Figure 1.--This photo was taken in 1923 during the quiet hour at a summer camp in Richland County, Ohio. Some children are wearing long stocking. The children wih stockings wore shoes. The childen withot stockings went barefoot. By this time it was increaingly rare to see children weaing long stockings at camp. For many years bare legs were acceptable only with bare feet. But this changed in the 1920s when we see boys wearing short pants with socks. This was a camp organized by the Fresh Air Fund, that provides free summer vacations in the country to New York City children from disadvantaged families. Note this seems to be a house rther yhan a cabin. A reader wrote, "There seems to be a girl between the two boys in the foreground." We weren't sure sure about that. The child may be a boy with long hair, but this was not the 19th century. It would have been very unusul for a boy this age to have such long hair in 1923--especially a by from apoor family. He seems to be dressed like the other boys. A reader, however, makes a good point. "I also thought at first this may be a girl. However, it is unlikely that a camp, especially in the 1920s would be coed much less mix the boys with the girls in sleeping arrangements. It is possible that, if the child is a girl, she belongs to one of the camp directors and as such could be with the children, but I highly doubt it. And Ohio is a more conservative state than East Coast states where that may have occurred."

The basic hosiery conventions did not begin to change until the turn-of the 20th century. American boy in the 19th century once hsortebed-length pants appeared wore them with long stockings. Boys might go vrefoot with knee pahts, but hen hey wore shoe they almost always wore long stockings. The same conventions generally applied for girls. We ee this changing after the turn-of the century. We begin to see boys wearing tunic suits and bloomer knickers with socks (1900s) and younger boys wearing knee pants with socks, usually three-quarter socks (1910s), mostly during the summer. We see boys at summer camp wearing long stockings. The Boy Scout in England introduced short pants and knee socks. This help introduce knee socks for outdoor activities, although American Scouts wore knicker-like breeches. A related phenomenon is boys having portraits taken, often family portraits, in bare feet. This is not to say going barefoot was not common earlier, but portraits without shoes and socks were rare. That was not very common in the 19th century as dressing up for a portrait usually meant wearing shoes and socks. School age children almost always wore long stockings to school during the early-20th century. Boys in rural areas might come to school barefoot, but if they wore shoes, they wore long stockings. The same was true of boys working after leaving school. In the cities boys going to school almost always wore knee pants and knickers with long stockings covering their legs. We begin to see knee socks with knickers in the 1920s, but they were not widespread until the 30s. We still see boys either going barefoot or wearing shoes and stockings at summer camps in the 1920s, although short pants and socks were by this time more common. We also see boys earing shot pants with socks during the 1920s, especially by the mid-20s. And for the first time we see boys wearing knickers with ankle socks in the 30s. The convention of coverings legs disappeared in the 40s, although boys began wearing long pants to a much greater extent. And coming to school barefoot significantly declines. As sneakers became increasingly popular, we see some children wearing them by the 1970s with out socks. This was more common with girls than boys.

The 1900s

We see American boys with bare knees for the first time at the turn-of-the 20th century, but only younger boys. Shortenened-length pants became common in the late-19th century, but were worn with long stockings covering up legs. The basic American hosiery conventions did not begin to change until the turn-of the 20th century. Aerican boy in the 19th century once shortebed-length pants appeared wore them with long stockings. Boys might go barefoot with knee pants, but when they wore shoe they almost always wore long stockings. This is a little difficult to follow because the vast majority of 19th century photigraphs were formal studio portraits with the children dressed up. The same conventions generally applied for girls. We see this changing after the turn-of the century. We begin to see boys wearing tunic suits and bloomer knickers with socks (1900s). And because of the advent of the snap-shot as a result of the Kodak Brownie, the photographic record is no longer largely limited to formal studio portraits. Older boys almost always wore long stockings when wearing knee pants. Younger children's hosiery was more varied. Many also wore long stockings, especially when dressing up or during the inter, but for casual wear e see many younger children wearing three -quater socks leaveing their legs bare. This was a major departure from the 10th century, even the 1890s. A related phenomenon is boys having portraits taken, often family portraits, in bare feet. This is not to say going barefoot was not common earlier, but portraits without shoes and socks were rare. That was not very common in the 19th century as dressing up for a portrait usually meant wearing shoes and socks. We are not sure why this phenomenon suddenly appeared in the 1900s, perhaps because tge Kodak Brownie and similar cameras made it easier to establish low-budget studios. At any rate this meant that portraits were taken with bare legs as knee pants were so common.

