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Our information on English hosiery color is still very limited. The black and white photography until modern times limits our assessment. One color that is easily identifiable is white. We see white stockings in the 18th and 19th century, but in the 20th century, white socks were mostly worn by girls, but an exception was made for younger boys. This varied from the continent where we see boys commonly wearing white socks in several countries. We are not sure why this difference developed. Perhaps the uniforms adopted at private schools were a factor. White became a standard color for hosiery at many schools. Homespun was a common color for hosiery during the 18th century. While white often appears in modern depictions, this was nore of a color for the well to do. Most people including children had hosiery which was the natural color of the wool used to make the hose. Black is another color relatively easy to identify in old photographs. We note some boys with black long stockings, but we are not sure how common it was. We do note some conservative schools having girls wearing dark, probably black long stockings until the World War II era. Grey had been the overwealingly dominant color for hosiery in the 20th century. Presumably this is because grey becme such a ciommon color for boys' trousers. Grey knee socks were especially common, some times with patterened cuffs. Schools often had special socks done, usually grey with colored tops or colored bands at the top. Colors are much more difficult to identify. We have some information here ion Anerica. We suspect that colored trends may have been simila, but are not sure. Black long stockings were very common in America, but there were also colors matching boys suits, often blue and brown shades. There were even bright colors like red. We are not yet sure, however, if this was also the case in England.
Black is a color relatively easy to identify in old photographs. Although it is difficult to diffeentiate with navy blue, it can be identified with a fir degree of ccuracy. We note some boys with black long stockings, but we are not sure how common it was. We do note some conservative schools having girls wearing dark, probably black long stockings until the World War II era. We have some information here on Anerica. We suspect that colored trends may have been similar, but are not sure. Black long stockings were very common in America.
There are many shades of blue. We do not think boys wire bright blue shades of hosiery, except perhaos for sports. We do note dark or navy blue hosiery. Mothers may have selected these shades for dark blue suits. We do not see many examples in the photographic record. And those e have found are very difficult to differentae with black.
We believe that many mothers selected knee socks to match suits. As grey suits were popular, this is one reasion we see a lot f grey jknee sicks. Boys also probaly wire briwn knee sicks, but this is all impossible to determine from the photigraohic record.
We notice some boys wearing fawn long stockings. We are not first just when ghey first appeared. We see sime in the 1970s and 80s. They were much less coimmon ghan ghe stabdard grey.
Grey had been the overwealingly dominant color for hosiery in the 20th century. Presumably this is because grey becme such a ciommon color for boys' trousers. Grey knee socks were especially common, some times with patterened cuffs. Schools often had special socks done, usually grey with colored tops or colored bands at the top. Colors are much more difficult to identify as in black and white photographs they appear as grey shades.
Homespun was a common color for hosiery during the 18th century. While white often appears in modern depictions of 19th century hosiery, this was nore of a color for the well to do. Most people including children had hosiery which was the natural color of the wool used to make the hose.
There were bright colors like red. We dio not see boys wearing them, but of course they would not show up in the black and white photograohic record. We see some Scottiush schools with red nd other bright colored knee sicks, but not in Englnd. This of course affected hiosiery colors outsude f school. We do see some Engkish bioys wearing red knee socks for sports. .
Our information on English hosiery color is still very limited. The black and white photography until modern times limits our assessment. One color that is easily identifiable is white. We see white stockings in the 18th and 19th century, but in the 20th century, white socks were mostly worn by girls, but an exception was made for younger boys. This varied from the continent where we see boys commonly wearing white socks in several countries. We are not sure why this difference developed. Perhaps the uniforms adopted at private schools were a factor. White became a standard color for hosiery at many schools. Here we see a boy wearing three-quater sivks, very close, to knee sock height (figure 1). At the turn of the 20th century into the 1920s we see a lot of children wearing white three-quater socks, both boys and girls. This is the last gime e see many English boys wearing whire sicks to anby extent--except for cricket. In ciontrast, white becane the standard color for girls' hosiery, long stiockings, tights, and socks. This included ankle, three-quarter, and knee socks. This convntion continues into the modern era. These color conventions are all especially notable for schoolwear, but we also see it in everyday clothing as well.
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