Ring Bearer Costumes: Chronology--1920s


Figure 1.--This wedding portrait was probably taken in the late 1920s. We arev not sure about the boy's rather unusual stockings arrangement. We are not yet sure it what country it wa taken. Imagevcourtesy of the RS collection. Click on the image to see the writing on the back.

Ring bearers in the 1920s commonly wore fancy elaborate suits. We note considerable differences from country to country. There were a variety of styles, including short pants of variius lengths or above the knee knickers. The shorts by the end of the decade tended to be shorter than atthe beginning. They were often elaborately trimmed with ruffles and lace and worn with long stockings, usually long white stockings or to some extent kneesocks. The boys might wear strap or buckle shoes. Some boys might even have their hair styled. Some were done with quite striking hair dos.

American Ring Bearer

HBC has no details on this image. It is an American image which we believe it is a wedding portrait of a ring bearer and flower girl. It was probably a 1920s wedding, but this is only a guess on our part. The image is not real clear, but sone details can be made out. His hair style in particular is strinking. It is short, but I am not quite sure how to describe it.

Hungarian Honors Boy

The unidentified wedding portrait seen here was almost surely taken in the 1920s, probably th late 1920s (figure 1). We based this primarily on the fact that the boy wears short cut short pants rarther rgab the longer shorts or even kneepants worn in the early 1920s. The shorts appear to be button or shorts, but the image is not clear enough to make much out about the boy's blouse. He seens to be wearing a white bow. Hecalso wears long over-the-knee white stockings. He also wears white gloves. We do not know, however, in what country the portrait was taken. I don't think I've ever seen an outfit quite like this little boy is wearing. I've seen short pants and knee socks, knickers and over the knee socks, but this outfit, although cute, is a little confusing to me. I wonder why it is that the boy is dressed in short pants, but has over the knee stockings (apparantly with a garter assembly that extends up under the short pants). I would think that something like this support assembly which was usually covered. We suspect that in the 1920s that as short pants were becoing cut shorter, especially for little boys, that mothers continued to use up any remaining long stockings which were normally designed for longer shorts. Perhaps mother was having trouble keeping his stockings to stay up. We do not think that this was actually a fashion style. At least wehave never seen another boy or girl for that matter wearing lobg stockings like this.






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Created: July 7, 2003
Last updated: July 8, 2003