Figure 1.--This German boy wears red tights as part of a colod weather outfit with knicker-like ski pants.
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Figure 1.--This German boy wears red tights as part of a colod weather outfit with knicker-like ski pants. |
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.
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. German boys, especially younger boys, still commonly wore shorts in the 1960s. Thus some German boys wore them with tights during the winter. By the 1970s, however, this became much less common.
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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