Figure 1.--Tghis snap shot is undated, but was probanly taken during the early 1930s. These print dresses weee popular for girls. Long stockings were becoming less popular, but still worn. This girl wears them and it is not particularly cold out. Notice the pigtails.

Long stockings were worn by both boys and girls. In fact the same stockings were worn by both genders. We know of no significant gender differences for many years. The principal exception to this seems to have been color. White stockings were worn more by girls than boys. But even this varied chronologically. Images from the 19th century show most boys and girls wearing long stockings. Some younger boys wore white stiockings, but even for them the darkstockings were more common. As long stockings began declining in popularity during the 1930s, I think that girks were somewhat more likely to wear them than boys, but our information is too limited at this time to make any definitive assessment. Many girls began to see long stockings as unfasionable, even dowdy and didn't want to wear them. Boys were less concerned about fashion, but more their image so for the most part only hyounger boys wore them. In addition the increasingly usage of long pants made them less important to keep wore than had been the case when knickers and short pants were more common. This may be part of the reason why girls who mostly wore skirts wore long stockings more commonly than boys.

Gender Conventions

Long stockings were worn by both boys and girls. In fact the same stockings were worn by both genders. We know of very few exceptions to this. The photographic record shows many families in which the children are wearing the same stockings. A good example is an unidentified family, oprobably in the late 1920s. We also note school and other group photographs in which the children are wearing long stockings. Black long stockings were common for both genders for quite a long time. We note no significant gender differences for many years.

Color Exception

The principal exception to this seems to have been color. White stockings were worn more by girls than boys. But even this varied chronologically. Some younger boys wore white stockings, but even for them the dark stockings were more common.

Chronology

We note both boys and girls wearing long stockings in both the 19th and 20th centuries. Images from the 19th century show most boys and girls wearing long stockings. As long stockings began declining in popularity during the 1930s, I think that girls were somewhat more likely to wear them than boys, but our information is too limited at this time to make any definitive assessment. Many girls began to see long stockings as unfasionable, even dowdy and didn't want to wear them. Boys were less concerned about fashion, but more their image so for the most part only hyounger boys wore them. In addition the increasingly usage of long pants made them less important to keep wore than had been the case when knickers and short pants were more common. This may be part of the reason why girls who mostly wore skirts wore long stockings more commonly than boys.

Created: 8:30 PM 11/23/2006
Last updated: 8:30 PM 11/23/2006