Figure 1.--This English cabinet portrait shows two brothers puling on a rope, a nautical scene to complemnt their identical sailor suits. The unidentified boys look to be about 5-8 years of age. The boys are wearing short pants cut above the knee. Even if not identified we could tell it is not an American portrit because the boys are wearing socks, in this case dark three-quarter socks. American boys would have worn long stockings. We believe the portrait was taken in 1890. The studio was Miller in Gt Yarmouth.

Long pants became popular at the turn-of-the 19th century, first for boys and later for men. This makes it more difficult to assess the hosiery. And of course before the advent of photography, the numbers of images availabe to us are limitted. And girls wore long dresses and pantalettes also making it difficult to assess hosiery. We see boys and girls mostly wearing wearing white stockings or socks. The length is difficult to assess because the children are wearing long dresses and pants. White socks and stockings appear to have ben a standard, but may not have been as common as suggested by the available images which mpstly depict the well-to-do. A good examole is the Bond family in 1848. More information becomes available at the mid-19th century because styles of shortened-length pants began to become popular for boys. And by this time time photography had appeared although it was not as common in England as in America. Boys wore long stockings, but we see some younger boys wearing socks, commonly before being breeched. Some source report striped stockings at mid-century. We mostly see white stockings. Actually the stipped stockings seem much more common in America by the 1870s, but this my reflect our much larger American archive. Long stockings were very common in the late-19th century as knee pants became increasingly standard for boys. Barefeeet were generally seen as a sign of poverty. Unlike America, however, long stockings were not iniversal for children. This was in America not only a matter of warm clothing during the einter, but a matter of modesty. Despite the Victorian image, the English appear to have made an exception for yonger chilfen. Thus we see quite a few childrn wearing socks including three-quarter socks and ankle socks with shortened-length pants and dresses. The younger Bond boy even at mid-century is a good example. Older children wore long stocks or at least knee socks which covered their legs.

The 1800s

Long pants became popular at the turn-of-the 19th century, first for boys and later for men. This makes it more difficult to assess the hosiery. And of course before the advent of photography, the numbers of images availabe to us are limitted. And girls wore long dresses and pantalettes also making it difficult to assess hosiery. We see boys and girls mostly wearing wearing white stockings or socks. The length is difficult to assess because the children are wearing long dresses and pants.

The 1840s

White socks and stockings appear to have ben a standard, but may not have been as common as suggested by the available images which mostly depict the well-to-do. A good examole is the Bond family in 1848.

The 1850s

Some information becomes available at the mid-19th century because styles of shortened-length pants began to become popular for boys. And by this time time photography had appeared although it was not as common in England as in America, especuially the Dags in the 1840s-50s and Amnbros in the 1850s.

The 1860s

The advent of the CDV (1860s) meant that for the first time, substantial numbers of photographic images become available for the first time making a more detailed assessment of hosiery trends possibe. Boys wore long stockings, but we see some younger boys wearing socks, commonly before being breeched. Some source report striped stockings at mid-century. We mostly see white stockings. White stockings seem particulasrly popularm but younger boys might wear socks. We see some white stockings in the early-1870s, but most of the examples we have found come from the 1860s. This is a little difficult to assess because so many of the CDVs we have archived are undated. This is somewhat different than America where almost all children weiore long stockings, except when going barefoot.

The 1870s

We see some strippd long=stockings in the 1870s. Actually the stipped stockings seem much more common in America by the 1870s, but this my reflect our much larger American archive.

The 1880s

Long stockings were very common in the late-19th century as knee pants became increasingly standard for boys. Barefeeet were generally seen as a sign of poverty. Unlike America, however, long stockings were not universal for children. This was in America not only a matter of warm clothing during the winter, but a matter of modesty.

The 1890s

Despite the Victorian image, the English appear to have made an exception for weearing long stockings for yonger chilfen. Thus we see quite a few childrn wearing socks including three-quarter socks and ankle socks with shortened-length pants and dresses. The younger Bond boy even at mid-century is a good example. But we see a sibstyasnhtial number if younger children in thec1890s wearing siks rher thn long stockings. The boys here in 1890 are a good exmple (figure 1). Older children wore long stocks or at least knee socks which covered their legs.

Created: 4:37 AM 5/12/2014
Last updated: 4:37 AM 5/12/2014