We note numerous images of German children, usually boys, wearing long stockings with ankle socks, often white ankle socks. We are not sure about the chronology of this convention. We note it in the 1930s, but might have developed earlier. It disappeared in the 1950s as long stockings gradually went out of style in Germany. We are not sure about the purpose. It may have helped keep the children's feet warm in the Winter. We notice a similar trend with Hitler Youth and Scouts after World War II who wore ankle socks woith kneesocks. This seemed to have been primarily to ptotect the feet when hiking. The children wearing ankle socks with long stockings were mormally pre-teen children as teenagers, at least boys, were less likely to wear long stockings. A reader writes about the image here, "An interesting detail of this photo is that the children are wearing
long stockings (tan or light brown, apparently) with ankle socks on top of the
stockings. This seems to have been fairly common in snowy weather, probably
for extra protection of the feet. We note the same detail in the opening of
Bergman's famous film, Fanny and Alexander, where we see Alexander wearing
ankle socks over light brown long stockings (he has taken off his shoes for
indoor play). The boy on the left in the photograph obviously wears short
trousers. The stockings would be the same for both genders. Both children would be wearing Leibchens with long garters."
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