Figure 1.--In looking at many old photographs it is not always apparent just why the children are wearing long stockings. In some cases it is clearly cold weather. In other cases like the Germany boy here, priobably in the 1910s, it is less clear. It looks like a formal studio portait.

There were several reasons for long stockings as opposed to other types of hosiery. These include modesty, fashion, and practicality (especially warmth). Modesty appears to have been a major factor involved although this has varied over time and from country to country. Modesty may have been a major factor as girkls began wearing shorter skirts and boys knee pants. We even note children wearing long stockings with swim suits. An example is an American family about 1890. Here modesty must have been the principal factor. We also notice atheletes wearing long stockings, but we are not sure about the purpose. Long stockings had a fashion component. We note stockings done in a wide range of colors, including bright stripes. Only gradually did black long stockings become standard. There was a fashion paradox about long stockings. They came to be seen as stogy and old fashioned and primarily not very attractive cold-weather wear. A good example here are the commercial postcards popular in the early 20th century. They often pictured children in very stylish clothes--and very rarely wearing long stockings. Yet they were also worn with stylish outfits for formal events. Surely climate much have been another major factor. After the turn of the 20th century we notice short pants appearing as well as three-quater length socks leaving the leg bare becoming more popular. Long stockings were more common in the Winter, but we also note them being worn for formal events. The convention appears to have been that for formal events that it was proper for even children to cover their legs. We see children for events like First Communion and Confirmations wearing long stockings. We note Teddy Kennedy when his mother took him to an audience with the Pope wore long stockings.

Modesty

Modesty appears to have been a major factor involved although this has varied over time and from country to country. Modesty may have been a major factor as girkls began wearing shorter skirts and boys knee pants. We even note children wearing long stockings with swim suits. An example is an American family about 1890. Here modesty must have been the principal factor. We also notice atheletes wearing long stockings, but we are not sure about the purpose, but assume it must have been primarily modesty. The modesty factor can clearly be seen in the late 19th and early 20th century. We often see very young European children wearing socks and with bare knees, yet older children almost always wore long stockings.

Fashion

Long stockings had a fashion component. We note stockings done in a wide range of colors, including bright stripes. Only gradually did black long stockings become standard. There was a fashion paradox about long stockings. They came to be seen as stogy and old fashioned and primarily not very attractive cold-weather wear. A good example here are the commercial postcards popular in the early 20th century. They often pictured children in very stylish clothes--and very rarely wearing long stockings. Yet they were also worn with stylish outfits for formal events. The convention appears to have been that for formal events that it was proper for even children to cover their legs. We see children for events like First Communion and Confirmations wearing long stockings. We note Teddy Kennedy when his mother took him to an audience with the Pope wore long stockings.

Seasonality

The realtive importance of the different purposes for wearing long stockings stockings varied over time. At first seasonality or warm winterwear was not a major purpose. We know this because long sockings were worn year round when shortened length pants and skirts came into style (mid-19th century). Only in the later pahase of long stockings (after World War I) do we see long stockings becoming seasonal wear. This varied somewhat from country to country. In the post World War II period we see fewer boys wearing short pants, especially during the winter. Which meant of course that long stockings wereno longer needed. It is at thius time that tights appeared which many girls wore in countries with cold winters. In afew countrues younger boys also wore them.

Practicality

Practicality appears to have been another important factor. And here we are talking about the mother's pont of view. Theycertainly were not convenient for the children involved. In terms of practicality, warmth seems to have been the major fsactor as they wer often worn during cold weaher. Surely climate much have been another major factor. After the turn of the 20th century we notice short pants appearing as well as three-quater length socks leaving the leg bare becoming more popular. Long stockings were more common in the Winter, but we also note them being worn for formal events. Warmth was not the only practical application. A German reader tells us, "Long stockings were widely worn for very practical reasons. They were warm in cold weather, cheaper than long pants, and easier to launder and repair."

School

School children both boys and girls very commonly wore long stockings to school in the 19h and early-20th century. This varied from country to county and over time. were veryMany boys in the-late 19th century wearing kneepants wore long stockings held up with stocking supporters. This was very common in both Europe and America. There was some differences from country to country. Here climate was a factor. American boys, although they did not commonly wear school uniforms, by the 1870s were commonly wearing knee pants and long stockings to school. British schools varied greatly in school uniform requirements. Many schools did not rigidly enforce uniforms. Many school boys wore long pants and thus long stockings do not appear to have been as common as in the United States. Long stockings began to disappear in the early 20th century as knickers and short pants began to replace knee pants. Long stockings continued to be worn to school in several countries with severe winters, the Scandanavian countries, Poland, Germany, Russia, and a few other countries. We also notice long stockings in Japan. They were worn to school, but usually not as part of a school uniform. We note them declining in popularity in America during the 1930s. We continue to see them in Germanu into the 1950s and in the Soviet Union even in the 60s.

Casual/Play Wear

Long stockings were also common casual and playwear. This can not be easily illistrated in the 19th century photographic record because so much of photography was formal studio portraits. Only with the advent of the snap shot led by the Kodak Brownie (1900) do we begin to see large numbers of family sbapshots and children in casual or play settings. This took alittle while to develop, but even in the 1900s decadee we see karge numbers of informal snapshots. And we see see many children wearing long stockings even though they are not dressed up or engaged in fotmal activities. Aftrr World War I this was less true in many countries because long stockings were becoming a winter clothing item. Here the trends vary substantially from country to country. In a country like Italy with a warm climate, long stockings were more of a formal clothing item and many chikldren went barefoot becauuse of poverty. In a country like Germany we see many children wearing long stockings in casual/play settings. This cahanged somewhat as long stockings became more of a warm weather garment. We think some mothers may have had the children put on old stockings after school much like mothers had primary children change intompkay clothes after school in later years.