Stocking or Watch Caps


Figure 1.--The portrait here is of Gordon Mark Brinton. I think he is wearing a tunic suit, but it is a little difficult to tell because he is weating a knittef sweater over it. He also is wearing a knitted stocking cap. wearing knickers and a knitted sweater and cap, The portait was probably taken in the 1910s.

Stocking or sock caps, also called watch caps, are inexpensive knitted woolen caps worn during the winter. Vhildren's stocking caps often have poms. Today in our better heated homes, schools, and cars, they are worn stylishly on top the head, by both boys and girls. Boys in cold areas recall pulling down their sock caps as far as possible over ears and forehead and down the back of their necks. The watch cap is a navy blue sock cap. It was worn by sailors on watch and as there was no bill or brim would not blow off, even in gales. The cap rolls down to keep forehead and neck warm. Formerly in worsted wool, now in synthetic fibers.

Chronology

I'm not sure when the sock cap forst appeared. I know it was being worn by the time of World War I (1914-18). It probably was worn well before the War.

Origins

I'm not sure just who created the sock cap or in which country it appeared.

Name

These caps are often called stocking or sock caps. One HBC contributor who remembers wearing sock caps reports that they aptly named. It was as if your head was something of a fist and you were trying to get that fist as dep as possible into that warm cavity of wool. It was rather like a sock for your head. The stocking caps for children often have poms. They are also called watch cap is a navy blue sock cap. It was worn by sailors on watch and as there was no bill or brim would not blow off, even in gales. The cap rolls down to keep forehead and neck warm. Generally watch caps do not have the poms.

Terminology

In Germany and Austria stocking caps are called Eine Pudelmütze. "Pudel" is a dog and Mütze is a cap. Sometimes they are just called simply eine Mütze. In France they are called un bonnet à pompon.

Seasonality

Stocking caps are of course seasonal cold weather wear. While simple and practical, in a bright color or design and a pom, they can be quite fashionable for children during the winter.

Functionality

The sock cap was nothing but functional. When it first appeared no one gave much thought about fashion. They wanted something tomkeep them warm. Most children at the time walked to school. And during the winter you could get really cold. Boys in cold areas recall pulling down their sock caps as far as possible over ears and forehead and down the back of their necks. This is less true today as children often are driven to school or ride school busses. Today in our better heated homes, schools, and cars, they are worn stylishly on top the head, by both boys and girls.

Description

Sock caps are are inexpensive knitted caps worn during the winter.

Material

The original sock caps were worsted wool and continued to be so until well after World War II (1939-45). By the 1960s caps in synthetic fibers began to appear.

Color

Stocking caps came in many different colors and the variety has only increased over time. We note not only note solid colors, but a wide variety of multi-colored designs. The most common were stripes dine as curcles around the cap. Just about every conceivanle color has been used for these caps. Dark colors were very common. Bright colors came to be used for children. At first there were no gender destinctions, but simce the 1970s we note sticking caps with gender specifoc colors such as pink for girls. The popularity of colors have varied over time.

Variations

Stocking caps did not just vary with color. They were done in different shapes. The basic stocking cap was fairly standard, like the naval warch cap. Some were elongated, rather like an elf cap. Wev note others that had a pom of varyin size at the top. There were large poms as wll as more modest-sized poms. We note poms on both standard stocking caps as well as the elongated elf-type caps. Other stocking caps came with tassels. The stocking caps wi\th poms were generally worn by younger children.

Cost

A sock cap in the 1950s cost about $1.00. That doesn't sound like much, but sock caps were worn by children from modest income families and it was not inconsequential to parents. The trouble is of course is that he kids kept losing them and mom and dad would have to fork out another dollar, usually more than once each winter.

Country Trends

Stocking or watch caps are worn throughout Europe and America. They are a very popular cold weather garment and are thus mostly worn in countries in temperate climates. I am not sure when they were first worn in individual countries, but they never seem to go out of fashion. We see many American and Canadian boys wearing them. Some information is available on stocking caps in Germany. Stocking caps were also common in Scandinavia. We see Swedish children wearing stocking caps and tams. We also see English boys wearing them, but we are not sure how common they were.






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Created: March 19, 1999
Last updated: 8:26 PM 9/7/2008