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Belgian hosiery trends have generally followed those in France, although Flemish boys were also influenced by Germany. HBC still has very limited information on Belgian 19th century hosiery styles. We believe that long over the knee stockings were common, although like in France, not as common in America. This may have especially been the case in the winter. Three-quarter socks seem to have been popular in the early 20th century, especially for younger children. They were usually white. The boy here is a good example (figure 1). We have less information on short socks. Long stockings were worn both for warmth and as dress or formal wear. Knee socks were commonly worn by Belgian boys, especially in the 1910s and after World War I. We see boys wearing white knee socks by the late-1920s. We have less information before the turn-of-the century. They generally replace long stockings during the 1920s, although some younger boys continued to wear them for warmth during the winter. They continued to be worn after World War II, but began to decline in popularity during the 1950s. Boys in some private Catholic schools wore white knee socks although I don't think that was common outside of school. Increasingly in the 1950s ankle socks became more common, especially during the warmer summer months. One Belgian observer reports that boys there in the late 1990s are wearing their socks as close to their shoes as possible. He lives in Flanders where this style is reportedly very popular. He is less sure about Wallonia (French speaking Belgium) and neighboring countries. The boys turn down regular socks but it's often difficult to see because they turn over their socks. It is mostly teenagers who wears them like that. I haven't seen younger boys wearing their socks so short. The fashion is extremely new! It started in Spring 2001. It's becoming very popular and they turn down their socks so far, you often can't see that they are wearing socks. Our Flemish observer also reports that teenage boys mostly wore white athletic socks in Flanders in former days (about 5 years ago). Now, athletic socks are still very popular but more and more boys are wearing colored socks (mostly blue, black ones) nowadays. He is unsure if boys in neighboring countries also are beginning tp wear colored socks.
HBC still has very limited information on Belgian 19th century hosiery styles. We believe that Belgian hosiery trends have generally followed those in France, although Flemish boys were also influenced by Germany, perhaps through the Netherlands. This is something we need more information to asses properly. We have no information on the early- and mid-19th century. And for this period een photyoigraphy does not hep. Unfortunately our Belgian photographic archive is very weak. And we have only a few painted portraits, mostly by one artist during the late century (1880s). Although very prolific, he is just one artist and only painted children in comfortable middle-class circumstances. We had thought that long over the knee stockings were common, although like in France, not nearly as common in America. This may have especially been the case in the winter. But it seems that many boys and girls in the comfortable middle-class were wearing socks rather than stockings. This was unheard of in America and would be more of a French than German influence.
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