Figure 1.--This is one of the Sears pages offering long stockings in the Fall-Winter 1929-30 catalogs (page 18). Note the wide variety of stockings offered. And this was only one of the hosiery pages. |
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At the beginnin of the 1920s, long stockings were the dominant hosiery for children. Yonger children might wear three-quater sicks, commonly white. By 1929 kneesocks were becoming more common, but long stockings were still widely worn, especially in the winter and by younger children. The 1929-30 Fall catalog from Sears devoted three entire pages to long stockings for boys and girls. This is a good indication that long stockings were still commonly worn by children. There is a small offerng for anklets, but basically all two pages are about long stockings. The sizes in some cases go from size 6 up to 10 1/2--the size that an older teenage boy or girl would need. Boys are shown in these pages wearing long stockings both with knickers and with short trousers. A few boys were beginning to wear knee socks with knickers, but long stockings seem to have been the preferred style because of their neatness and formality if worn with hose supporters to keep them neatly in place. Various textures and degrees of ribbing are advertised as well as a variety of colors although black, tan, beige, and dark brown seem to have predominated.
The Sears, Roebuck and Co., huge merchandising firm centered in Chicago was founded by Richard W. Sears (1863-1914) and A.C. Roebuck (1864-1948). Sears had begun a career in mail-order business in Minnesota 1886. In Chicago he and Roebuck joined resources and formed a corporation in 1893 as a mail-order business under title Sears, Roebuck and Company. In 1895 Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) bought Roebuck's interest in firm and became president on Sears's retirement 1908. A retail-store system was added 1925. The first foreign store added in Havana, Cuba during 1945 and became the first expropriated store in 1960. The Sears-Roebuck brought the production of industry to the fartherest corner of rural America, opening the cornucopia of the consumer age to rural America. All the new things that were changing American life danced across their pages. Through it, a huge Chicago warehouse offers to modernize the farms and small towns of the Midwest.
We do not know a great deal about boys' hosiery in the early 19th century. This is because boys wore long trousers covering what they wore on their legs. We assume that boys during this period didn't need to wear stockings above the knee (since they wouldn't show), but it is possible that in some cases long stockings were worn anyway for warmth. This is a subject HBC needs to pursue. Even smaller boys before breeching didn't need long stockings because with shorter dresses they often wore pantalettes. Our knowledge of long stockings for boys in the second half of the 19th century is considerably fuller for two reasons: (1) the growth of photography provides better evidence about what boys were actually wearing and (2) the increasing popularity of knee pants (approximately 1870 and later) made the wearing of long stockings almost mandatory, at least for boys older than about 6 years old. Bare legs and knees were thought immodest and inappropriate for children older than five or six.
The 1929-30 Fall-Winter catalog from Sears devoted three entire pages to long stockings for boys and girls. This is a good indication that long stockings were still commonly worn by children.
There is a small offerng for anklets and knee-length stockings (knee socks), but basically all three pages are offers for ong stockings. This is a strong indicaton that they were very commonly wrn.
The sizes in some cases go fromsize 6 up to 10 1/2--the size that an older teenage boy or girl would
need.
The illustrtions and text of the ad copy show that long stockings were worn by both boys abd girls. The illustrations show both boys and girls, a good indicatin that long stockings were worn by both boys and girls at the time. Note that the children at the time wore the same are similar hosiery and thus are mixed tigether. There are no separate pahes for boys and girls hosiery, only children's hosiery pages.
Boys are shown in these pages wearing long stockings both with knickers and with short trousers. A few boys were beginning to wear knee socks with knickers, but long stockings seem to have been the
preferred style because of their neatness and formality if worn with hose supporters to keep them neatly in place.
Various textures and degrees of ribbing are advertised as well as a variety of colors although black, tan, beige, and dark brown seem to have predominated. White was also available in a few grades of children's hosiery.
Sears sold a brand of long stockings known as Pilgrim. Their most famous brand was known as Boyville, clothing especially designed for boys from about 10 to 16 or 17.
The Sears Fall-Wintr 1920-30 catalog had 24 pages devoted to hosiery. This included children's, men's and women's hosiery. There were four full pages offering children's hosiery. These pages were almost entirely devoted to long stockings. This tells us that long stockings were still very common, especilly during the winter. The ad copy offers considerable detail as to size, gender, material, color and other chraracteristics. There were both standard solid-colored long stockings and sporty patterened stockings that we do not seem to have been very commonly worn. For some reason the children's hosiery pages are intersperced among the adult pages.
This page offered fancy patterened long stockings. There are sporty long stockings in various
patterns--plaids, broad ribbing, diamond shapes, etc. The heading for the entire page is "Childrens Winter Wool Hosiery" and just underneath is an illustration of a boy and girl of school age, probably about
12-14. These stockings appear to be for both boys and girls although I think girls probably wore the patterned stockings more frequently than the boys. Despite the attention given to these patterened stockings, we rarely note them in the photographic record, suggesting that they were not very commonly worn.
We are not sure yet what was on these pages. It may have been additional hosiery pages, but we are not sure.
This Sears page offered standarded solid colored long stockings in various sizes, colors, weaves, and fabrics. The ad copy provides us some clues as to the gender and age conventions.
This Sears page offered standarded solid colored long stockings in various sizes, colors, weaves, and fabrics. The ad copy provides us some clues as to the gender and age conventions.
These pages contined adult hosiery offerings.
This is another page devoted to children's hosiery. The general heading is "Children's Winter Weight Hosiery". The hosiery offered is more varied than the other children's pages and include long stockings, biknee length socks for both boys and girls, anklets, and woolen socks for skating (for boys). There are both wool and part-wool hosiery.
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