German Cold Weather Coats: Social Class


Figure 1.--These two German brothers were photographed in 1933. Thet are wearing berets and a double-breasted overcoat. Also notice the white long stockings. We would guess that they came from a middle-class family in comfortable circumstance. The overcoat was double-breasted. This was a popular style for younger children. Note the flowers in their lapels. Had they been British boys I would have thought that they were the poppies worn on Armistice Day, but I don't think Armistice Day was celebrated in Germany.

These two German brothers were photographed in 1933. The date is all we know for sure about the phitograph, The boys are unidentified and we do not know where in Germany the phtograph was taken. Thet are wearing berets and a double=breasted overcoat. We note quite a number of German boys wearing berets. I believe it was considered fashionable, rather similar to Aamerica. I'm not sure what color the berets were. If they were American boys I would say theu were definitely white. I'm less sure about beret colors in Germany. Also notice the white long stockings. We would guess that they came from a middle-class family in comfortable circumstance. The overcoat was double-breasted. This was a popular style for younger children. The coats were probably beige or some similar light-ran shade. We have no idea what the boys are earing under their shirts. All we see is a dark collar-buttoned shirt. The boys wear strap shoes. This was a shoe style more common for girls, but we see quite a few boys wearing them as well. They look like the are black, but we are not positive. A reader writes, "My guess is that the boys are wearing light beige stockings rather than white ones. The stockings seem to be very close to the color of the overcoats which seem to be light tan, or camel's hair color. Beige stockings were more common for boys in German in the 1930s than white stockings although of course white stockings were sometimes worn." It is certainly true that beige stockings were more common, especilly for boys than white stockings. Judgeing color in black and white photographs. I don't think light beige would look much different than white. Here this is somewhat complicated by the shadows on the stockings. The stockings could be beige, but we tend to think they are white. Notice how mother has chosen rather dressy itejms for the boys: the berets, formal overcoats, and strap shoes. We think that white stockings would be more in keeping with the dressy look. Also the flowers in their lapels. Had they been British boys I would have thought that they were the poppies worn on Armistice Day, but I don't think Armistice Day was celebrated in Germany.






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Created: 2:06 AM 1/23/2007
Last updated: 2:06 AM 1/23/2007