Figure 1.--The popularity of long stockings has varied from country to country and over time. American children, both boys abd girls commonly wore long black stockings at the turn of the 20th century. Most boys wore kneepants in the late 19th century, but knickers became more common in the 20th century.

Boys primarily wore long stockings with pants, most commonly kneepants and knickers. After the early 1920s they were also sometimes worn with short pants. It is sometimes difficult to determine if boys are wearing long stockings. You can not tell if boys in long pants are wearing them, but you usually can tell if boys in knickers are wearing them. It is possible to tell if boys wearing short pants are wearing long stockings, but this was the least common style of pants worn with them, other than with long pants. HBC can only speculate at this time, but does not believe that long stockings were commonly worn with long pants. Some younger boys, however, may have worn them. Long stockings were primarily worn by children. Mothers felt it was important to keep children, especially younger children warm. Thus older children deemed mature enough to wear long trousers, probably were less likely to ear long stockings. Boys in the late 19th century wore long stockings that went above the knee with knee length pants. The stockings were mostly black in the late 19th century or some dark color. A fashion of horizontal striped stockings was fashionable in the 1860s-70s. Younger boys might go barefoot during the summer for play, but all boys wore long stockings when dressing up. The length of the stockings varied. Boys usually continued wearing wore dark stoclngs with the knickers that for the most part replaced kneepanrs during the 1910s. Knickers became increasingly popular and by the 1920s were increasingly worn with knee socks. Hoisery styles changed after the turn of the century. White stockings appeared instead of just black or dark colored stockings. Short pants became increasiungly popular in the 1920s, especially in Europe. The early short pants came to the knee and during the 1910s were worn with both long stockings and knee socks. By the 1920s shorts began to be worn shorter and long stockings became much less common in Britain and America.

Long Pants

HBC can only speculate at this time, but does not believe that long stockings were commonly worn with long pants. Photography provides a great deal of information on fashion and clothing, but can not offer any insights here. Some younger boys, however, may have worn them. Long stockings were primarily worn by children. Mothers felt it was important to keep children, especially younger children warm. Thus older children deemed mature enough to wear long trousers, probably were less likely to ear long stockings. Parents had differing views aboutvlong pants. Not all boys wore knickers and shorts. Some parents brought long pants for boys at a fairly young age. It is possible that some mothers insisted that these younger boys wear long stockings.

Knee Pants

Boys in the late 19th century wore long stockings that went above the knee with knee length pants. The stockings were mostly black in the late 19th century or some dark color. A fashion of horizontal striped stockings was fashionable in the 1860s-70s. Younger boys might go barefoot during the summer for play, but all boys wore long stockings when dressing up. The length of the stockings varied. Some were thigh high while others only came just over the knee. The longer stockings were held up by a suspender waists worn by the boys. Short pants were not worn until after the turn of the cenury. In the winter the long stockings helped keep them warm, but the boys also wore long stockings in the summer. Boys at the time did not wear shorts in summer and longs in winter. Instead they wore knee pants all year round.

Knickers

Boys usually continued wearing wore dark stoclngs with the knickers that for the most part replaced kneepanrs during the 1910s. Knickers became increasingly popular and by the 1920s were increasingly worn with knee socks. Many knickers suits in the 1910s and 20s were made to be worn buckled above the knee. These knickers were mostly worn with long above the knee stockings, although some boys wore them with knee socks. Early in the 1920s, kneesocks relaced longstockings for boys wearing nickers.

Short Pants

Hoisery styles changed after the turn of the century. White stockings appeared instead of just black or dark colored stockings. Short pants became increasiungly popular in the 1920s, especially in Europe. The early short pants came to the knee and during the 1910s were worn with both long stockings and knee socks. By the 1920s shorts began to be worn shorter and long stockings became much less common in Britain and America. The long stockings were still occasionally worn with shorts, especially during the winter in several European countries. Boys in much of Europe wore short pants even in the winter and the long stockings helped keep them warm in the copld winter. Long stockingds were also worn for formal occassions. A picture of the Kennedy family from about 1939 shows the family visiting the Pope in Rome. The youngest boy, Teddy, wears a short pants suit with long stockings. Apparently Rose though the long stockings were needed for the formal occasion. Shorts after the mid-1920s, however, in America and Britain were mostly worn with knee socks. Even in America, however, long stockings were still commonly available in the late 1940s. Long stockings were occsionally worn even into the 1930s. Apparentlty some mothers thought long stckings more appropriate for formal wear. Thus Rose Kenny dressed Teddy in long stockings with his short pants suit when they went to Vantican City to see the Pope.

Rompers

We note boys commonly wore rompers with socks, often ankle or three-quarter socks, but sometimes keensocks, but we occassionally note boys wearing long stockings with rompers. An example is an unidentified American boy in 1912.

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Created: 4:33 PM 6/20/2005
Last updated: 7:09 AM 11/26/2006