Figure 4.--This socilaite mother in the 1970s appears with her formally dressed chldren. Not how the front of the shortall is cut lower than in the classic, more casual style.
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Figure 4.--This socilaite mother in the 1970s appears with her formally dressed chldren. Not how the front of the shortall is cut lower than in the classic, more casual style. |
American boys and men appear to have worn tights for athletic endevors at the turn of the 20th centry. Boys in the 1910s ands 20s wore long white and dark stovkings, but I do not believe that tights were common. Tights are commonly worn by girls in the United States, but not by boys--even younger boys. Some younger boys in the 1950s and 60s did wear white shorts as part of very formal outfits--usually with strap shoes. This was, however, not common.
American boys and men appear to have worn tights for athletic endevors at the turn of the 20th centry. Except for sports, American boys mostly wore long stockings.
Boys in the 1910s and 20s wore long white and dark stovkings, but I do not believe that tights were common. Tights are commonly worn by girls in the United States, but not by boys--even younger boys.
By the 1920, long stockings had mostly disappeared--except for very formal occasions. Both boys and girls wore eaither ankle or kneesocks.
Figure 2.White tights gave a dressy look to thhis boy's shortalls. Also notice the red strap shoes.-- |
Some younger boys in the 1950s and 60s did wear white tights as part of very formal outfits--usually with strap shoes. This was, however, not common. In contrast, it did become very popular for girls to wear tights of a wide variety of colors.
The age of boys wearing tights depended largely on the type of tights. Quite old boys might wear tights for athletiv events at the turn of the 20th century. Only younger boys, however, would wear tights for dress occasiions.
Boys have worn tights of various colors. The tights worn at the turn of the century for athletic activities appear to have been mostly light colors, but I am not sure just what shade.
Boys wearing tights for dress occasions mostly wore white tights. Girls also weore white tights to dress up, but they might wear other colrs as well. Boys mostly only wore white tights for dress occasions.
I am not sure yet just wjat materials aare uinvilved.
American boys have worn tights for a variety of reasons.
European boys appear to have worn tights primarily for warmth in cold weather. While HBC has been avle to confirm it, there appears little indication that American boys wore tights for warmth. Boys and girls did commonly wear long stockigs until the 1920s. They were worn for both warmth and decorum. Until the 1920s it was not considered appropriate for boys, except the youngest, to wear short socks. A the time, American boys mostly wore kneepants.
It is difficult tondetermine what kind of hoserybAmerivan boys were wearing in the late 19th and early 20th century as they were wearing rather ling kneepants. The hosery was usually overvthe knee. HBC believes that American boys were mostly wearing long stockings held up with stocking sypporters and not tights. HBC can not yet, however, confirm this.
It became fashionable in the 1950s and 60s, even into the 70s to dress younger boys in white tights to give a dressy look. The style was not popular with boys, so only the younger ones were so outfitted. It was an upperclass style. Only boys from affluent families with fashion conscious mothers would be dressed in tights.
Tights were widely worn for athletic events in the late 19th century. I vbelievevthis was primarily because it was not considered appropriate for older boys or men to appear with bare legs. This continued well into the 20th century.
European boys appear to have switched from long stockings to tights, although HBC is not positive of the timeline as to just when this shift took place. It may hjave varied from country to country. American boys never appear to have made this shift. Long stockings were very commonly worn by American boys through the early 1920s, but declined in popularity by the mid-1920s. They continued to be worn by some Americvan boys, however, as late as the early 1950s. American boys have long stockings declined in popularity never began wearing tights in any numbers, although they were worn by sonme boys as described above.
One HBC contributor reports that he remembers in the early 1970s seeing tights for men and boys at a department store. The store was called Orbachs and it was located adjacent to Roosevelt Field in Mineola, NY. I was stunned at the time and remember remarking to my mother that it was hard to believe that people wore these. They were nylon tights in the same colors as men's business socks and from the calf down they were undectable as anything else. However, the store had a manican wearing what looked to me as tights. The
colors were black, navy and dark brown. (It was also possible that maroon was there, but I no longer remember it as well). The tights had a fly and were for winter wear. To me this was unusual, but at the time Orbachs was a large rather successful store. I never saw them anywhere else, not that I really looked for them. But, I think this may have been something that a buyer tried and it failed, but for all I know this could have been a regular product for the store.
It is interesting that most American HBC participants express surprise that European boys wore tights, and that some still do--even wearing tights especiallu styled for boys. The surprise is in part a reflection of how little many Americans know about other countries. American television and advertising spans the globe. No matter where you go, people are exposed to Anerican fashions because our television shows are broadcast around the world. Americans on the other hand rarely see television programs from other countries (except Britain). Thus we are no as exposed to trends and fashions in other countries. Because tights in American are with few exceptions only worn by girls, it has come as quite a surprise that boys in many other countries wear tights.
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