“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?
Continue reading Should Knickerbockers be Brought Back?All posts by Sam Sturtridge
Links To Pages of History of the Newsboy Cap and Flat Cap
The cap that originated sometime before the 20th century but became popular in the early 20th century amongst men and young boys. It was believed to be worn amongst all social classes, mostly middle and lower, but in upper classes, it was worn by wealthy golfers, drivers, and people for leisure activities like sports.
Links To Pages on Histories of Garters
Garters are these little bands that people wore on their legs. And indeed, the very purpose of a garter was to keep hold of long stockings at the stocking’s exact length of up to where it stops at the wearer’s leg.
Around the 18th century, most men wore these garters to keep the long white stockings they wore underneath their pants to keep the stockings at the designated height, above their knees, while the breeches they wore above that part of their legs went down to below their knees, fastened with buttons.
Below this photograph is a list of pages to explain the history of garters.
Continue reading Links To Pages on Histories of GartersTheory: Are Fashion Comebacks From Older Generations Uncommon?
In the 1980s, we have seen fashions from the early twentieth century make a comeback, and in a way, combining into one for the particular decade, the 1980s. As we know, there comes a time when people start fashion trends in a decade. But the difference is between a trend and a comeback. A trend is when something in fashion to be exact is so popular in a period of time. A comeback is when something is rather old in this category, and brought back from an older decade, and gains popularity, it’s considered a comeback. The question that remains here in this matter is, are fashion comebacks from older generations uncommon?
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Button Suspenders
Button Suspenders are a type of strap that are generally used for holding up men’s trousers before they eventually started using belts more often. The most well-known type of the old days happen to be the button type suspenders with the curved or pointed things with holes that connect the suspenders with the buttons sewn into the pants.
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Blackface
Blackface is the infamous form of stage makeup used by white actors and actresses when playing a black role in raunchy and offensive ways.
Since its inception in the 19th century, it has inevitably been seen as entertainment amongst the general public (mostly white audiences), especially in Britain, but was more admired in the United States since minstrelsy came to be on stage.
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Fedora Hats
Fedora hats, simply known as fedoras, are general hats that have been usually worn by men since its inception in the late 1800s.
Note: Fedoras are not to be mistaken for Trilby hats and Porkpie hats for their similar looks and often confusion throughout the older times hat fan community!
Fedoras have soft brims and intended crowns. They are derived supposedly from bowler hats and the name “Fedora” was used for this hat as early as 1891.
Jewface
When people put on these racist shows such as minstrel shows which exploited racist stereotypes of minorities in America, that were apparently popular before civil rights protests came to be in the 20th century, well, it turned out that the Jewish community wasn’t safe from these theatrical insults either.
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The frock Coat
The Frock Coat is generally a long coat that is mostly suitable for cold winters.
The early variations of frock coats were simply known as just “Frocks”.
Frocks were worn by both men and women, mostly as overcoats. Around the 16th century, frocks were associated mostly with women’s dresses (usually gowns). For men, frocks somewhat derived from banyans and were used as overcoats to contrast or blend in with the fancy frilly suits they were wearing. The buttons made it so that the coats stayed fastened like it should if it was necessary.
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The Cravat
The cravat, a neckband, is the predecessor to both the bow tie and the neckband we know the best today, the necktie. The cravat derives from a type of neckwear style that was worn by the members of the Croats, a 17th-century military unit based in the Habsburg Monarchy, which is now broken into Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
To make things perfectly clear, the cravat is NOT EVER to be confused with the Jabot, a similar piece of neck-wear that was worn by men in the 17th and 18th centuries. Some cravats look like Jabots, but they certainly are not jabots.
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