Hosiery trends in European countries had been similarities among countries. There do not appear to have been many destinctive country hosiery styles and trends. Throughout Europe men and boys wore knee-length stockings, often white, with knee breeches. There was still considerable similarity through much of the 19th century. More differences began to appear in the late 19th century. American boys commonly wore long stockings. Kneesocks were worn in the early 20th century, but did not prove as popular as in Europe--especially Britain. French boys wore three-quarter length stockings in the late 19th century. Kneesocks were worn in the 20th century, but largely on a seasonal basis. German boys wore a larger range of hosiery and long stockings were very common in the winter. After World War II, some boys wore tights during the winter. Since the 1960s, knee-length socks became less common, except for tune socks that were popular in merica during the 1970s-80s. A new style of very short sport socks appeared in the late 1990s, first in California. Some reports from Europe indicate that boys there in the 1990s are wearing their socks as close to their shoes as possible.
Long stockings were not common in Asia. There are two reasons for this. First, traditional non-Western garments dominated in Asia until after World War II (1939-45). Second, much of Asia is located in tropicalm or substropical areas where there is less reason for wearing socks. The major exception is Japan in norwestern Aaia. Here e have a more temperate climate and in northern Japan rather cold swerather. And Japan underwent the Meiji Restotatiin (1870s) which began the modernization of Japan. Japan began buiolfing a modern school system which introduced Western-style clothing. This included long stocking during the winter. Japan invaded anc colonized Korea (1909) and also introduced a public chool sytem and Western clothing.
Japanese boys often wore white socks, both ankle socks and kneesocks. Tube socks caught on very big in Japan during the late 1970s, reaching a peak of popularity in the mid 80s when
the great majority of boys out of uniform wore very short shorts and tube socks, often with even more elaborate stripes than were true in the States. Even boys in school uniforms wore striped tube socks at schools that had no sock uniform requirement. Other than blue jeans (resisted by many schools and many parents), that was the first piece of American boys fashion to catch on big in Japan. Other American styles were to follow in its wake--the baggy casual shorts. In fact, Japanese boys have hung on to tube socks and still wear them with the modern knee length shorts--it looks rather strange in comparison to how Japanese boys used to dress.
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Argentine children have worn a wide range of hosiery over time. We see long stockings, knee socks, three-quarter socks, and ankle socks as well as other trends. We do not notice Argentine boys wearing long stockings very commonly. Long stockings were not as common as in northern Europe and North America, probably because of the important Italian and Spanish influence in Argentina. Socks were more common in those countries. We do note girls wearing white stockings. Boys did wear stockings, especially for formal occassions, mostly dark stockings. It is just that they were less common than socks. We note Argentine boys wearing voth three-quarter socks and kneesocks. After Wirld War II, ankle socks become more common. We do see Argentine children wearing knee socks. We also note some children not wearing socks. three-qurter socks very commonly. The popularity of the different types of hosiery have varied over time, to an extent following basically European fashion trends. There were also gender and age conventions which varied over time.
Long stockings were commonly worn in the late 19th century and persisted somewhat longer in Canada than America. They were worn with both short pants and knickers, although kneesocks had become more common by the 1930s. The kneesocks worn in Canada, were often quite heavy, thick styles. During the winter long stockings and kneesocks were probably also worn with long pants--although this is difficult to determine. Long stockings appear to have been worn with short pants as a dressy outfit more commonly than in America. HBC has only limited information on hosiery at this time, but the long stockings that we have noted had all been dark--probably black.
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American boys have worn a variety of hosiery, including long stockings and different kind of socks. There were major variations over time. The type of pants worn had a majpr inpact on the hosiery worn. Many American boys also went barefoot. American boys
unlike some European boys have not commonly worn tights. We are not sure about the hosiery worn in the early 19th cenbtury. As knee pants became standard after the mid-19th century, long stockings became widely worn by all but the youngest children. Long stockings were the predominant hosiery until the turn of 20th century when children also began wearing three-quarter stockings on a seasonal basis. Long stockings persisted through the 1930s, especially during cold winter
weather. Beginning in the 1910s, boys began wearing kneesocks, although they did not begin to replace long stockings until the mid-1920s. With the rapis decline of knickers in the early 1940s,
abnkle socks became increasingly common. White athlectic socks became
very popular for boys after World War II, especially in the 1950s. A popular fad style was tube socks in the 1970s, usually white socks with colored bands. A new style of very short sport socks appeared in the late 1990s, first in California.
