Figure 1.--This undated tun-type portarit shows a brother and sister wearuing strioped liong stickings. The portatit is undated, but looks like the 1870s to us, although the very early-80s is possible.

We see are not yet sure about the 1860s, but we note both boys and girls wearing stripped long stockings during the 1870s and early-80s. We are stilll wotking on the chronology. We are not yet sure if any of the various patterns differed chronologically. There were also stripe patterns that mixed different stripes both wide and narrow stripes and bands in various widths and colors. The widths are clearly discernable. Unfortunately there is no way to dertermine the color combinations. Unlike the other options, the patterns may or may not be repeated. Thus the patterns are highly varied. Here the number of possible patterns are virtually numberless. Illustrations often show the two alternating patterns of equal widths. This is rather misleading. We think this occurred because this was the easiest to draw. The photographic record shows that the stripe patterns actually worn were more varied. These mixed width stipes and bands do not have the bold, sporty appearance of the wide stripes. We note many images with a kind of mixture of narrow and wide stripes. These various stripes mean that many different colors could be used. We are not sure how common this option was but we see mamy examples in the photographic record.

The 1850s

We note Europen fashion magazine in the 1850s showing children wearing striped long stockings. We have been unable to tes this with the photographic record. Phitography did not spread in Europe as fast as in ameica. Thus we hve very few Europen images during the 1840s and 50s. Perhaps our European reades will know more. We do not see striped stovkings in america during the 1850s in the fairly substantial American Dags and Ambros.

The 1860s

We are not yet sure if striped stockings were worn n the 1860s. Thanks to the CDV, we have a very substntial archive of 1860s portraits. And we do not see children wearing striped long sockingfs. white stockings were very populr. We suspect that they striped stockings may have appeared in the late-1860s. They clearly were not very common.

The 1870s

We note both boys and girls wearing stripped long stockings during the 1870s. They were done in a wide range of styles. We are not yet sure if any of the various patterns differed chronologically. There were also stripe patterns that mixed different stripes both wide and narrow stripes and bands in various widths and colors. The widths are clearly discernable. Unfortunately there is no way to dertermine the color combinations. Unlike the other options, the patterns may or may not be repeated. Thus the patterns are highly varied. Here the number of possible patterns are virtually numberless. Illustrations often show the two alternating patterns of equal widths. This is rather misleading. We think this occurred because this was the easiest to draw. The photographic record shows that the stripe patterns actually worn were more varied. These mixed width stipes and bands do not have the bold, sporty appearance of the wide stripes. We note many images with a kind of mixture of narrow and wide stripes. These various stripes mean that many different colors could be used. We are not sure how common this option was but we see mamy examples in the photographic record.

The 1880s

we see striped stocking in the early-1880s. We belkieve that they were still fairly common. We do not yet have enough dated images to assess the striping patterns. Thesey rapidly went out of style after the very early-80s. We see very few examples by the mid-80s. The problem here is that many availble images are not dated and here we need actual dated images. Early 80s images are harder to date than late-80s images because the popular Fauntleroy styling has not yet appeared. Notably Mrs. Burnett published her book, Little Lord Fauntleroy (1885). This led to the Fauntleroy Craze. But we virtually nevcer see Fauntlerpy suits worn with striped stockings. And for some reason the same is true with other styles of suits.

Created: 2:08 AM 1/31/2014
Last updated: 2:08 AM 1/31/2014