German Long Stockings: Top Finish


Figure 1.--This German boy was paying a board game with his brother and sister in the family garden about 1930. Note his long stockings with paterened tops. Click in the image to see the plain long stockings his sister was wearing. Image courtesy of the MD collection.

Most of the long stockings we have seen were solid color stockings. Unlike kneesocks which sometimes had patterns or bands at the top, long stockings usally had no destinctive top finish. They might have button holes or other arrangements to help attach them so thy did bot fall down. We for the most part do not notice special finish at the top like the bands or pattern commonly found on kneesocks and there were turn down to form a cuff. I thought at first that they might be turn over top socks that the boy had pulled up, but after considering this they seem far too long to be kneesocks. The boy in the image here clearly wears long stockings with a destinctive top finish (figure 1). Interestingly he has done the stockings on each leg somewhat differently. Stockings with a destinctive top finish were ceratinly not the case for American long stockings. We wonder just what the porpose was because, unlike kneesocks, the top of long stockings were not mean to be seen. We do note, however, German boys wearing long stockings that had patterened tops. We have not noted the girls with similar stocking tops. They look like kneesocks, but are much too long. We do not know at this time just how common these pattern top long stockings were in Germany. We have not yet noted them in other countries.

Solid Colors

Most of the long stockings we have seen were solid color stockings. Unlike kneesocks which sometimes had patterns or bands at the top, long stockings usally had no destinctive top finish. They might have button holes or other arrangements to help attach them so thy did bot fall down.

Top Finish

We for the most part do not notice special finish at the top like the bands or pattern commonly found on kneesocks and there were turn down to form a cuff. We do not know at this time just how common these pattern top long stockings were in Germany. Of course as the top are normally covered by the children clothing, it is difficult to tell from available images how common his was. Our German readeers, however, conform that long stockings with these patterened tops were quite unusual.

Image

They look like kneesocks, but are much too long. I thought at first that they might be turn over top socks that the boy had pulled up, but after considering this they seem far too long to be kneesocks. The boy in the image here clearly wears long stockings with a destinctive top finish (figure 1). Interestingly he has done the stockings on each leg somewhat differently. I have no idea why he has done this. The only information we have is this portrait. We have no idea how this boy normally wore his long stockings.

We have not yet noted them in other countries. Stockings with a destinctive top finish were ceratinly not the case for American long stockings.

Purpose

We wonder just what the porpose of this destinctive top finish was. Unlike kneesocks, the top of long stockings were not mean to be seen.

Gender Trends

We do note a few images of German boys wearing long stockings that had patterened tops. We have not noted the girls with similar stocking tops.

Reader Comments

A German reader writes, "As a boy growing up in the 1940s, I do not remember ever seeing long stockings like these, but I would have liked them. My feeling is that it might have been the garters rather than the length of the stockings that caused boys to dislike them."








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Created: March 5, 2003
Last updated: March 5, 2003