HBC has little information about Canadian boys wearing tights. We know that as in America, girls commonly wore them once they became available, probably in the late 1950s or early 60s. iven the cold climate, however, it was a distinct possibility. We do know that Canadian children, both boys and girls, did commonly wear long stockings. Unlike other northern counties where long stockings were common, like Scandinavia, Germany, Poland, Russian and others, Canadian boys do not appear to have extensively worn tights. One Candian HBC reader reports that he wore tights as a young boy in the 1980s. Unlike Europe where they were sometimes dress wear, in Canada they were mostly worn as cold-weather wear.

Individual Comments: David (1960s)

David tells us that he noted tights for bys in the 1960s, but they were not very popular. Your site is very interesting and I thought I would add a couple of comments from my childhood. I can remember Sears Canada offering tights for boys in their Fall catalogue for a year or two (probably in the mid to late 1960s. Apparently they were not very popular. I was in a school play in grade 5 about a prince who was held captive by elves. The costumes for us boys included tights. As the prince, mine was supposed to include a shirt, bloomers and tights. The elves were supposed to wear green tights as part of there costume. I was willing to wear my costume but the other boys made such a fuss about wearing tights that I joind in as well."

Individual Comments: Charles (1980s)

I used to spend my American Thanksgiving holidays in Toronto every year during the 1980s. I did a lot of walking around the city at that time, and I occasionally saw some boys from an Anglican boys' school in their school uniforms. Their uniforms consisted of green blazers with a crest on the pocketand grey flannel short pants . I think they may have been a choir school but I am not quite sure. Most of the year the boys wore the traditional British-style knee socks with garters to hold them in place, but from about November to March (if the weather was really cold) they wore dark green tights under their short trousers to match the green blazers. I have no idea what the name of the school was or how common the wearing of tights with school uniforms was. But since all the boys wore them, there didn't seem to be any resistance, and I imagine many of the boys were grateful that their knees were covered. In Halifax, Nova Scotia, I used to see boys from about 6 6o 12 years old wearing tan cotton long stockings with short trousers to school during the 1940s. But these boys were not wearing school uniforms like the Toronto boys.

Individual Comments: Christopher (1980s)

One Canadian reader reports his own experiences in the 1980s:

It was difficult to mention with all the sillyness over boys/men wearing tights, but yes I did wear them in the winter as boys in Europe have. I was about 4-6 years old. I never recall, however, wearing them in the summer or with short pants as some European boys did. I had white, light blue and more colors that I cannot remember at this point. Only a couple of people in my family knew I even wore them.

I wore them under my pants, usually cords, for warmth in the winter on days that it was too warm to wear drawers. They were very comfortable and warm as I recall. The last rememberance I have of them was arguing over wearing those blue tights I had, or "leotards as my mother called them incorrectly, versus drawers. "Drawers" are basically long john's with no top, bottoms only. They are made in different thicknesses and from different materials. The arguement started when I said that I didn't want to wear the "long john's" to go see the annual Christmas Parade. I told her that the "leotards" or tights were more comfortable, and I know I was right being about 5 years old(?). My mother said I would be too cold wearing them under my pants and that I needed to wear the long john's or I would freeze. I was very stubborn and I still am, the end result was that I would miss the parade and be very upset for about a week. This was somewhere between 1987 and 1989, I can't be sure.

During this same time frame I was so pleased with them that I just had to haul up the leg of my long pants and say to tow older boys that I didn't know; "Look I've got "X" number of leotards at home!". My mother, holding my hand did not like this and dragged me away. I'm not sure why I did this, but you know how kids will do the darndest things, eh!? I guess I was being snobby and trying to show off or something. It was rather embarrassing to think back though, especially for my mother for some reason. Perhaps she was a bit uncomfortable with them, but I wasn't at the time. I have no photos of myself in those tights, only my memories.

Like I mentioned earlier I had an argument with my mother, well it was shortly after that that they seemed to have dissappeared from my dresser drawer. This would have been by the time I was 6 years old at the latest, but timelines are confusing to me about that portion of my life.... I was a small child (3-6yrs.), therefore I thought similar to, but not the same as one. Know what I'm saying!? I have never thought exactly like my peers.

I do not know if other Canadian boys wore tights. To tell you the truth I have no idea. I suppose those that did wouldn't want to mention it or have tried to forget it if some embarassment was associated with the tights. I'm unsure, but I think that some of mine had an overlapping fly like boys briefs underwear do, therefore they must have been for boys. It has never come up in conversation with anyone I know. I have no siblings and I was terribly spoiled in some respects, whether that would make a difference, I do not know. -- Christopher

Reader Comments

A French Canadian reader replies, "Were tights worn by boys in Canada ? Yes, but not to a large extent. We have to distinguish between girl tights in nylon and wool or cotton tights as those used for cross-country skying or for classical dance. For young boys like Christopher, it was not a problem for parents to find tights in any stores but those were for "girls only". I can understand that if a boy is wearing fine nylon tights, he will be identified as a 'sissy' because that soft kind of dress is specifically sold as girl stuff. Heavy one in ribbed cotton or wool, especially those without foot are more socially acceptable for some activities popular around 1970 and 1980 ... in Germany. In Canada, to be a man implies you wear a boxer with a pair of socks in winter even in cold weather. Boys are invented by their dad to be MAN. You will not be perceived as a "rough and tough" if your legs are not frozen. At last, some will wear long johns as a lesser problem. Anyway, they were tolerated. And tights abhored !!! But it happened that some parents came to hate those ugly pieces of garment which seemed out-dated. More, it happened that some Canadians noted a catalog from West Germany called "House Quelle" . That was my case and I bought some COLORED tights for the whole family. During the same time, Sears offered long johns, nothing more. Why having not tried to sell tights? This I do not understand. So, all the family wore colored tights during winters. To avoid any confusions, the German manufacturer made concessions in making a fly for men and boy. Then, winters were more colored. I think it is unlilely that people in Communist countries could have bought tights form "House Quelle", but when I read here that tights were popular in Poland, Russia, and East Germany there must have been domestic manufacturers. I do make a relation between offer and demand. In those countries, it was possible to wear tights for men and boys because they were sold in any store. If they were used by just a few people in Canada or in United States, it was just because they were unable to find a place like "House Quelle" offering them." -- Michel

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Created: July 8, 2001
Last updated: 4:07 AM 1/10/2007