Until the 20th century, people around the world dressed in traditional fahions that had deveoped for millenia. This European fahions were restricted to Europe. The exception as the European colonies in North and Latin America. This did not change until the 19th century when the Europeans began to colonize Asia and Africa, but it is only in the 20th century, especially after World War II that the colonioa people began to adopt European fashions which dominate the world, especially children's fashions. Now hosiery is not what we think of when fasion comes to mind. But there were fashion aspects of hosiery such as collor and patterns and to a lesser extent length, the alter most concerning adults. Hosiery perhapss even more than footwear is the most utiltarian of garments. This is because climate plays such an important role, especially for children. ERurope is located in the northern hemisphere. Thus the need for warm hosiery during the winter was ansent in most colonies, almost all of ehich were lovated in tropical or sub-tropical areas.
As far as we can tell, the hosiery worn by Austrian children is essentially identical to the hosiery worn by German children. We do not have much information on the 19th century yet. Children in the early 20th children wore three-quarter stockings and long stockings when the weather got cold. Long stockings were not just worn in cold weather. Modesty and formality were other factors. After World war I, knee socks became popular and were widely worn into the 1960s. Both long stockings and kneesocks were worn. We also notice girls wearing white ankle socks. Various age and gender conventions affected the type and color of hosiery. At about that time both long stockings and knee socks went out of style. Long stockings disappeared first and knee socks in the 1970s. This was in part because fewer Austrian boys were wearing short pants, especially in the cooler months. We have less information about tights, but assume trends were similar to Germany.
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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 jave been popular in the early 20th century, especially for younger children. Long stockings were worn both for warmth and as dress or formal wear. As with much else, we believe that they generally followed French styles. Kneesocks were commonly worn by Belgian boys, especially after World War I. They generally replaceclong 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 kneesocks 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.
We are not sure to what extent long stockings were worn. We suspect the pattern may have been similar to Germany. We note boys wearing knee socks and long stockings during the inter-War era. An example is the Muller family in 1935. The boy here wears kneesocks, probably in the 1940s. We note boys weearing both knee socks and long stockings and ankle socks by the late 1950s. We note a few boys wearing smocks, but am not sure how common it was.
Long stockings seem to have been wideky worn un Denmark as in the other Scandinavian countries. Here climate was a factor. After Workrd War I many boys began wearing knee socks. After World War II, ankle socks begin to become popular.
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English boys in the 19th century wore both socks and stockings. Generally the younger boys wore socks and older boys wore log stockings. At mid-centuiry many boys wore white stockings. For a while striped stockings were popular. After the turn of the 20th century, knee socks became very common in England. Long stockings for the most part disappeared for boys wear. Boys instead wore knee socks. They were worn with many outfits. Baden Powell's Boy Scouts helped to populsrize them.Knee socks were commnly worn year round for school, play, leasure events, and formal wear. British boys commonly wore turn-over-top knee ocks which were along called long socks. During the summer many boys might wear ankle socks or even sandals without socks. But knee socks were also orn even in the cold weather. Boys normally wore shorts and knee socks even during the winter. Long stockings were unusual although girls did wear them. Knee socks were worn with a variety of shoes, inluding sandals. After World War II, ankle socks began to become more important. As boys wore short trosers less many mother begn buying ankle socks. When tights appeared on the continent they were not adopted for boys wear in England, although girls did wear them.
Estonia is one of the small Baltic republics. Nestled between Sweden, Finlamd, and Russia, it has a Scandanavian cold climate. Fashion wise there areGerman and Russian influenes. Lanage influences create cultural bonds with Finland. All of this means that Estonian boys commonly wore long stockings or during the later Soviet period, tights. After World War I, as short pants bcame common, knee socks were also common, at least during the summer. We do not see much in the way of ankle socks, but our Estonian archive is very limited. We do not have much information on modern Estonia, but suspect that we mostly see the pan-European styles that dominate Europe.
