do not see as old American boys wearing sailor suits as in Europe, especially in the 20th century.

Figure 5.--Boys mostly wore knee pants sailor suits. In the early 20th century we notice a transition to short pants sailor suits. The boys here probanly in the 1910s wear dressy sailor suits for a formal portrait. Note that their tops look rather like a transition fvrom a tunic to a kacket.

Short Pants

Quite a number of younger American boys wore sailot suits with short pants. We note a transition from knee pants to short pants in the early-20th crentury. The first short pants were quite long, cut rather like knee pants, butt without the ornamental knee hem buttons. This affected the outfits boys wore, including sailor suits. Short pants sailor suits were less common in America than in Europe. Sailor suits in general declined in popularity, especially among older boys. Short pants became more common in the 1920s, but sailor suits in America also began to be worn by increasingly younger boys. We see much older boys wearing short pants sailor suits in Europe. The American boys we see wearing short pants sailor suits were almost entirely pre-school boys and younger boys in elementary (primary school). After about the 3rd grade (age 8-9 years), they become much less common.

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Created: 1:28 AM 1/28/2008
Last updated: 4:37 AM 7/16/2011