Off to his first day of Kindergarten, 1953, Chicago.

Well, you would have fit right in in England, where boys generally didn't wear long pants until age 8 or 9. If not for our British neighbor, who as a seasoned 6 year immigrant gave my mother the low down, my brother would have faced the same mortification starting third grade!
I do remember how odd it seemed to us to see little boys in long pants. It looked like they were dressing up and just needed a suit, pipe, and trilby to complete the look!
At any rate, it's a very sweet photo - capturing the excitement of first day kindergarten. You look very confident!

That's a very interesting contrast, of which I was unaware. In my memory, I was quite nervous that first day. This photo sent my curiosity to Google maps and I was surprised to see that the school I attended is still open. I even found a street view of the house I lived in. (in which I lived) :)

You look so happy and excited! Sorry to hear that your classmates didn't appreciate your short pants.