Figure 1.--This unidentified boy was photographed ith his grandfather in a chicken coop. The boy wears a white summer sailor suit with black long stockings, a popular fashion of the day. The snapshot was taken in Jubilee, Texas during 1909.

Long stockings were commonly worn in Europe an North America during the early 20th century. Long stockings were seen as appropriate for formal occassions. There were variations among countries. Knee socks became popular in England. Long stockings continued to be very common in Germany and Scandinavia. Long stockings were also very common in America and Canada. Black stockings were very common. We see some boys wearing white stockings, but these were more common for girls. We see long stockings being worn with both knee pants and knickers. Long stockings continued to be worn in a few countries even after World War I (1914-18) when knee pants went out of style. Some European boys even wore them with short pants. They did not begin to decline in popularity until the 1920s. American boys still commonly wore long stockings in the early 1920s. Black was still the most common color, but brown was also worn. White stockings were available, but not commonly worn by boys. Long srtockings were rapidly declining in popularity after the mid-1920s as both boys and girls turned more to knee socks, but this varied from coyntry to country. American boys by 1940 mostly wore either ankle socks or kneesocks. Long stockings, however, had not entirely disappeared. They were still available as late as the mid- to late- 1940s in America and into the 60s in Europe.

The 1900s

Long stockings were commonly worn in Europe and North America during the early-20th century. A good example is George and Ewan McTherson we think in England or Scotand during 1902. A factor here was climate. They were more common in cold northern Europe than warm southern Europe. Age and seasonns were also a factor. Younger children commonly wore socks during the summer, but older children normally wore long stockings. Another factor was formality. Long stockings were seen as appropriate for formal occassions. There were variations among countries. Knee socks became popular in England. Long stockings continued to be very common in Germany and Scandinavia. Long stockings were also very common in America and Canada. Black stockings were especially common. We see some boys wearing white stockings, but these were more common for girls. We see long stockings being worn with both knee pants and knickers. A German reader writes, "Nearly all schoolboys in class photographs wore long stockings with knee pants from about 1905 to 1935, at least if the weather were cool. It seems that it was considered proper to wear long stockings with better and dressier clothes." HBC has not noted this beginning in 1905, but rather was well established in the late-19th century, but we are heavily influenced by American trends.

The 1910s

Long stockings continue to be wide wirn in the 1910s. We do see skmewhat more seasonal variation. We begin to see more Wuropean boys wearing short osnts. merican biys were more likeky to wear sicks during the summer, al least yiunger boys. Amd many biys went barefooit during the summer,

Figure 1.--Long stockings continued to be worn in the inyer-war era in many countries, but their popularity was beginning to decline in some countries. Here two American children wear long stockings in the 1920s, in this case for formality.

Inter-war Years (1920-39)

Long stockings continued to be worn in a few countries even after World War I (1914-18) when kneepants went out of style. Some European boys even wore them with short pants. They did not begin to decline in popularity until the 1920s. American boys still commonly wore long stockings in the early 1920s. Black was still the most common color, but brown was also worn. White stockings were available, but not commonly worn by boys. Long srtockings were rapidly declining in popularity after the mid-1920s as both boys and girls turned more to knee socks. This was especially true in America. American boys in the early 1920s were still wearing knickers with long stockings. Montgomery Wards refused to them as school hose, perhaps because they were worn by boys going back to school as the weather got cooler. It was becoming less common to see boys wearing long stockings during the warm summer months. By the mid-1920s, however, kneesocks had to a large extent repaced long stockings. Whike long stockings did not dissapear they came to be worn by a minority of boys. Many younger boys wre then with short pants, often with tan stockings. They were mostly worn for warmth. Some boys, however, wore them for formal occasions, usualy white or black stockings, because they thought the stockings had a smart look.

Figure 3.--We still see long stockings commonly in the 1950s. Here we see a German boy about 1960. By the 60s they were much less common, in part because of the appearance of tights and the increasing popularity of long pants. We still see long stockings in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union during the 1960s.

Mid-20th Century (1940-69)

American boys by 1940 mostly wore either ankle socks or kneesocks. Long stockings, however, had not entirely disappeared. They were still available as late as the mid- to late-1940s in America and into the 60s in Europe. An American reader reports, "In the late 1940s and early 50s, little boys were still wearing long brown stockings. I know from experience. Hand-me downs were prevalent in my family due to economics. There are also `baby' pictures in the family album that show both my brother and I in long white stockings, about late-46 or early-47." Long stockings continued to be more commonly worn in several European countries such as Germany, Poland. Switzerland, and the Scandinavian countries as cold weather wear. We note German boys still commonly wearing long stockings, especially in the early 1950s. A good example is unidentified German family. A new style in the 1960s appeared in those countries which competed with long stockings--tights.