Figure 1.--This German boy wears red tights as part of a colod weather outfit with knicker-like ski pants. |
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German boys have worn tights with a variety of clothes. When tights appeared on the German market about 1959, German boys still commonly wore short pants. Shorts were declining in popularity, especially during the winter, but still worn. Knickers were no longer worn, but boys did wear knicker-length ski pants. Lederhosen, both short and knee-length styles, were also worn. Increasingly, however, German boys were wearing long pants, a trend which became pronounced by the 1970s. Many advertisements show children wearing tights with just a "T"-shirt or other simple shirt. HBC believes that this was a device to best show the tights, and not a way in which tights were actually worn.
German boys have worn tights with a variety of clothes. Although tights were most popular during the 1960s and 70s, they still continue to be worn by boys with various garments.
German boys did not commonly wear tights with short pants, largely because by the time tights appeared in the 1950s, short pants were still quite common, but becoming warm weather, casual wear. This had become the case by the 1960s. There was an exceoption here. The principal reason for wearing tights (as for long stockings) was for warmth. Many but a decreasing number of boys still wore short pants year round in the 1950s. We note boys wearing tights at home, both with and wihout short pants in informal suituations during the late-50s and early 60s. These would have been winter photographs although it is not always obvious in indoor photographs. There was another reason--formlity. Thus we see a few boys in the 1950s ad early 60s wearing short pants suits and tights for formal occassions. And for formal dress, tights were not just worn during the winter. So boys were more likely to be wearing short pants, at least in the 1950s and 60s. Here in formal situations we see boys wearing white tights. A good example is an unidentified German boy wear white tights with a white suit for his First Communion. Getrman boys did wear tights in the 1960s, but not commonly with shorts. This was because by the 1960s boys were wearing long pans in the winter. We rarely see boys wearing tights with short pants by the 1970s. There is one exception, but we are not sure about the chrinology. We do note tights being worn with shorts for sport in the 1990s. EWe are not sure when this usage developed. This has continued into the 2000s. It seems especially the case of boys playing soccer in the winter.
Knickers were no longer worn by the time tights appeared. Knickers had been worn by older boys in the 1920s-30s. They were also considered appropriate for cold winter weather instead of short pants. They declined in popularity during the 1940s, except for the winter Hitler Youth uniform, which involved knicker or ski pants. Some boys wore knickers after World War II (1939-45), but by the early 1950s they were rarely seen.
German boys did wear knicker-length ski pants. I'm not sure when ski pants were firstvintoduced or how the popularity varied over time. Younger boys might wear ski pants with tights while older boys would wear kneesocks.
Lederhosen, both short and knee-length styles were also worn. I'm not sure how lederhosen have vaired in popularity. I believe that many boy since the 1960s have wrn jeans that earlier would have worn lederhosen. Younger boys wearing lederhosen might wear tights with them.
Increasingly, however, German boys were wearing long pants, a trend which became pronounced by the 1970s.
Tights were also worn with sports gear, especially soccer uniforms. Boys wear the same uniforms in the winter that they wear in the summer, only they may add a jacket during the winter. Some boys also wear tights to keepmwarm or for protection.
Many advertisements show children wearing tights with just a "T"-shirt or other simple shirt. HBC believes that this was a device to best show the tights, and not a way in which tights were actually worn.
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