Figure 1.--This American boy was photographed for his First Communion, probably in the 1910s. He wears dark stockings with a dark Norfolk suit--probably navy blue.

We are not sure yet about hosiery conventions in the mid-19th century. We do not see many children wearing black long stockings. They become much more common in the 1890s and 1900s--virtually universal. Both boys and girls wore black stockings for virtually all occassins. Black long stockings were worn both for formal occassions and for everyday wear. They were very commonly worn to school. We see younger boys and girls wearing white stckings in the 1900s, but blck was more common. The color of long stockings began to become more diverse in the 1910s and especially after World War I in the 1920s. Black gradually became increasingly worn for formnal occassions. Younger boys might wear white stockings, but most school age boys more commonly wore black for formal occassions. Tan and other brown shades of long stockings became more common in the 1920s and 30s and black began to be increasingly seen as a color for formal wear.

Created: 2:32 AM 12/6/2007
Last updated: 2:32 AM 12/6/2007