Figure 1.-- Knee socks in England by the 1980s were becoming increasingly associated with school socks. These boys attended a private prep school.

English boys commonly wore knee socks year round for school, play, leasure events, and formal wear. During the summer many boys might wear ankle socks or even sandals without socks. Knee socks were worn with a variety of shoes, inluding sandals. Knee socks were commnly worn year round for school, play, leasure events, and formal wear. During the summer many boys might wear ankle socks or even sandals without socks. Knee socks were worn with a variety of shoes, inluding sandals. Kneesocks were common n England right from when shorts became the common fashion in the early 20th century. We begin to see boys wearing ankle socks during the summer in the 1940s, but knee socks continued to be common into the 1960s. By the 1970s, short trousers and kneesocks became more associated with schoolwear. We note references to school socks. This generally mean grey knee socks or knee socks with school colors in the turn-over tops. A reader writes, "I have told you that in the 1960s once Spring arrived my Mum made us wear ankle socks out of school for casual wear but even in the Summer kneesocks were the rule at school and my Mum even thought them more appropriate for "best" (church and so on) rather than short socks. Cubs and scouts also wore knee socks. This may have been the same in Germany and other European countries - ankle socks were seen as "casual"/play wear whereas for more formal occaisions - school, church, youth groups, dress up and so on kneesocks were more the rule. In England anyhow knee socks for school also allowed the school colours to be displayed prominently on the turn-over tops. I always preferred kneesocks with shorts as I did even out of school. When I went to Germany I wore my school knee socks (neatly pulled up and gartered!) with my sandals even in the height of Summer even though the German boy that I stayed with wore short socks with his but that may have been his Mum's choice.When we went to meet the Mayor he wore white kneesocks. (Which I found very odd!) So even there kneesocks seemed the done thing for formal occaisions. At home my Mum would have insisted on short socks with sandals out of school which I hated but then again she would not have allowed sandals for formal wear anyhow even though they were allowed at school - with kneesocks!" As knee socks began to become less popular in thre 1970s, they continued to be part of school uniforms, especially a private scgools.

Terminology

We note references to school socks. This generally meant grey knee socks or knee socks with school colors in the turn-over tops.

Chronology

We see Englidsh boys wearing knee socks in the 19th century, but not very commonly. The first knee socks we note were worn with Scittish kilts. Scottish fashions became popular in England during the early-19th century and Queen Victory helped fuel the Scottish craze. Scottish outdits were nor a specifically boy's style. Scottish knee socks were often argyles. We do not notice other knee socks until after mid century. We notice children wearing socks, at first with dresses, bith three-quarter socks and knee socks.. Then we see younger boys wearing knee socks with knickers and knee pants. Older boys wore long stockings although in many ases boys seem to have worn knee socks that were pulled all the way uprather tham thelongerv length dtockings we note in America and Germny. Knee socks became much mor popular in the 20th century. WE note many boys wearing knee socks pulled up with knee pants in the early 20th century. Knee socks were common n England right from when short trousers became the common fashion after World War I in the 1920s. English boys commonly woreknee socls throughout the inter-War era. We begin to see boys wearing ankle socks during the summer in the 1940s, but knee socks continued to be common into the 1960s. By the 1970s, short trousers and knee socks became more associated with schoolwear and Cubs. Tube socks were popular for a while. By the end of the century, boys no longer wore knee socks to any extent and they had even brgun to decline as schoolwear, in part because fewer boys were wearing shorts to school.

Popularity

English boys commonly wore knee socks year round for school, play, leasure events, and formal wear.

Seasonality

During the summer many boys might wear ankle socks or even sandals without socks.

Turn Over Top Cuff

One aspect of English knee socks is that we thinking beginning in the 1920s we begin to see the turn over top done in destinctive styles. There were two different types. First was a pattern. The patterns were similar to the kinds of patterns we see on American knee socks only confined to the turn ovr top. We rarely see these American style knee socks in Britain, but we do occasionally see these patterned turn-over-top cuffs in America. They were very common in Britain. We see this quite commonly in the the 1930s and 40s. Second was colored bands and more rarely a solid colored cuff. These school socks were mostly done as part of private school uniforms. These were the school colors and often repeated in the capa, blazers, and ties. As such there ware a wide variety of colors used, but the socks themselves were almost always grey. We are not sure just when these school socks first appeared, but we begin to notice them in the 1920s. They became a popular part of schgool uniforms, especially schools that were serious about the unigirm. We do not see these socks in America to any extent, primarily because there were so few schools with British-style uniforms, but there were a few. At times these colors bands alao appeared with Ebngkish Scout knee socks. In this case we do see dark (we think navy blue) socks.

Types

We notive different types of English knee socks. The first type related to length. The first knee socks we believed evolved from long stockings. And as they began to be worn as knee socks, we see boys forming ciffs. They cane to be called turn-over-top socks. Another type of knee sick appered later, becoming popular after World war II. They were made just long enough to resch the knee when pulled up. Anothr type of knee socks dealt with the detailing. We firsrt see knee socks made with patterned tops. A good example is Ken Adams in the 1930s. School socks appeared with with colored bands ot occassionaly a full colored cuff. in the school colors.

Footwear

Knee socks were worn with a variety of shoes, inluding sandals. Knee socks were commnly worn year round for school, play, leasure events, and formal wear. During the summer many boys might wear ankle socks or even sandals without socks. Knee socks were worn with a variety of shoes, inluding sandals.

Personal Experiences

A reader writes, "I have told you that in the 1960s once Spring arrived my Mum made us wear ankle socks out of school for casual wear but even in the Summer knee socks were the rule at school and my Mum even thought them more appropriate for "best" (church and so on) rather than short socks. Cubs and scouts also wore kneesocks. This may have been the same in Germany and other European countries - ankle socks were seen as "casual"/play wear whereas for more formal occaisions - school, church, youth groups, dress up and so on kneesocks were more the rule. In England anyhow kneesocks for school also allowed the school colours to be displayed prominently on the turn-over tops. I always preferred kneesocks with shorts as I did even out of school. When I went to Germany I wore my school kneesocks (neatly pulled up and gartered!) with my sandals even in the height of Summer even though the German boy that I stayed with wore short socks with his but that may have been his Mum's choice.When we went to meet the Mayor he wore white kneesocks. (Which I found very odd!) So even there kneesocks seemed the done thing for formal occaisions. At home my Mum would have insisted on short socks with sandals out of school which I hated but then again she would not have allowed sandals for formal wear anyhow even though they were allowed at school - with kneesocks!" As knee socks began to become less popular in thre 1970s, they continued to be part of school unifirms, especially a private schools."

Created: 5:01 AM 6/27/2008
Last updated: 4:47 AM 7/2/2018