Figure 1.--I think this Japanese boy is dressed up for his first day of school. The photograph is undated, but looks like the 1980s. Japanese boys in the 1980s wore short cut shorts. Tights were worn for warmth, but white tights were popular when dressing up. Japanese boys commonly got a new suit when they began school. This boy is wearing a double-breasted suit and blue tie with white shirt--very formal indeed. The shoulder straps are part of his school book satchel. The boy looks to me to be about 6 years old.

Tights for children are a relatively new garment, appearing after World War II. They replaced the cumbersome long stockings that many children had formerly worn in the 19th and early-20th century. Tights are primarily associated with girls, but this varied from country to country. Tights in American and Britain were exclusively worn by girls. They were very common in America and continue to be, but only for girls. All kinds of colors including bright colors were popular with the girls who commonly wore them to school during cold weather. Some girls in Britain wore them as part of a uniform, usually on a seasonal basis. Tights were worn by younger boys in several countries. They were worn by boys in countries like Germany, Japan, Korea, Poland and Russia. We first see them in Germany, but this cis a little difficult to follow because at the time they appeared, more boys were beginning tgo wear long pants. Tights subequently appeared in Russia and Poland as well. Girls also wore them, but no exclusivedly. Age conventions varied from country to country. They are still are worn by younger boys in a few countries, especially Japan and Korea. We note chidren at a Korean school wearing sailor suit outfits with white tights. We note a range of colors being worn. There were some gender differences in color. Tights were primartily a cold weather school garment, but we see them bring worn for formal occassions in Japan and Russia.

Chronology

Tights for children are a relatively new garment, first appearing after World War II in the late-1950s. They replaced the cumbersome long stockings that many children had formerly worn in the 19th and early-20th century. We first see tights in Germany, but this is a little difficult to follow because at the time they appeared, more boys were beginning to wear long pants. And in Germany thre were no school uniforms so tights were worn on an individual basis. Tights subequently appeared in Russia and Poland as well. We are not sure when they first appeared in Asia. We notice them in H\Japan during the 1960s. We are not sure about Korea, but we saw children commonly wearing tghem in South Korea during the early-70s. Thry were pribably introduced in the 60s. Tights continue to be worn to school in several countries into the 21st century, although this is not always apparent because boys in the late-20th century less commonly wire short pants to school during cold weather.

Gender

Gender conventions concerning tights varied from country to country. In some countries there were very strict gender conventions and in other countries tights did not have gender conventions. This varied somewhat over time. Girls commonly wore tights, but not exclusivedly. We see boys wearing them as well in several countries. Tights are primarily associated with girls in America and Britain, but this was not the case in many other countries. Gender convemtions varied from country to country. Tights in American and Britain were exclusively worn by girls. They were very common in America and continue to be, but only for girls. Tights were worn by younger boys in several countries. We are not sure why these gender conventions developed. In most countries tights became popular in countries where long-stockings were worn. For some reason this convention did not continue in America. Perhaps the fact that long stockings had disappeared by the time tights appeared may have been a factor. While children both boys and girls wore tights, there were some gender differences, primarily in the age of children wearing them and the colors worn. In most cases tuights were not a uniform item, but rther just the hoiery children wore to school. Some schools may have specified tights, but not the color. And some schools were very specific. These were primarily consrvative girls' schools whicg almost always were dark colors even though white tights were commonly worn by girls.

Colors

All kinds of colors including bright colors were popular with the girls who commonly wore them to school during cold weather. Tights for school uniforms tend to be more muted as generally the case for boys' tights. We note chidren at a Korean school wearing sailor suit outfits with white tights. We note a range of colors being worn. There were some gender differences in color.

Seasonality

Tights for school wear were generally a\seasonal wear. Some girls in Britain wore them as part of a uniform, usually on a seasonal basis.

Country Trends

Tights were mostly worn by children in northern countries at northerly lattitudes with cold winters in North America, Europe and northern Asia. This significantly limited the number of countries where they are commonly worn. In all of these countries tights were worn by girls. Boys wearing tights toschool was more limited. We only see girls wearing tights in America, Canada, and England, but not by boys, although a reader tells that some English boys were wearing them in thhe 2000s. They were worn by boys in continental European countries like Germany, Poland, and Russia. We are not sure about Scandinavia. The Baltic countries followed Soviet trends during the Siviet era. We are not sure about current trends in the Baltics. We also see them in Japan and Korea, at least South Korea, We are not sure about China. We do note them in a few countries in extreme southern lattitudes, primarily Chile and New Zealand, but only being worn by girls. We do not note them in Argentina, but our information is limited.

Age

Age conventions varied from country to country. Girls of all ages wore them on a seasonal basis. This was the case for school uniform, but some conservative schools also adopted them in part for modesty. They are still are worn by younger boys in a few countries, especially Japan and Korea.

Formality

Tights were primartily a cold weather school garment, but we see them bring worn for formal occassions in Japan and Russia.

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Created: 5:18 AM 7/13/2010
Last updated: 1:24 AM 1/8/2011