Figure 1.--This ad for Iron Clad stockings appeared in the August 16, 2004 issue of "The Youth's Companion". This ad suggests boys put on their kneepants first and then their stockings.
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Figure 1.--This ad for Iron Clad stockings appeared in the August 16, 2004 issue of "The Youth's Companion". This ad suggests boys put on their kneepants first and then their stockings. |
We note many advertisements for stocking supporters like garter waists. Almost always they show children with their long stockings on before putting on pants and dresses. We rather concluded from that this was the way that children dressed, first putting bon their long stockings and securing them to the type of stocking supporters that mother had selected for them. We then noted a rather unusual ad showing a boy putting on his long stockings after first putting on his kneepants. We are inclined to think that this was more common than is suggested by the many illustrations in magazxines and catalogs. This is because that it better illustrated the stocking supporters and waists if the boy had not yet put on his kneepants or short pants.
We are not entirely sure how boys wearing long stockings dressed in the morning. Did they fotst put on their long stockings or did they first put on their pants. This question occurred to us when we noted the advertisemrnt here which at first rather surprised us.
We note many advertisements for stocking supporters like garter waists. Almost always they show children with their long stockings on before putting on pants and dresses. We rather concluded from that this was the way that children dressed, first putting bon their long stockings and securing them to the type of stocking supporters that mother had selected for them.
We then noted a rather unusual ad showing a boy putting on his long stockings after first putting on his kneepants. We are inclined to think that this was more common than is suggested by the many illustrations in magazxines and catalogs. This is because that it better illustrated the stocking supporters and waists if the boy had not yet put on his kneepants or short pants.
A reader writes, "I had the same thought when I saw the Iron Clad advertisement. It would depend, I think, on how tight the knee pants were. If they were not too form fitting the stockings could be attached to the hose supporters underneath the hem of the
trousers. And I have seen images of older boys wading in water with knee pants on, so, in some cases at least, they could probably have removed and put on their stockings without taking off their trousers. With short pants (worn in the 1920s and later) there was plenty of room to attach garters without removing the short pants. I didn't have to remove my short pants for this purpose in the 1930s and early 1940s. But the image here (in 1904) looks a bit problematic. Something would also depend, I think, on how long the stockings were. If they came high up on the leg (as some stockings did), the
task of attaching the garters would be more awkward.
Images archived on HBC provide some insights to this question. A good example is a photograph of Charles showing the susmder attachments at the hem of the boy's kneepants. Another photograph shows Mark also wearing the attachments at the same level. These photographs might help answer the question of whether the Iron Clad stockings (1904 ad) could be put on without removing knee pants. Notice that in these photographs the hose supporters are in view and could obviously be attached or detached without removing the knee pants. The Spenser boys were photographed at about the same time as the advertisement was published. It throws a bit of light on the issue, because in some of these photographs you can actually see the clasp of the hose supporters at the hem of the knee pants.
A Canadian reader who wore long stockings as a boy tells us, "About the sequence of putting on garments in the morning, boys began with underwear, then suspenders, shirt, short pant and long stockings they tied to suspenders. HBC has a lot of information on garter waists and other support devices involving suspender attachments. Actually many boys objected to these devices and preferred round garters which were easier to pull in and out. The
problem with suspenders is that they entangle when loosen or they
stretch out when becaming smaller after many laundries. No problem
with round garter . No bad feeling like being harnessed. And it was so simple to pull on stockings when outside and pull out when at home. It was so logical that girls follows. To be perceived different, boys asked to wear knickers and older boys long pants. Catalogs don't tell the entire story. Some doctors were apparently against round garters for being dangerous for blood circulation." Our Canadian reader is entirely correct. The HBC catalog and advertisement pages can not be used in isolation to establish popular clothing styles and dress conventions. That is why it is only one section of HBC. We do believe that there is a great deal of valuable information in the catalalog section, which if used correctly can add to our understanding if children's fashions abd dress trends over time.
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