Figure 1.-- Here we see two unidentified brothers, probably during the 1920s. The older boy wearing knickers and black long stockings looks to be about 8 years old. His little brother wearing a Fauntleroy suit with white long stockings looks to be about 5 years old.

White long stockings were primarily associated with girls, but we do note some boys wearing them in the early 20th century. It was mostly younger boys that tended to dress up in long white stockings, primarily for forml occassions. They were especially common for pre-school boys and to a lesser extent for boys in early primary school years. A good example is an American boy who looks to be about 5 years old in the early 20th century. For the most part we see pre-school boys wearing white long stockings. We see some older boys wearing them for fomal occassions. Boys doing their First Communion might wear white long stockings. We also sometimes see boys involved in formal weddings wearing white long stockings. They were not, howecver, very common for school age boys. We see some boys wearing white long stockings for formal portraits, but again mostly pre-school boys or boys in their early primary years. They were, however, very common with girls, including older girls.

1 Year Old

Most of the boys wearing white long stockings were pre-school boys about 1-5 years old. We see some boys wearing white long stockings for formal portraits, but again mostly pre-school boys or boys in their early primary years. They were, however, very common with girls, including older girls.

2 Year Old

3 Year Old

We see many American boys wearing white long stockings with outfits like tunics, Fauntleroy suits, Oliver Twist suits, and sailor suits. Dresses were less common as the convention of outfitting younger boys in dresses was on the decline. This was especially common in the early 20th century, 1900-20. Quite a few family portraits show all the younger children in a family wearing white long stockings, commonly with identical strap shoes. For 3-year olds there do not have seem to have been gnder associations with either white long stockings and strap shoes in the early 20th century.

4 Year Old

5 Year Old

We still see quite a few 5-years olds wearing white long stockings when dressing up. We have found quite a few examples in the photographic record. This was the last pre-school year, although sove 5-year olds attended Kingergarten. We note 5-year olds weasring white long stockings as part of their standard drss-up outfits, especially spring and summer outfits. After boys began school, at 6-years of age, we mostly see white long stockings for formal events like weddings. For 5-year olds this was not the case, the white stovkings might be wirn with standard suits and not jusdt formal events. A good example is an American boy who looks to be about 5 years old in the early 20th century. Another example is the boy here (figure 1). Another good example is an unidentified family about 1910. Most boys wore white long stockings with knee pants. Even in the 1910s when knicvkers became stadard foir school age boys, whire long stockinfs were almost always worn with knee pants. Here a factor is the ge of the boys. While knee pants went out of style cor bots, younger boys continued to wear them, especially in the 1910s.

6 Year Old

Most children begn school at age 6 years. This provides us a good way of assessing the age of boys wearing wehite stockings. We see very few boys going to school wearing white stockings. We continue to see girls of all ages wearing white long stockings. After age 6, howeve, we see far fewer boys. Boys did not commonly wear white long sockings to school, even 6-year old first graders. This is clear;y evident in the photographic ecord, even in the 1900s and 1910s when white stockings were most populr. We still see some 6-year olds dressing up with white long stockings for for formal occassions like weddings or special events like recitals.

7 Years Old

For the most part we see pre-school boys wearing white long stockings. We see some older boys wearing them for fomal occasions. Boys doing their First Communion might wear white long stockings. We also sometimes see boys involved in formal weddings wearing white long stockings. They were not, however, very common for school age boys. We see some boys wearing white long stockings for formal portraits, but again mostly pre-school boys or boys in their early primary years. They were, however, very common with girls, including older girls.

8 Year Olds

Ee have found few examples of 8-year ols boys wearing white long stockings. Thefew examples we hve noted are boys involved in frmal events like weddins or recitals. A few boys did their First Communioin a little late, but the prevalence in the photograpohic record suhhests tht this was not very common.

Created: 7:06 AM 9/29/2008
Last updated: 4:45 AM 5/27/2010