Figure 1.--This 1908 photograph shows children wearing both long stockings and socks. Long stockings were generally worn by American children in the 19th century, both with skirted garments abnd pants. After the turn of the 20th century, socks gradually becanme more common, especially after World War I in the 1920s.

American boy wore long stockings with many different garments. Unlike Europe, socks were not very common in America until the 20th century, especially after World war I in the 1920s. Younger boys, especially in the 19th century, often wore skirted garments. This included dresses, skirts, kilts, and tunics and to a lesser extent pinafores. Thisd was very common in the late 19th century. Most boys of course, especially older boys, wore long stockings with various types of pants. Boys primarily wore long stockings with pants, most commonly kneepants and knickers. After the early 1920s they were also sometimes worn with short pants. It is sometimes difficult to determine if boys are wearing long stockings. You can not tell if boys in long pants are wearing them, but you usually can tell if boys in knickers are wearing them.

Skirted Garments

Boys wore long stockings with many different garments. Younger boys, especially in the 19th century, often wore skirted garments. This included dresses, skirts, kilts, and tunics and to a lesser extent pinafores. This was very common in the late 19th century. Children might wear socks with these skirted garments. This was very common in Europe, but not America. Long stockings were much more common very common in some countries, especially the United States. Kilt suits in America were almost always worn with long stockings. A good example is Martin Allister Wambold in 1886. Another example is Bert Dodge, we believe in the 1880s.

Pants Types

Boys primarily wore long stockings with pants, most commonly kneepants and knickers. After the early 1920s they were also sometimes worn with short pants. It is sometimes difficult to determine if boys are wearing long stockings. You can not tell if boys in long pants are wearing them, but you usually can tell if boys in knickers are wearing them. It is possible to tell if boys wearing short pants are wearing long stockings, but this was the least common style of pants worn with them, other than with long pants. HBC can only speculate at this time, but does not believe that long stockings were commonly worn with long pants. Some younger boys, however, may have worn them. Long stockings were primarily worn by children. Mothers felt it was important to keep children, especially younger children warm. Thus older children deemed mature enough to wear long trousers, probably were less likely to ear long stockings. Boys in the late 19th century wore long stockings that went above the knee with knee length pants. The stockings were mostly black in the late 19th century or some dark color. A fashion of horizontal striped stockings was fashionable in the 1860s-70s. Younger boys might go barefoot during the summer for play, but all boys wore long stockings when dressing up. The length of the stockings varied. Boys usually continued wearing wore dark stoclngs with the knickers that for the most part replaced kneepanrs during the 1910s. Knickers became increasingly popular and by the 1920s were increasingly worn with knee socks. Hoisery styles changed after the turn of the century. White stockings appeared instead of just black or dark colored stockings. Short pants became increasiungly popular in the 1920s, especially in Europe. The early short pants came to the knee and during the 1910s were worn with both long stockings and knee socks. By the 1920s shorts began to be worn shorter and long stockings became much less common in Britain and America.

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Created: 12:15 AM 8/29/2010
Last updated: 12:15 AM 8/29/2010