Figure 1.--HBC is not sure where this photograph was taken, but we speculate Germany in the late 1920s. We would be interested in HBC's readers have any thoughts on this. Notice the difference in the shoes and the fact that the girl has not pulled her kneesocks. |
We note a photograph of a boy in a checked suit posed with his sister. The photograph is not identified, unfortunately. We believe that it was probably taken in Germany. The style looks vaguely German, as does the cobled street and house. France is, however, another possdibility. We would date it to the late 1920s. The boy's checked suit looks almost home made. He wears it with a unsusual little collared vest.
We believe that the image was probably taken in the late 1920s or eraly 1930s before the NAZIs seized power. It definite was not taken in the 1920s as the shorter length short pants appeared after World War I (1914-18). I do not think it was taken in the 1930sm especially tyhe mid-30s as the styling for boys suits became more uniform in the 30s. The girls dress also helps to date the image. It is to short to ahve been worn in the 1910s or early 20s, biut could have ben worn in the late 1920s or early 30s.
We believe that it was probably taken in Germany. The style looks vaguely German, as does the cobled street and house. France is, however, another possdibility.
The boy wears a checked suit that his mother may have worn. It is a non-traditional style without lapels. Instead of a shirt he wears a kind of coloared vest.
Both children wear white kneesocks.
These kneesocks look fairly light weight. The light weight socks were more common for dressing up.
I'm not sure about the material.
The boys white kneesocks are long enough to enxtend above the knee. They have been carefully cuffed and pulled up to the knee.
Figure 2.--The children look older in this image. Note the girl looks mich shorter and the boy's jacket has longer sleeves. However the outfits are so similar, that they may have been taken the same day. |
The children wear black strap shoes. They look to be patent leather. They wear two different styles. The boy wears the classic single bar strap shoes while his sister wears the "T" strap style.
The boy here looks to be about 10 or 11 years old, although the outfit makes him look younger if you do not focus on his face. His little sister looks tober about 7 or perhaps 8 years old.
HBC believes that an element of social class was onvolved in wearing white kneesocks and strap shoes. It was not a working class style. But in the 1920s and 30s, boys from middle class families wore strap shoes and white kneesocks. These childrem look to be from a comfortable middle classm but not rich family. If they came from a rich family, they would not have been photographed on the street like this. Also the boy would not have worn what looks like a home made or at least non-traditional suit style.
Notice that the boy and girl wear different shoe styles. I'm not sure if there were gender conotations here. Likewise notice that the girl has not pulled her kneesocks up to her knee. Again I'm not sure if there are any gender connotatiobs associated with kneesocks pulled up to the knee.
This was prinarily worn as a dressy style, especially for black strap shoes. It was most commonly worn with some kind of juvenile suit or a fancy blouse. British boys some times wore kilts with strap shoes and white kneesocks, but anglets were more common. The colored strap shoes wre less formal, even play shoes. Thus boys wearing colored strap shoes with white kneesocks might wear play clothes.
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