Boys' Historical Uniform Garments: Hosiery--Long Stockings

Figure 1.--A photograph of Latvian Scouts probably talen in the eraly 1920s shows them wearing very traditional uniforms, little different than early British uniforms. The one unusual aspect of the photograph is that the boy standing on the far left is wearing long over the knee stockings.

Long stockings were commonly worn by both boys and girls in many countries during the early 20th century when Scouting was founded. Some Boys' Brigade units had uniforms with kneepants and long stockings. The longstockings had to be kept up with clasps worn won a special belt like farment or attached to clothes. They were hardly practical for outdoor camping. Thus they were discarded by Baden Powell and the British Scout movement. While long stockings generally disappeared during the 1920s in Britain, they were still worn on the Continent, especially as cold weather winter wear. Some Scouts or Cubs wore them in Germany, Poland, the Baltics, and Scandinavian countries, although HBC does not think they were very common, but we do see a number of boys wearing long stckings with Scout uniforms. Notice the Latvian Scout here. Also notice Estonian Scouts. They were worn by some Italian Balilla boys. We notice a number of younger boys at the Ozzan Monferrato School wearing long stockings with their uniform. A few Deutche Jugend (the Hitler Youth unit for younger boys) also wore long stockings, but this was rather rare. We do see an occassional DJ boy wearing long stockings, but we do not note very many. In fact it is so rare that we wonder if the HJ did not actively discourage long stockings. Most HJ boys wore kneesocks. The HJ had a winter ski pants uniform. While we notice long stockings being worn by Scouts and youth in other movements, as far as we know they were not part of the official uniform. They were simply the hosiery the children wore with their uniforms. Small Scout associations such as in the Baltic Republics were probably unable to have official items for every garments and this probably included the hosiery.

Long Stockings

Long stockings were commonly worn by both boys and girls in many countries during the early 20th century when Scouting was founded. Long stockings varied in popularity from country to country. They were wideky worn in some countries and much less so in other countries. There were varied ahe conventions over time. Quite old biys wore them at the turn of the 20th century, but younger boys by the 1930s.

Organizations

As far as we know no youth group ever made long stockings the official uniform hosiery. We do see boys wearing them with their uniforns, presumably because that was the ordinary hosiery that they wore. Some groups were more informal than others and si not seem to have had official hosiery or did not insist the boys wear it. The longstockings had to be kept up with clasps worn won a special belt like farment or attached to clothes. They were not vert practical for outdoor outdoor activities and camping.

Boys' Brigade

Some Boys' Brigade units had uniforms with kneepants and long stockings.

Boy Scouts

Long stockings were not very practical for outdoor actibities by older boys. Thus they were discarded by Baden Powell and the British Scout movement. While long stockings generally disappeared during the 1920s in Britain, they were still worn on the Continent, especially as cold weather winter wear. Some Scouts or Cubs wore them in Germany, Poland, the Baltics, and Scandinavian countries, although HBC does not think they were very common, but we do see a number of boys wearing long stckings with Scout uniforms. Notice the Latvian Scout here. Also notice Estonian Scouts.

Balilla

They were worn by some Italian Balilla boys. We note a few portraits of Balilla boys wearing long stockings with their uniforms rather than knee socks. One example is an unidentified boy in the 1920s. We notice a number of younger boys at the Ozzan Monferrato School wearing long stockings with their uniform.

Hitler Youth

A few Deutche Jugend (the Hitler Youth unit for younger boys) also wore long stockings, but this was rather rare. We do see an occassional DJ boy wearing long stockings, but we do not note very many. We see another DJ boy before the War. It is so rare to see boys wearing long stockings in uniform that we wonder if the HJ did not actively discourage long stockings. Most HJ boys wore kneesocks. The HJ had a winter ski pants uniform. While we notice long stockings being worn by Scouts and youth in other movements, as far as we know they were not part of the official uniform. They were simply the hosiery the children wore with their uniforms. Small Scout associations such as in the Baltic Republics were probably unable to have official items for every garments and this probably included the hosiery.

Young Pioneers

We do not have any photographs of Young Pioneers wearing long stockings. We know that younger Russian boys wore long stockings, bit this was especially common during the winter. During the summer when boys wore short pants Young Pioneer uniforms, long stockings were less common.