Figure 1.--In the 20th cedntury, most children wore solid color long stockings, like this American by, probably about 1920. This was the case even though sporty, patterened knee socks became very common.

Striped or banded long stockings were very popular in the 1870s and 80s. We do not see them earlier. We thinks terchnological changes made the mixed colors possible. By the 1890s we see almost entirely solid color stockingsd--mostly black. We do occassionaly see patterened long stockings in the 20th century. They were not the striped stoclkings worn earlier, but a variety of patterns like argyles. The percentage of boys wearing patterned stockings in the 20th century were a tiny percentage of the total. I think the style must have been something of a novelty and that only a few took it up. When the patterned stockings started being shown by Sears about 1929, they didn't last more than a few years--about two or three at the most. Maybe a bit like the button-on long stockings which also seem to have fizzled commercially. The situation in Germany could have been a bit different, but not all that much, I suspect. We are puzzeling over why after the 1880s, patterened stokings were so rare. It is especially puzzeling why patterned knee socks were so common and patterened long stockings were so so common. You would think that the colors and patterns for both would be similar. We have the impression that boys rather like the bright sporty colors of the knee socks. We are not sure why this did not cath on for the long stockings. A reader suggests it mmay reflect parent's preference for formality. . We wonder if cost was a factor? Of course if it was it would presumably affect knee socks as well.

Patterened Trends

Striped or banded long stockings were very popular in the 1870s and 80s. We do not see them earlier. We thinks terchnological changes made the mixed colors possible. By the 1890s we see almost entirely solid color stockingsd--mostly black. We do occassionaly see patterened long stockings in the 20th century. They were not the striped stoclkings worn earlier, but a variety of patterns like argyles. At the same time wedo see patterened knee socks, especially by the 1920s. This varied from country to country. Patterened knee socks to be worn with knickers were very common in America during the 1920s. We do get patterned long stockings in America in the late 1920s, but the fad seems to have been short-lived and not vert common. We have posted several examples on HBC. Check the Sears pages. There is also an example from Hull House in Chicago, as I recall. There is also another example from Germany of a boy with patterned long stockings and black supporters showing, which we've discussed before, but I forget the date. I think it would have been the 1940s. Charles

Proportion of Patterened Stockings

The percentage of boys wearing patterned stockings in the 20th century were a tiny percentage of the total. I think the style must have been something of a novelty and that only a few took it up. When the patterned stockings started being shown by Sears about 1929, they didn't last more than a few years--about two or three at the most. Maybe a bit like the button-on long stockings which also seem to have fizzled commercially. The situation in Germany could have been a bit different, but not all that much, I suspect. We are puzzeling over why after the 1880s, patterened stokings were so rare.

Proportion of Patterened Knee Socks

It is especially puzzeling why patterned knee socks were so common and patterened long stockings were so so common. This varied from country to country, but psatterened knee sicks were very common in America during the 920s and 30s. They were not as common in other countries. You would think that the colors and patterns for both knee sicksand long stockings would be similar.

Parents Attitude

We are not sure why this did not cath on for the long stockings. A reader suggests it mmay reflect parent's preference for formality. An American reader writes, "Yes, it does seem strange. I think perhaps parents who insisted on long stockings for boys were quite conservative (like my parents). I would not have been allowed to wear sporty long stockings when I was a boy. My parents would have thought them too 'outrageous'--especially for places like church and even for school. But the sporty knee socks were a bit different--partly because knee socks were already a bit more informal--at least from my mother's point of view. She didn't like knickers either, especially since they were often worn (in America) with patterned socks. But my mother had very European ideas of what boys should wear. And perhaps this is why we went to boarding schools as opposed to public schools when we were children. Maybe in Germany it was a bit different."

Children's Attitudes

We have the impression that boys rather like the bright sporty colors of the knee socks.

Cost

We wonder if cost was a factor? Of course if it was it would presumably affect knee socks as well.