The 1910s

Younger and only younger boys continued to wear outfits that did not cover up their knees. Tunic suits continued to be worn in the 1910s. They were worn with both three-quarter socks and long stockings. The three-quarter socks seem the most common, especially during the summer. Long stockings were worn for both formality and wamth during the winter. Younger boys wore both knee pants and knockers. We note them wearing both three-quarter sicks ahnd long stokings, basically the sameas with tunic suits. Knee pants rapidly went out of style for older boys and were replaced with knickers in the late-1900s and early-10s. Almost all of the boys wearing knickers wore them with long stockings, mostly black long stockings. We see a few boys with above-the-knee knickers wearing knee socks, but they wee a definite minority. The major exception to long stovkings was when children went barefoot, but this was generally younger boys. This was the beginning of a major diversion between Europe and America. European boys were more likely to show theirknee than American boys. We are nor sure why this varition appeared. Perhaps it was the great influence of religious fundamentalism and modest dress in America. Perhaps it was a difference in child raising and less parental authority in America. Or perhaps something was at play that we are not familiar with. We think thatthe older boys saw bre legs as something suitable only for little boys and girls. Maybe readers will have some insights here. We even see boys at summer camp swearing long stockings. The Boy Scouts in England introduced short pants and knee socks (1900s). The movement quickly spread to the many other countries, including the United States. This helped to introduce knee socks for outdoor activities, although American Scouts wore knicker-like breeches rather than short pants. They did eventually wear short pants at summer camps. At home, however, they rarely wore shorts. School age children except the very youngest almost always wore long stockings to school during the early-20th century. Boys in rural areas might come to school barefoot, but if they wore shoes, they wore long stockings. The same was true of boys working after leaving school. In the cities boys going to school almost always wore knee pants and knickers with long stockings covering their legs.

The 1920s

Knickers were the dominant boys wear in the United States, almost always worn with long stocking. This was very different than Europe where short pants, albeit cut very long, quickly became very common for boys after World War I. . This did not occur in America. Some younger American boys began wearing short pants with a variety of hosiery, Shorts werenot common with older boys, but there were some social-class and regional differences. often knee socks were worn cool weather or long stockings in cool weather. We begin to see knee socks with knickers in the 1920s, but only at the end if the decade. Knee socks were not widespread until the 30s. We still see boys either going barefoot or wearing shoes and stockings at summer camps in the 1920s, although short pants and socks were by this time more common. We also see boys earing shot pants with socks during the 1920s, especially by the mid-20s. American Scouts continued to wear knicker-like breeches except at summer camps. And they wore shorts to international jamboreess which began in Angland after World War (1920). Almost all Scouts around the world hd short pahnts uniforms except the United States.

The 1930s

Tunic suits disppeared in the 1920s. And for the first time we see boys wearing knickers with ankle socks in the 30s.

The 1940s

The convention of coverings legs disappeared in the 40s, although boys began wearing long pants to a much greater extent, especially the end of the decade. And we mostly see ankle socks. And coming to school barefoot significantly declined.

The 1970s

As sneakers became increasingly popular, we see some children wearing them by the 1970s and in some cases with out socks. This was more common with girls than boys. Knee-length tube aocks werevery popular with boys.

Created: 3:03 AM 5/18/2012
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Last updated: 1:32 PM 7/11/2016