Finland is often confused with Candinavia. It is not part of SDvandinavia eithr geographically or ethnically. It dies share the northern latitude with Sandinavia anf this a relatyively cold climate. Finnish boys like boys in neigboring Russia and Scandinavia commonly wore long stockings, almost always during the inter. Furing the warmer months they might erar knee socks. We do not see many Finnish boys waring abkle socks, although dutring the short summer season, children might go barefoot. After World War I, knee socks became popular, but many boys still wore long stockings during the winter. Of course, all of this varies chronologically along with fashion convntions. We ar not sue what type of hosiery Funnisg boys wore in the eraly-19th century as boys wore long oants, but as knee pants becamre common in the late-19th century, sw see long stockings as in Russia and Sweeden. After Workd War when Finland became independent, we see a lot of noys wearing short pangs andbknee socks, although during the winter, children reverted to long stockings as in Germany. ASs in yhe BNaltics, there was a strong Grrman influnce even after Russia seized control of Finland from Sweden in the Great Northern War (1700-21). Russia allowed a great dealm of autonomy in both Finalamd and the Baltics, allowing rekatively free cultural flows. This only began to change ith Tsar Alexander III;s Russification policies.
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French boys in the early 19th century wore white socks with skeleton suits and with tunic suits. We continue to see white hosiery at mid-century. In the late 19th century, three-quarter stockings were commnonly worn. Unlike neighboring Germany, long over the knee stockings do not appear to have been very common. In the early 20th century three-quarter length stockings remain common, although knee socks begin to grown in popularity as short pants began to replace knee pants. Knee socks do not appear to have been as common as in England. Although commonly worn in the inter-War years with boy short pants and knickers. They were worn more seasonally than in England, perhaps reflecting the warmer French climate. After World War II (1939-45), knee socks became increasingly seasonal. We note some boys wearing white knee socks which were seen as suitable for formal occassions. Ankle sovks became increasingly common after the 1950s. We do not note French boys wearing tights. HBC has not noted any reference to French boys wearing tights. Since the 1970s, French hosiery has ceased being dstinctibe and has been largely part of the developing pan-European styles.
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We are not sure about German hosiery uring the early-19th century. Boys wore long pants. By mid-century we not only begin to see shortenened pants lengths, but photography has expanded the number of images provided us detailed information on fashion trends. German boys commonly wore knee pants and long stockings in the second half of the 19th century, although at first only younger boys. We akso see kniclers, but knee apnmt were more common. At the turn-of-the 20th century, we knee pants becoming standard. As in other countries, black was the most common color for long stockings. Three-quarter socks were worn, but not as commonly as in France. These were generally repalaced with knee socks in the 1910s. Younger boys continued to wear long stockings during the colder winter months, often with short pants. Germany can be quite cold in the winter and those those boys that wore shorts all year round might wear long over-the-knee stockings when it was cold. Knee socks were more popular with older boys, both they might wear knickers rather than shorts during the winter. White knee socks had a dressy look. After World War II, long stockings began to disappear, but some younger boys beginning in the late 1950s began wearing tights during the winter instead of long stockings. Tights are still worn by younger children. Older boys also wear tights, but usually for winter sports. By the 1970s we see more and nore Gerrman boys wearing long pants probably with ankle socks.
HBC does not yet have a comprehernsive assessment of the hosiery worn by Italian boys. We see Italian boys wearing different types of hosiery. Italian boys wore long stockings, although perhaps because of the climate, not as much as boys in nprthern Europe. An Itlalian reader has, however, provided some information from the 1970s and 80s. He tells us, "I especially refer to the 1970s and 80s when I was a young boy. White knee socks were worn by girls on dress occasions. Many young girls wore them extensively on Sunday. In some Italian regions, such as Piedmont, girls MUST wear white knee socks on Sunday. Boys, as a result, often refused absolutely to wear any kind of white socks as a dress accessory, and they preferred to wear dark colors (such as blue). Italian men HATE to wear white socks, although in the 1970s some youngster wore white knee socks in the hope of charming girls; instead many girls think of boys or men in white socks as ridiculous and think dark color socks as more sitable for boys and men. By the late 1970s, a new fashion trend started; girls--often the most fashion concious--began to wear plain white knee socks (and some also started to wear white tights) with shiny loafers or boots. White knee socks were worn also with pale shaded or tan tights, as a complement to white dress, a sort of a romantic attire that charmed many boys." Modesty was a factor in the 19th and early-20th century. An Italian reader writes, "It is often difficult to understand the conventions rules (and the ideas about modesty). For example, an old woman told me that, when she was 13 years old (late 1920s), she was harshly rebuked by a churchwoman because once she went to church wearing her sandals without socks. This girl lived in a good neighborhood of Rome. I am sure that in those times a lot of Italian girls went to church barefoot because they didn't own footwear (however in other neighborhoods). Anyway the conventions about long stocking are more strange. It seems that bare legs were acceptable only with bare feet, both for boys and girls."
