Dutch Boys' Clothes: Hosiery Types--Long Stockings


Figure 1.--This portrait is unidentified, but the writing on the back is Dutch, so presumably the boy is Dutch. A Dutch reader tells us, however, that "Somehow the bicycle does not look Dutch to me." The photograph looks to have been taken in the late-1920s or early 30s. Most of our Dutch archive shows boys wearing kneesocks, but here we see that long stockings were also worn. We thought that the long stockings may have been seen as more formal, it clearly is not cold out. But the lack of a tie and bike suggest a rather informal scene. Click on the image for a fuller discussion provided by a HBC reader.

Long over-the-knee stockings with kneepants were common in the late 19th century. They were usually black or other dark color--always solid colors. Long stockings declined in popularity after World War I (1914-18) when boys mostly switched to socks. Some yonger boys continued to wear them, with short pants during the winter. Lighter colors, especially tan appeared. As far as we can tell, long stockings declined sharply in popularity during the 1920s. We based this primarily on the fact that most images we have found show boys wearing kneesocks. They do not appear, however, to have been as common as in neighboring Germany. Many other clothing trends were very similar in the Netherlands and Germany. Hopefully our Dutch readers can tell us more. A Dutch reader writes, "When I started to go to school in a rural area of the Netherlands in 1935 long stockings were nearly only worn by the sons of the farmers. The other boys, who lived in in towns and villages, did not wear long stockings. We wore knee socks up to just under the knee, often with a pattern in different colors. The long stockings were usually black or dark blue. In other words there was some kind of a class distinction associated with long stockings." We do not know if boys for formal occassions wore long stockings as was sometimes the case in Belgium. We see some boys wearing long stockings with suits, but kneesocks seem much more commom. As far as we can tell, they virtually disappeared after World War II by the 1950s.

Chronology

Dutch children commonly wore long over-the-knee stockings with kneepants during the late 19th century. Thet seem gto have been widely worn as was common in neighboring countries. We also note them being worn during the early 20th century. Long stockings declined in popularity after World War I (1914-18) when boys mostly switched to socks. Some yonger boys continued to wear them, with short pants during the winter. As far as we can tell, long stockings were still widely worn by Dutch boys during the 1920s. They seemed to have, however, declined sharply in popularity and were no longer universal. In fact by the 1930s we mostly see boys wearing kneesocks rather than long stockings. We based this primarily on the fact that most images we have found show boys wearing kneesocks. hey do not appear, however, to have been as common as in neighboring Germany. As far as we can tell, they virtually disappeared after World War II by the 1950s.

Gender

Both boys and girls wore long stockings in the Netherlands. Darl stockings were common for both genders. Girls were more likely to wear white long stockings. We suspect that girls continued to wear long stockings longer than boys and to an older age, but this needes to be informed.

Color

Long stockings were not nearly as common in the Netherlands as in neighboring Germany. Thus we have fewer images to make our color assessment. And we have the problem of the black-and-white photogrohy of the day. As far as we can tell, however, while long stockings were not as common in Germany, the available colors and conventions were essentially the same as in Germany. While we have not archived many examples, the available photographic record suggests that the long stockings Dutch children wore were usually black or other dark color--always solid colors. Lighter colors, especially tan appeared, after World War I. And girls might wear white stockings. We see girls and younger boys wearing white long stockings for dressy occassions. Black stockings were also worn for formal occassions.

Germany

Many other clothing trends were very similar in the Netherlands and Germany. Long stockings in the Netherlands seem to have gone out of style earlier than in Grmany. We rarely see Ditch boys wearng long stockings after World War II. Many German fashions were popular in the Netherlands. We are not sure why long stockings went out of fashion in the Netherlands three decaded before Germany.

Conventions

Long stockings were commonly worn for warmth. This seems to be the situation in most of the photographs we have found for HBC. We do not know if boys for formal occassions wore long stockings as was sometimes the case in Belgium. We think this was likely, but can not yet demostrate it with available images. We see some boys wearing long stockings with suits, but kneesocks seem much more commom.

Demographics

Long stockings appear to have been very common in the Netherlands during the 19h and early 20th centuries. After World War I, knee socks became increasingly common. Here there appears to have been a demographic variation. We see large numbers of city boys wearing knee socks. Long stockings seem to have persisted in rural areas. We are not sure just why this was. We suspect the innate conservatism of rural people. Also rural people were less affected by fashion changes. A good example of this is images from the village of Zigtaart in North Barbant. A complicating factor here is that this was a Catholic village. We do not yet know if a similar sitiation prevailed in Protestant villages. A HBC reader does tell us that long stockings were generally more common in rural areas. That certainly seems ton be the case on one village we have worked on, Zijtaart in North Brabant. We think that long stockings were also common in Protestant rural populations. Here we do not yet have enough information. Our Dutch archive is limited and is mostly of city boys.

Religion

The Netherlands was a predominately Protestant country at the time that long stockings were commonly worn. There was, however, a Catholic minority located in two southern provinves on the Belgian border (North Brabant and Linburg). They wre primarily a rural populafrion. This meant that Dutch Catholics were a socially conservative population. Again a good examole is Zijtaart in North Brabant. Long stockings may have been more common among Catholics than Protestants. We are not entirely sure, however, because we do not yet have detailed information onn Protestantvrural villages. Thus we do not know if long stockings were common because of Catholic social conservatism or the fact they were largely a rural population.

Personal Experiences

Hopefully our Dutch readers can tell us more. A Dutch reader writes, "When I started to go to school in a rural area of the Netherlands in 1935 long stockings were nearly only worn by the sons of the farmers. The other boys, who lived in in towns and villages, did not wear long stockings. We wore knee socks up to just under the knee, often with a pattern in different colors. The long stockings were usually black or dark blue. In other words there was some kind of a class distinction associated with long stockings."






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Created: 3:48 PM 11/1/2006
Last updated: 11:27 PM 7/7/2011