Figure 1.--This Belgian boys wears a black open-collared kneepants suit with long stockings. The image is undated, bit we would guess that it was taken bout 1925. At te time knnesocks were becoming increasingly popular.
|
Figure 1.--This Belgian boys wears a black open-collared kneepants suit with long stockings. The image is undated, bit we would guess that it was taken bout 1925. At te time knnesocks were becoming increasingly popular. |
Belgian boys have worn long stockings and various types of socks for First Communion. Today it makes little difference as boys commonly wear long pants. We have little information on 19th century Belgiian hosiery trends at this time. We note Belgian boys at the turn of the 20th century commonly wearing dark long stockings for First Communion and other formal occassions. White long stockings were not worn, always black long stockings or possibly some other dark color. We note some American boys wearing white long stockings in the early 20th century, but as far as we can tell vitually all Belgian boys wore dark long stockings. Even when kneesocks became common by the 1920s, many boys still wore long stockings for First Communion and other formal events. Again almost all the boys wearing long stockings wore dark long stockings. This changed by the 1930s when not only kneesocks became more common, but even patterned kneesocks with loud patterns were worn for First Communion. After World War II (1939-45), most Belgian boys still wore short pants suits for First Communion. Kneesocks were most common, but by the 1960s some boys were also weaking ankle socks. Boys in the 1970s began wearing long pants suits and hsiery became less of an issue.
We have little information on 19th century Belgian hosiery trends at this time. We have very little information on First Communion celevrations in general during this period. We note Belgian boys at the turn of the 20th century commonly wearing dark long stockings for First Communion and other formal occassions. White long stockings were not worn, always black long stockings or possibly some other dark color. We note some American boys wearing white long stockings in the early 20th century, but as far as we can tell vitually all Belgian boys wore dark long stockings. Even when kneesocks became common after World War I (1914-18) in the 1920s, many boys still wore long stockings for First Communion and other formal events. Again almost all the boys wearing long stockings wore dark long stockings. This changed by the 1930s when not only kneesocks became more common, but even patterned kneesocks with loud patterns were worn for First Communion. After World War II (1939-45), most Belgian boys still wore short pants suits for First Communion. Kneesocks were most common, but by the 1960s some boys were also weaking ankle socks. Boys in the 1970s began wearing long pants suits and hosiery became less of an issue, having look effect on appearance.
Belgian boys have worn long stockings and various types of socks for First Communion. Today it makes little difference as boys commonly wear long pants. Earlier when kneepants, knickers, and short pants were worn, the choice of hosiery had more of an imapct on the boys appearance.
Belgian boys commonly wore long stockings in the late 19th century, although we have little information at this time. We note Belgian boys at the turn of the 20th century commonly wearing dark long stockings for First Communion and other formal occassions. White long stockings were not worn, always black long stockings or possibly some other dark color. We note some American boys wearing white long stockings in the early 20th century, but as far as we can tell vitually all Belgian boys wore dark long stockings. Long stockings declined in popularity after World War I (1914-18), but were still worn during the 1920s for formal occassions like First Communion. They become mich less common in the 1930s and were still worn in the 1940s to some extent. The colors shifted from black to tan colors after the 1930s.
Even when kneesocks became common after World War I in the 1920s, many boys still wore long stockings for First Communion and other formal events. Again almost all the boys wearing long stockings wore dark long stockings. Even solid color black kneesocks were not common, especially in the earlt 1920s. This changed by the 1930s when not only kneesocks became more common, but even patterned kneesocks with loud patterns were sonetimes worn for First Communion. Long stockings become much less common. We also note black kneesocks in the 1930s. Interestingly there were considerable differences among countries concerning kneesocks. Black kneescks were commonly wern in America, but not in England where grey was more common. After World War II (1939-45), most Belgian boys still wore short pants suits for First Communion. Kneesocks were most common.
Many Belgian boys wore ankle socks with kneeapnts during the early 20th centurty. This was a common style in France. It does not, however, appear to have been common tpo wear three-quarteer socks to formal evets like a First Communion.
We have noted a few boys wearing ankle socks for their First Communion in the early 20th century. This does not, appear, however, to have been very common. Our sdample is realtively small, so we coukld be mistaken about thios. We begin to note larger numbers of boys wearing ankle socks with First Communion suits in the 1950s although kneesocks were more common. By the 1960s more boys were weaking ankle socks. Boys in the 1970s began wearing long pants suits and hosiery became less of an issue. Most of these boys appear to be wearing ankle socks.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site religious pages:
[Return to the Main Belgian First Communion page]
[Return to the Main Belgian activities page]
[Return to the Main communion page]
[First Communion]
[Confirmation]
[Ring bearer]
[Victorian wedding]
Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronologies]
[Countries]
[Style Index]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[French glossary]
[Dutch glossary]
[Satellite site]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web chronological pages:
[The 1900s]
[The 1910s]
[The 1920s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web style pages:
[Short pants suits]
[Blazers]
[Jackets]
[Kilts]
[Sailor suits]
[Sailor hats]
[Ring bearer/page costumes]
[Shortalls]