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One Dutch contributor reports that at the turn of the 20th century, long black stockings were worn under the famous black trousers. Kneesocks becanme increasingly common by the 1910s, but did not entirely replace long stockings. Younger Dutch boys continued wearing long stockings into the 1940s. They tended to be lighter colors than had been worn earlier. They were worn by boys wearing shorts in colder months. I'm not sure if Dutch boys wore tights like German boys.
Polish boys like German boys wore long stockings well after they went out of style in many other European countries. Polish readers inform HBC that tights were also common, although we do not know when they first appeared. As in East Germany, they appear to have replaced long stockings.
Over time we note Romanian boys wearing all the different types of hosiery as well a many boys going barefoot. We see boys wearing socks of all lengths, from ankle socks to knee socks as well as long stockings. We are not yet sure about tights. This of course was affected by changing fashion trends over time. Our Romanian archive is not yet large enough to develop general trends in Romanian hosiery. But we are able to begin to develop some overall patterns. We see quite a few Romanian boys weearing knee socks, at last among the better off urban population. Romania was a generally poor, agricultural country in Eastern Europe, large areas of which were under Ottoman control until the lat-19th century. This we see quite a number of children going barefoot, especially during difficult times such as the World War I and II periods. While located in Eastern Europe, Romanian was situated toward the southern band of Eastern Europe south of Poland. Thus the heavy emphasis on long stockings in the late-19th and early-20th century was not quite as widespread as in Scandinavia, the Baltics, Germany Poland, and Russia. Not to say long stockings were not worn, just not as dominant as in the more northerly northerly countries. The Ottoman influence may also have been a factor. Now long stockings were not just worn for warmth. There were also the modesty and formality factors which have to be considered. This mostly concerned girls, especially the modesty factor, but boys were also affected.
We have noted Russian boys wearing a variety of hosiery. Given the climate, especially cold winter weather, warm hosiery like long stockings were commonly worn in Russia. Russian boys wore tights during the 1970s. Here trends seem to have been some what influenced by Germany. I am not sure how this worked in the early Soviet era, but after World War II there was considerable trade between the Soviet Union and East Germany. We note Russian boys wearing sandals after World War II. Some wore them without socks, but with socks seems to have been more common. We also notice younger Russian childrencommonly wearing tights beginning in the 1970s. A Russian reader reports that long stockings were commonly worn through the 1960s, but that after tights appeared about 1969 they rapidly replaced long stockings. They were little seen in Russia after 1972. A Russian reader reports that in the 1960s he wore long stockings up to the age of 10. Some boys wore them to the age of 12. Younger boys wore tights. Knee pants with long stockings and tights for boys gradually vanished in Russia only at the end of 1970s.
Swiss boys like German boys also continued wearing long stockings in the 1920s as they were declining in popularity in other countries. Swiss boys also wore tights. A Swiss reader from a french-speaking family reports that going to primary school in the 1940s that boys mostly wore short pants under their smocks. During the winter some boys switched to knickers. The other boys that kept wearing shorts would commonly wear over-the-knee stockings. HBC is unsure at this time as to when tights began to replace long stockings. Tights were weorn by younger boys in several European countries. Most of the countries were northern ones, but the high elevations in Switzerland means that the weather there canb also be quite cold. HBC has only limited information on long stockings in Switzereland. Readers have provided varying accounts, and HBC is unable to assess the situation in Switzerland at this time.
Australian fashions generally followed English styles. One exception was hosiery. In the warm Australian climate, many children went barefoot. Wjen they did wear shoes and socks, they generally wore the same types as in England.
British boys mostly wore long stockings during the late 19th century, in part because of the climate. Mew Zealand was a British colony and children fashions in New Zealand generally followed Britoish fashions. There was one major exception. A lot of New Zealand boys and girls went barefoot, primarily because the climate was so mild. When dressing up, boys were more likely to wear stockings and shoes for formal occasions as was the case in Britain. For every day wear, howecer, going barefopot was very common. The same pattern continued in the early 20th century. By the 1910s when bous began wearing short pants instead of kneepants. They would still commonly go barefoot, but would wear shoes and long stockings and later kneesocks when dressing up. After World war II, knee socks began to decline in popularity, except for school uniforms and youth groups. American fashions becme influential after the War. And hosiery trends except for school were essentially the same as in America and now common patterns throughout Europe and North America. The only major difference is that going barefoot is still common in New Zealand.
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Created: May 26, 2001
Last updated: 4:34 PM 10/6/2024
