Long Stockings: Weave


Figure 1.--Stockings were made in both flat and ribbed weaves. We are still working on the conventions associated with these weaves. Ribbed weaves were popular for winter wear abd flat weaves for dress wear. Fla weaves also seem more common with girls, but we see many boys wearing them as well. Here an Anerican boy we think in the early 1910s wear flat-weave stockings.

We have only limited information at this time on stocking weaves, but have begun to collect some information. Stockings were mostly worn with flat knit weaves. They were also available in heavier ribbed weaves which we also see in old photographs. These ribbed stockings were especially popular for cold weather winter weather. Rib knits came in wide or narrow rib style. The barrow rib was promoted as offered a more trim fit. The toes and heels in better made stockings were reinforced. Some Sears ads mentions a "seamless feel for comfort". Some long stockings were knit in extra fine gauge "... for trim fit, good look". We have no idea at this time when ribbed stockings first appeared and who initiated. They were a useful innovation. Plain stockings are very limited in extension. Plain cotton stockings were worn by women until nylon stockings but also by children. They were very smooth but also fragile. Ribbed cotton long stockings mainly in the feet can double the lenght and it was possible for the child to wear his or her stockings longer because the ribs allowed the child to wear through growth spurts. But the main factor is that they were hard wearing. The ribs varied in thickness. The popularity of ribbed stockings have varied from country to country and seemed to have been the most populasr in the more northerly countries with colder Winters. There also appear to have been gender conventions associated with ribbed stockings, but this varried among countries. We do not have any written information on gender trends. We can only assess available images and most of the images we have are American and German. Here we note that many girls do wear flat weave stockings and boys ribbed stockings. But we also note girls wearing ribbed stockings and boys wearing flat weaved stockings.

Weave Types

Stockings were mostly worn with flat knit weaves, although this seem to have varied over time. They were also available in heavier ribbed weaves which we also see in old photographs. These ribbed stockings were especially popular for cold weather winter weather. Rib knits came in wide or narrow rib style. The barrow rib was promoted as offered a more trim fit. The toes and heels in better made stockings were reinforced. We have no idea at this time when ribbed stockings first appeared. We also do not know who invented them. They were a useful innovation. Plain stockings are very limited in extension. Plain cotton stockings were worn by women until nylon stockings but also by children. They were very smooth but also fragile. Ribbed cotton long stockings mainly in the feet can double the lenght and it was possible for the child to wear his or her stockings longer because the ribs allowed the child to wear through growth spurts. But the main factor is that they were hard wearing. The ribs varied in thickness. A Canadian reader who collects vintage clothing tells us, "I have some ribbed stockigs from 1927 which are ribbed 3/1 (largest ribs, the finest being 1/1) and very thick and heavy, the ideal for active boys. But they were not very [?extensive} and do not fit the leg very well. They were worn by boys for active outdoor activities. Like longjohns, those stockings became very popular. But one of the problem with 2/1 ribbed stockings is that they let imprints of rib on he legs which the children didn't like." The popularity of ribbed stockings have varied from country to country and seemed to have been the most populasr in the more northerly countries with colder Winters.

Seams

Some Sears ads mentions a "seamless feel for comfort". Some long stockings were knit in extra fine gauge "... for trim fit, good look".

Chronology

We have developed some information on when ribbing first appeared and how weaving varied over time. Ribbed stockings for children of both sexes seem to have been invented fairly early—in the later 19th century—originally as a way of insuring greater elasticity and closer fit so that stockings did not bag around the knees or ankles and thus look untidy. But quite soon historically, knitting manufacturers discovered techniques for producing stockings that had a flat or smooth appearance that were nevertheless neat in appearance and suitably form-fitting. These stockings were often very finely ribbed but in such a way as to look smooth. The custom in colder climates of wearing long underwear underneath long stockings complicated the problem of smooth fit and the avoidance of a bulky appearance, but by the early decades of the 20th century ribbed and non-ribbed stockings were equally form-fitting. Or to put the matter a bit more accurately, even many plain-weave stockings were actually ribbed but so finely ribbed that the texture was elegantly smooth.

Countries

Weaveing trends seem to have varied somewhat among countries, but we do not have extensive details at this time. There are large number of images archived on HBC with children wearing long stockings. We will link some of the images here to help develop some country information on weaving. We think that there are many similarities from country, especially because thart long stockings were most commonly worn by children in northern countries. There do, however, seem to have been some differences. We note for examplw more flat knot stockings in the United states and more ribbed knit stockings in Canada.

Gender

There also appear to have been gender conventions associated with ribbed stockings. A reader writes, Boys wore normally ribbed stockings and girls plain". HBC thinks the question is much more complicated than this. We do not know for example if there were variations from country to country nor how conventions varied over time. We do not have any written information on gender trends. We can only assess available images and most of the images we have are American and German. Here we note that many girls do wear flat weave stockings and boys ribbed stockings. But we also note girls wearing ribbed stockings and boys wearing flat weaved stockings. We think here a factor was that flat-weave stockings were steen as more dressy. I think this is why we may see more girls and fewer boys wearing flat-weave stockings. Girls were nore likely to dress up or wear dressy clothes. Boys were more likely to wear long stockings for warmth than dressy outfits. Here chronology was a factor as theese conventions varied over time. In analyzing the long history of boys wearing long stockings with knee pants, knickers, and short trousers, the question arises as to a possible preference for ribbed over flat weave (i.e., plain weave) stockings. Or vice versa. Canadian readers have suggested that a gender issue was involved, that is, that ribbed stockings were thought more masculine and therefore preferred by boys whereas plain weave stockings were favored by girls and therefore distinctive of female children’s dress. This distinction might possibly have obtained locally in some communities of Quebec, but we see so many boys wearing both ribbed and plain weave stockings over the decades that gender cannot have been a universal consideration.

Conventions

From examining clothing catalogs and the numerous available photographs, there is a good deal of evidence to suggest that plain weave stockings were considered to be more dressy and were therefore favored by parents of both boys and girls for formal occasions such as first communions, weddings, and formal family portraits were children where either dressing for some ceremonial occasion or else urged to look their best. Plain weave stockings were often worn also as a matter or course for school and in countries such as Germany and the United States for general wear without regard to gender.

Other Hosiery

We notice various weaves in other types of hosiery such as knee socks and tights. Generally speaking, the same issues of ribbed versus non-ribbed stockings (or lack thereof) persist into the choice of tights for boys. Tights began to replace long stockings for boys in Japan, Germany, Russia and other parts of Europe in the late 1950s. Plain-weave tights seem to have been more common, but we notice also the appearance of ribbed tights in places such as Germany and Japan.






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Created: 11:35 PM 11/11/2006
Last updated: 10:16 PM 12/16/2006