Figure 1.--English boys commonly wore knee socks, clled long socks or tutn-over-top socks during the first half of the 20th century. They became standard school wear. They gradually became a kind of seasonal hosiery which is one reason they were so common as school wear. Many schools adopted them as part of the school uniform. These boys are wearing knee socks rathder than the more expensive turn-over-top socks.

Boys and their fathers in the 18th century wore stockings with knee breeches. The white stocksgs cimmonly shown were for the affluent. Most people wore stockings in homespun colors. 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 girls wore long dresses and pantalettes also making it difficult to assess hosiery. We see boys and girls mostly wearing wearing white stockings and socks although the length is difficult to assess. More information becomes available at the mid-19th century because styles of shortened-length pants began to become popular at the same time photography appeared. 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. 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. Knee socks at the turn of the 20th century were also common, but not always apparent because knee pants were so long. Baden Powell when he created the uniform for the new Scout movement helped popularize short pants and knee socks for boys. Knee socks were standfard boys wear during the inter-War era and early post-War era. During the summer boys might wear sandals or sneakers without socks. By the 1960s short pants and knee socks began to become less popular. Even the Scouts dropped short pants, but the Cubs continued to wear short pants and knee socks. English boys in the late 20th century continued to wear short pants, but mostly as casual summer wear without knee socks, The exception was school uniforms. Some schools continued to require school uniforms and this often included knee socks. Ankle sicks graduakly become more common. Toward the end of the 20th-century we begin to see sport socks.

18th Century

Boys and their fathers in the 18th century wore stockings with knee breeches. The white stocksgs commonly shown were not as common as usually assumed. They were for the affluent. The lengths were long enough to cover the legs when wearing knee britches. They did not have to be as lomg for the ladies and even girls whose legs were covered by long dresses. Most people wore stockings in homespun colors. We begin to see long pants for boys in the very-late 18th century as part of skeleton suits, but knee beeches were still standard. We believe that hosiery was commonly done in wool or silk for the wealthy at the beginning of the 18th century. The development of the industrail revolution in England resulted in a vast increas in the manufacture of cotton textiles and the use of cotton in the garment industry.

19th Century

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 and socks although 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 muchmore 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 sicks including three-quaer sicks wih shortened-length pants and dresses. Older children wore long stocks or at least knee socks which covered their legs.

20th Century

British children by the turn of the 20th centyry had largely, but not entirely shifted from long stockings to socks. Actually it is a little difficult to tell because boys tended to wear knee pants or long short pants and often had their long turn-over top socks pulled up. Baden Powell when he created the uniform for the new Scout movement helped popularize short pants and knee socks for boys. This trend continued in the 1910s. Girls tended to wear long stockings more than boys. And some conservative girls' schools required them--almot always dark colors. Knee socks after the turn-of-the 20th century were very common and worn during the summer as well as cool weather. Knee socks were standfard boys wear during the inter-War era and early post-World War II era. WE see children beginning to wear short socks after World War I in the 1920s. Many children did not even wear socks during the summer with sandals. Color was a factor. Girls commonly wore white socks, but white was not common with school age boys, ecept for cricket. Grey became the standard color for socks, bith ankle socks and kneesocks. English boys did not wear the louch kneesocks American boys wore with knickes during the 1930s. Kneesocks continued to be sytandard during the 1940s and 50s with short or ankle socks increasingly popular during the aummer. After World War II we see less expensive knee socks becoming popylar rather than th turn-over-top sovls. Knee socks were less ecxpensive because they were shorter, not long enough to form the top cuff. School socks were often dine with destintive top colors oir bands. By the 1960s short pants and knee socks began to become less popular especially during the winter monts. . Even the Scouts dropped short pants, but the Cubs continued to wear short pants and knee socks. English boys in the late 20th century continued to wear short pants, but mostly as casual summer wear without knee socks, The exception was school uniforms. Some schools continued to require school uniforms and this often included knee socks. Ankle sicks graduakly become more common. Toward the end of the 20th-century we begin to see sport socks.

Created: 3:30 PM 7/27/2013
Last updated: 3:52 AM 5/12/2014