“Knickerbockers are a form of men’s or boys’ baggy knee-length trousers that were popular in the early 20th-century United States. Golfers’ plus-twos and plus-fours are the breeches that were also fastened below the knees but weren’t baggy. Before World War II, skiers often wore knickerbockers too, usually ankle-length.” [1] These types of trousers were often common in the early periods of the 20th century among golfers and youngsters (mostly newsies), especially in Europe. Around the 1980s, although it was amongst the “preppy” fashions, it started to die down. The question remains though is, should we bring back knickerbockers?

Washington Irving got the word from the surname of a friend of his, Herman Knickerbocker, a U.S. Representative and member of the Knickerbocker Clan of New York. In the future, the word “knickerbocker” would eventually make an impact on popular culture, from the breeches alone to sundaes, British slang and there’s even a basketball team based in New York called the New York Knicks, but corporately, they are known as the New York Knickerbockers.

Knickerbockers seem to be preceded by the historically known legwear known as breeches. Similar to the latter, knickerbockers have been known to fasten with buttons and buckles just below the knees. “Knickerbockers, as we know, have often been worn by boys and men since the 1860s, and gradually started to be worn by women for biking around 1890.” [2] And as far as we should understand, it continued to be worn by men and young boys, as well as young women up until the end of the 1940s. “Knickerbockers went out of fashion in America after the 1930s, but linger a little longer in Europe.” [3]

Knickerbockers also appear to be a good source of comfort. “Knickerbockers are the most versatile garment covering all your outdoor activities and when you get back, whether it is to your tent or cabin, the wet part stays with your boots and you are comfortable indoors too.” [4] It seems from that perspective, knickerbockers are comfortable to wear in any season.

So in all, knickerbockers have had an interesting history and some people say it’s comfortable for certain conditions and seasons. I would say they should definitely make a comeback for not just school uniforms like some British schools use knickerbockers as part of school uniforms, but also for everyday wear for all people, be it men, women, youngsters, and so forth, I think they should be brought back, yes, definitely.

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WORKS CITED
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knickerbockers_(clothing)
[2] https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/tag/knickerbocker/
[3] https://www.histclo.com/style/pants/knick/knick.html
[4] https://amundsensports.com/2017/09/whyknickerbockers/