Strap Shoes: Hoisery


Figure 1.--Strap shoes with white socks were most common with younger boys, but some older boys also wore them. Boys began wearing white kneesocks with strap shoes in the 1920s. Except for very young boys, this was more common in Europe than America.

Strap shoes in the 19th century were worn with both short stocks and long stockings. White socks were the most common, but they were also worn with dark stockings. After the turn of the century, they were increasingly worn with white, often three-quarter length socks. They were also worn with long over the knee stockings. After World War I (1914-18), white knee socks became increasingly common.

Chronological Trends

Strap shoes in the 19th century were worn with both short stocks and long stockings. White socks were the most common in the early 19th century. Boys wearing skeleton suits with strap shoes, often wore tem with short white socks. Strap shoes were, however, also worn with dark stockings, especially during the late 19th century. After the turn of the century, they were increasingly worn with white, often three-quarter length socks. They were also worn with long over the knee stockings. After World War I (1914-18), white kneesocks became increasingly common.

Color

Strap shoes were most commonly worn with white socks or stockings. White socks were commonly worn by younger boys, but some older boys wore them as well. Black socks and stockings were also common. Colored socks were occasionally seen with strap shoes during the late 19th century, but were not very common. The colored socks were most common for older boys.

Black

Black stockings and socks were most commonly worn with strap shoes in the late 19th century, except for very young boys. Even as white socks and stockings became more common after the turn of the 20th century, black continued to be seen as suitable for formal occassions. Sone other veerry dark colors such as dark brown were also worn.

White

Strap shoes were most commonly worn with white socks or stockings. Colored socks were occasionally seen with strap shoes during the late 19th century. For the most part, from the early 19th century when strap shoes were first commonly worn, they have generally been worn with white socks.

Colored

Colored socks were occasionally seen with strap shoes during the late 19th century. The colored socks were most common for older boys. I am not sure what colors were worn. The black and white photographyb of the era shows that colored socks were worn. It is not clear, however, just what colors these socks were. The black and white photographs do not shed any light on actual colors.

Type

Boys have worn a variety of white hosiery with strap shoes. The types varied over time and from country to country.

Ankle socks


Three-quarter length socks

We see boys and girls in the 19th century and early -20 century wearing strap shoes with white three-quarter socks. This was especially true in Europe. A good example is Rebecca Solomon's depiction of an idealized Victorian family (early-1850s). This was less true in America where children were more likely ro wear long stockings. We see more three-quarter socks at the turn-of the 20th century and even American children are wearing them. After World War I (1914-18), however, three-quarer socks went oit of syyle and children mostly wore ankle aocks and knee socks, alhough long stockings were still common in some countries. Strap shoes continued tyo be wormn by childten, especially girls.

Kneesocks

White kneesocks appeared in the 1900s, but they were not commonly worn until the 1920s. In the first two decades of the 20th century, three-quarter length socks and long stockings were more common than kneesocks. We have noted boys wearing white kneesocks with strap shoes most commonly in the 1920s and 30s. In appears to have been most common in Europe, countries like France and Germany and to a lesser extent Britain. American boys also wore them, but to a lesser extemt. They were different weights of white socks worn. This appears to have been a style most commonly worn by younger boys. There was also an element of social class involved. The most common color of strap shoe worn with white kneesocks was black, but colored shoes were also worn. This was a dressy style. It was most commonly worn with some kind of juvenile suit or a fancy blouse.

Over the knee stockings

Boys in the late 19th century connonly wore strap shoes with long stockings. Different styles of strap shoes were worn with long stockings. Black or other dark colors were the most common. Especially in the late 19th century, strapshoes were more common for affluent children. These were not the kind of shoes that could be commonly worn out of doors. After the turn of the 20th century, white became more common. Different weights of stockings were worn. Lighter weights were more common for dress occassions. Considerable differences existed between countries.

Tights

Tights for children did not appear until the late 1950s. Girls commonly wore them with strap shoes, especially for dress occassions. Boys were, however, by this time less commonly wearing strap shoes.








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Created: April 21, 2000
Last updated: 6:35 PM 9/17/2013