Figure 1.--American children wore different kinds of hosiery during the early 20th century. Younger boys might wear three-quarter length socks or even ankle socks. Older boys more commonly wore long stockings, especially bklck long stockings. This photograph was taken at a demonstration given by the 12th Infantry, Signal Corps on Governor's Island, N.Y. It was taken May 27, 1908. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress--George Grantham Bain Collection.

American boys in the 1900s mostly wore long stockings with knee pants, even during the summer. Dark black stockings were the most common, but dark brown was also worn. Light-colored long stockings were not common. Younger boys might wear white long stockings on dressy occasions, but black was more common. Younger boys might wear their knee pants with socks, usually three quater length socks, especially during the summer. Older boys, however, did not wear such socks with either knee pants or knickers. Even as knickers became more common in the 1910s, boys mostly wore long stockings. Toward the end of the decade some boys were wearing their knickers with kneesocks, but long stockings were much more common. Styles with bare knees were much less common in America than Europe--especially during the colder winter months. One famous American even commented on this when he was in France. Many younger boys would go barefoot during the summer, especially in rural areas. This became less common in the teen years.

Types

We do not see many different types of hoisiery in the 19th century. In the early 19th century boys wore long pants abd girls long dresses, so assessing different types of hosiery is diffiuvcult. And photography soes no provided many images until mid-century. And knee pants began to becone popular and photography becaome prevalent we have a vast archive of images abd almost always the children are wearing long stockings. This is different than Europe where socks were akso common. This dies not change significantky until the turn-of-the 20th century. Suddenly we begin to see children wearing socks and not just long stockings. Long stockings were still common, but no longer virtually universal. The stocks we notice are mostly three-quarter socks and they tended to be white. They were mostly worn by younger boys abnd girls.

Ages

Color

What we still see mostly is black hosiery for the boys and most girlks. This was the case in the 1890s and we continue to see it un the 1900s, bot as universally, but quite commonly. And almost always black hoisiery was long stockings. Of course with black and wehite photography, we cannot be positive. The stickings may be navy blue. Bur we think they were mostly black. We also see white hosiery for girls and younger boys In thius case we not ibly see white long stockings, but white three-quarer soocks. There were colored hosiety, but with black and white photography, it is difficult to tell how prevalebt these colors were. .

Written Accounts

One famous American even commented on boys wearing short pants and short socks when he was in France. James Naismith, famous to many Americans as the inventor of basketball, on November 26, 1917 wrote to a friend, Fred Wills in Vinland, Kansas. Naismith was in Paris. It was a few months after America had entered World War I. He writes, "The thing that I miss most here is the touch of the children. I cannot talk French well enough to speak to any of the little ones here and I have not met a child that spoke American since leaving New York. Tell the children that I often think of them sitting up in the choir seats or on the front rows and can see their faces looking at me Tell them how thankful they ought to be that they live in America, and every time I see a child running around in wooden shoes I think they cannot have much fun with that kind of athletic footwear. On the cobblestones you can hear them a block away when they run. All the boys from five to thirteen wear short pants and low stockings and their bare knees give me the shivers. But they seem to act very much like our children." Now the reference to "bare knees" is not because American boys wore long pants--most American boys wore knee pants or knickers. He said that because in the winter most American boys wore long stockings.

Created: May 31, 1999
Last updated: 3:25 AM 11/9/2005