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Tuesday 5 December 2017

Sepia Saturday - A Short Look At Shorts

This week''s prompt shows a little boy in shorts holding a fish.   I have no fishy tales to tell, though my father once took up angling as  a relaxing hobby from the stresses of work.  But below is my brother, wearing shorts, and holding his toy yacht as he plays in the stream which ran through the park at the seaside resort of Bournemouth on the south coast. c. 1952.



 
My brother again , looking very angelic,  in shorts, bar sandals and short white socks.     I am all dressed up with my hair in ringlets, for  taking part  in Staining  Gala, near Blackpool,. Lancashire,  c. 1950.

 A tittle tiny tot in shorts and  white socks with our parents,  and my aunt in the middle.  I have my hair in plaits tied on the  top of my head, Austrian style. c.  1949.  




My husband's Uncle Matty in his short trousers, c.1918.



My husband enjoying an ice-cream.  It was the custom, certainly up to the late 1950's, for boys to wear short trousers, whatever the weather,  until the rite of passage into long trousers around the age of 13.    

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Posted by ScotSue at 15:17
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9 comments:

  1. Kristin6 December 2017 at 00:56

    What a nice bunch of boys in shorts and socks (plus you in socks too!)

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  2. Barbara Rogers6 December 2017 at 13:39

    Oh yes, boys knees, and these don't look skinned up at all! Mine sure were often as a kid. Why did boys not get long pants until "coming of age?" Maybe just as a symbol? Or was there a practical reason as well?

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    Replies
    1. ScotSue8 December 2017 at 19:48

      I doubt if there was a practical reason for wearing short trousers all year round, regardless of the weather. It was just convention, which lasted a long time - a bit like with girls in late teens before WW1 changing to wear longer skirts and "put their hair up.". All signs of age!

      Delete
    2. Anne Young9 December 2017 at 22:31

      Here in Ballarat the school boys where shorts as part of their uniform all year round and right up to leaving school. I find the sight of 18 year olds in shorts a bit strange after Canberra where they graduated into long pants much earlier.

      Delete
  3. Helen Killeen Bauch McHargue6 December 2017 at 22:03

    You and your brother were adorable children. Are they called bar sandals because of the cross-strap? Perfect match for the prompt.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ScotSue8 December 2017 at 19:49

      Yes - to answer your question on the bar sandals - standard wear in the 1950's for boys and girls.

      Delete
  4. Jofeath9 December 2017 at 05:33

    Very short and sweet! Prince George always wears shorts, as part of that tradition for young boys, and I have previously shown photographs of my young uncles wearing shorts in the snow in Christchurch NZ.

    ReplyDelete
  5. La Nightingail9 December 2017 at 19:09

    I always enjoy seeing how Sepians go 'outside the box' when they don't have exactly what the prompt picture shows and this is no exception. Quite clever of you to pick up on the shorts angle. If I hadn't had pix of family fishing I'm not sure what I would have focused on, but I don't think it would have been the shorts because that's not exactly a boy's clothing style here - except in summer and even then they mostly wear jeans.

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  6. Mike Brubaker10 December 2017 at 00:24

    I can think of a couple of practical reason for shorts. They fit a growing boy far longer than long trousers will. And there are no knees or cuffs to wear out.

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