* long stockings: country trends--Russia








Russian Long Stockings


Figure 1.--This illustration in the Soviet basic ABC beginning reader (1963-74) shows boys at school wearing long and short pants, one with long stockings. Note the girls wear kneesocks and long stockings.

Boys in other countries such as the Baltic countries and Russia also wore long stockings. HBC doesn't have good information on these countries, but hope interested readers will provide some information. A Russian reader tells us that long stockings began to be worn in Russia during the 1880s. This was when kneepants bgan to be more commonly worn by boys insttead of the long trousers boys wore earlier in the 19th century. While they were commonly worn with short pants in Germany and Poland, this was less true in Russia where short pants were not as commonly worn--except briefly during the summer. Some younger boys, however, did wear shorts year round with long stockings. Some boys wore shorts to school with long stockings. We believe that long stockings were very commony worn in Russia. THey were pratical for the cold Russian weather. A Russian reader tells us, however, that long stockings were not just a cold weather fashion, but were also worn by boys in other seasons. Conventions varied, long stockings were worn fir dressy occassions, to school, for play, and other activities. A Russian reader reports that long stockings were commonly worn through the 1960s, but that after tights appeared about 1969 they rapidly replaced long stockings. They were little seen in Russia after 1972.

Eastern Europe

Boys in countries such as the Baltic countries and Russia commonly ewore long stockings. Many of these countries were associated with Russia, eiher as part of Czarist Russia, the Soviet Union, and the East Bloc. HBC doesn't have good information on these countries, but hope interested readers will provide some information.

Illustrations

The illustration here is from the standard ABC-book (beginning reader book) used in the entire Soviet Union (figure 1). BYKBAPb was the only book used throughout the country and reprinted in many editions from 1963-74. No other beginning reader was used in the country during this period. Tens of millions of children used it. The fact that boys are pictured in short pants and long stockings suggest that this was an officially sanctioned style of children's wear. Any 7-year old Soviet child learning to read would have used this book and only this book.

Chronology

A Russian reader tells us that long stockings began to be worn in Russia during the 1880s. This was when kneepants began to be more commonly worn by boys instead of the long trosers boys wore earlier in the 19th century. Older boys wore long stockings before World War I than was the case after the War. Long stockings were common winter wear in Russia. Many younger boys wore them with short pants. Older boys might wear them under theor long pants in cold weather. The school reader here, probably published in the 1960s shows both boys and girls wearing long stockings. A Russian reader reports that long stockings were commonly worn through the 1960s, but that after tights appeared about 1969 they rapidly replaced long stockings. They were little seen in Russia after 1972.

Garments

Long stockings were initially worn with kneepans. When kneepants began to go out of style in the 1910s, boys began wearing long stockings with other pants. We have noted them being worn with short pants. We are less sure how common knickers were or to what extent they were worn with long stockings. We believe that to some extent long stockings were worn with ling trousers, but of course this is difficulkt to assess. Short panys were commonly worn with short pants in Germany and Poland. HBC had asumed that this would hav been less common, in Russia because of he climate. A Russian reader tells us that Russian boys also commonly ore short pnts with long stockings. It does seem that that shrt pants were less commoinly worn in Russia because of the relatively short summer and bitter winter weather.

Age

The ages of boys wearing long stockings has varied over time. HBC is unsure at this time just what age boys wore kneepants and long stockings in the late 19th annd early 20th century. We do know that generally younger boys wore short pants with ling stockings after World War II. Many Russian boys wore shorts and long stockings to about 7-8 years of age. After that fewer boys wore shoryts with long stockings. Even so boys to age 10 wearing shorts and long stockings were not uncommon. Usually boys over 9 so dressed were doing so because there mothers insisted. Few boys older than 11-12 years of age wore shorts with long stockings.

Colors

We do not yet have much information on the long stocking colors. We believe that black was the ptincipal color in the late-19th century and early 20th century, although our information is still limited. After World war I we begin to see lighter shades such as tan and grey. During the early Soviet era our information is limited, but we have more information by the 1930s. A Russian reader tells us, The primary color only color for the causal children stockings during the Soviet era, both for boys and girls, was different shades of brown, from dark to light. The only other color used for play wear was grey. For dressy outfit white stockings were used. I have never seen other colors of stockings in Soviet movies, books, magazines or photos. Brown pr to a lesser extent grey for everyday wear, white for dressy. Unlike Europe, black was not worn for formal wear." Both boys and girls wote these colors. Notice the grey stockings here in the school book depiction (figure 1). We see a 1960 Russian film depicting contemporary schoolboys clothes wearing light brown or tan long stockings. We note that white seems to have been popular for formal occassions. Girls commonly wore white stockings. Younger boys might wear white long stockings for forml occassions. This trend continued when tights replaced long stockings. A good example is an unidentified children's choir in the 1970s.

Conventions

The conventions for wearing long stockings were varied. The conventions varied over time, in part because older boys wore long stockings before World War I than was the case after the War. When tights appeared in the 1970s the same conventioins were followed. Long stockings were very commony worn in Russia. They were pratical for the cold Russian weather. A Russian reader tells us, however, that long stockings were not just a cold weather fashion, but were also worn by boys in other seasons. Some younger boys did wear shorts year round with long stockings. Some boys wore shorts to school with long stockings. Conventions varied, long stockings were worn for dressy occassions, to school, for play, and other activities. Some parents though a little boy looked smarter wearing long stockings with short pants. They were seen as suitable for children. Thus children were sometimes dressed in short pants suits and long stockings for important family events, weddings, awards, and other ecents. Some children wore lonh stockings with their Young Pioneer uniforms.

Support

We are not entirely sure how Russian children held up their long stockings. There were no advertisements in Soviet magazines. Thus we do not find the advertisements like the ones for garter waists in American catalogs and magazines that show us how American children held up their long stockings. We note one photograph in the HBC school section that shows how some Kindergarden children in 1965 were holding up their long stockings. Some of the children are apparently wearing bodices (the Russian equivalent of the German Leibchen) with hose supporters attached in front rather than at the sides. There may have been two supporters at the back to balance the two in front also, but the photo doesn't clarify that. Notice the tall boy's stockings (second from the right). A 1964 post card also provides some clues to stocking supporters. A reader writes, "Notice that the garter clasps show under the lad's short trousers and that there are two single straps for each leg rather than the double-pendant Y-shaped garters that were so common in the United States. The boy is undoubtedly wearing a bodice with two garters on the side (like the one faceing in the illustration) and two others in front (clearly implied by the position of the stocking top on the other leg)."







HBC






Related HBC Pages:
[Return to the Main national long stockings page]
[Return to the Main hoisery page]
[Knee socks] [White knee socks] [Long stockings]
[Striped socks] [White stockings] [Tights]



Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronologies] [Countries] [Style Index]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Links] [Glossaries] [Images] [Links] [Registration]
[Boys' Clothing Home]




Created: December 26, 2001
Last updated: 12:25 AM 9/28/2010