Men's and Children's Clothing

MEN'S AND CHILDREN'S CLOTHING

Men's Clothes

During the 1910s the fashionable silhouette in men's clothing followed the stripped-down look in women's fashions. Men's suits—which had been barrel-chested with thick shoulder padding and wide-legged trousers pegged at the ankle—now followed the body. Shoulder pads were whittled away; trousers had cuffs, and their legs were narrowed, ending just above the

shoe, with creases in the front and back. This slim look, which included a vest (still called a waistcoat), was aided by the decline of the union suit as the underwear of choice. Central heating made it possible to wear simple undershirts and undershorts, cutting down on the bulk under a man's suit. American men dressed formally for work, wearing dress trousers, shirts, vests, jackets, and ties.

Furnishings

Although a more natural look prevailed overall, stiff, detachable shirt collars remained in fashion throughout the decade—with the blunt-tipped high-band Belmont collar leading the way. A collar generally could be worn with an ascot, a bow tie, or a four-in-hand necktie made of silk in many combinations of colors, but the Belmont demanded a tidy, small-knotted necktie. Men still wore garters to keep their socks up. Hats were worn in public and came in several varieties—such as boaters (braided-straw hats with brims and flat crowns), fedoras, Panamas, and derbies—and fabrics—such as felt, silk, or straw—to suit the season and the occasion. Oxford shoes replaced the high-buttoned boots of earlier generations, and the wristwatch, introduced in 1914 and popularized during the war, replaced the pocket watch. The war also popularized the belt. Until then, dress pants were made without belt loops, and men used suspenders (braces) to keep their trousers up. The war also introduced the Burberry trench coat, which became popular among civilians.

Active Wear

The Norfolk jacket, allegedly based on a hunting jacket worn by an eighteenth-century duke of Norfolk, was the choice for leisure activities such as golfing and horseback riding. Like the new suits, the Norfolk jacket was cut close to the body. It was ornamented with a yolk, a sewn-in belt, patch pockets, and seams running down either side of the wearer's chest. With this jacket men wore whatever trousers were appropriate to the event. The influence of dancers Vernon and Irene Gasile led some men to adopt a one-button jacket and slender trousers that were comfortable on the dance floor. Black and white men involved in the development of jazz music took to wearing an extreme version of the popular suit, horrifying fashion conservatives and delighting the avant-garde. The jacket was cut with pinched shoulders, a tight waist, and a twelve-inch vent and was paired with pipe-stem trousers.

Formal Wear

Formal wear was also adapted somewhat to keep up with the changes in men's clothing. Tuxedos and tailcoats became available with natural instead of padded shoulders. One new version of the tuxedo flared over the hips, had close-set buttons clustered at the waist, and had a deep vent up the back. Formal trousers became slimmer, in keeping with the new, narrow look. Pleated shirts with turned-down collars took the place of stiff, high-collared dress shirts. A high silk hat was still worn on formal occasions, day or night.

Wartime Menswear

Because clothes were already streamlined, men's clothing did not change much after the United States entered the war in 1917. Only patch pockets and the second pair of suit pants were lost to wartime austerity measures. Harvard undergraduates had been wearing ankle-length topcoats with folded-down doughboy collars since 1910—probably because they were just the thing for automobile driving. American military uniforms, however, were cobbled together from bits and pieces of European and American menswear. The Ninety-sixth Aero Squadron, for example, wore wool or khaki-cotton breeches depending on the season; a single-breasted brown wool coat with a high collar, four patch pockets, and bronze buttons; a Sam Browne belt; and reddish leather gloves (styles borrowed from the British army), along with high-laced boots or leg wrappings called puttees. In cold weather members of the squadron wore double-breasted short coats with fur or sheepskin-lined collars—a style that in time would be transformed into the familiar bomber jacket. Pilots and army men wore modified day-workers' outfits, with tan coveralls, black overshoes, and leather gloves. Pilots added goggles and leather helmets. The Marine Corps wore olive drab field uniforms and leather puttees instead of the wrap-around leggings. Helmets with narrow brims were issued to all men in Europe, but several sorts of hats were worn by men in various divisions, including the overseas cap, the dark blue knitted army cap, the small-billed navy cap, and the wide-brimmed Marine Corps field hat.

Children's Clothing

War brought the beginnings of a shift in children's wear. Throughout the nineteenth century children were dressed in smaller versions of adult fashions, particularly for Sundays and holidays. Short pants and decorative short bloomers were fashion's main accommodations to children's needs. The exigencies of war demanded an increase of simplicity. Women were called to fill manufacturing spots left vacant by military men, or they helped by making dressings for wounds and other wartime necessities, and they did not have time to fuss with or make elaborate children's outfits. Ready-to-wear sportswear for both girls and boys pointed the way to a new era of simplicity. The 1910s had seen the advent of the gym slip—bloomers, a white blouse, and tunic belted loosely at the waist—which provided a model for wartime wear. Boys adopted a variation of football outfits—knee-length shorts, open-neck shirts, and long socks. Hats for boys and girls were still obligatory in public, as they were for grown men and women.

Sources:

John Elting and Michael McAfee, eds., Military Uniforms in America, volume 4, The Modern Era —From 1868 (Novato, Cal.: Presidio, 1988);

Frances Kennett, The Collectors Book of Fashion (New York: Crown, 1983);

O. E. Schoeffler and William Gale, Esquire's Encyclopedia of 20th Century Men's Fashions (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1973).