German Short Pants: Hosiery


Figure 1.--Here we see Germany boys in the late-1930s wearing different types of hosiery. One boys wears sandals without socks. This was not very common at the time.

We note German boys wearing a variety of hosiery with short pants. We know more about the hosiery worn with short pants because it is easily observable in the photographic record. Determining what hosiery boys wearing long pants are is much more difficult because the hosiery is covered up.. We note boys wearing ankle socks, three-quarter socks, knee socks, long stockings, and tights. Long stockings and knee socks were very popular in the eary 20th century. We note ankle socks increasing in popularity during the 1950s. Tights were not commonly worn with shorts, largely because by the time tights appeared, short pants were becoming warm weather, casual wear. We do note tights being worn with shorts for sport. The popularity of these different types varied over time. We also note age and seasonal variations which also affected the type of pants worn. There were differences from family to family, but social class seems a minor factor, except for long stockings and children going barefoot. We see fewer German boys going barefoot, dxcept during the early 20th century and it was an indicator of poverty. A complicating factorwas the fact that mothers, aunts, and grandmoters often crocheted socks at home. These were commonly knee socks, but in many instances did not come up to the knee.

Specific Hosiery Types

We note German boys wearing a variety of hosiery with short pants. We know more about the hosiery worn with short pants of course because it is easily observable in the photographic record. Determining what hosiery boys wore with long pants is much more difficult because the hosiery is covered up. We note boys wearing ankle socks, three-quarter socks, knee socks, long stockings, and tights. A factor here is that short pants as standard boys wear were a largely mid-20th century phenomenon. At the be\ginning of the decade, knee pants dominted. We primarily see short pants being worn after World War I in the inter-War era and after World War II in the post-War era. In the 1960s we see short pants being worn imcreasingly as casual summer wear. This affected the types of of hosiery worn because of changes in the popular hosiery types. And the shifting conventions for wearing short pats also affected hosiery choices. Thus the hosiery associated with long pants is a complicated subjected affected bya wide range of fashion factors. Seasonlity was an important factor and we see boys wearing long stockings with shorts. Interestingly when tights replaced longstoclings we do not se them being wrn much which shorts. Knee socks were commonly worn with shorts. During the summer we see boys rolling down both long stockings and knee socks and as a result, ankle socks increase in popularity. Seasonality wasnot the only major factor involved in hosiery choices. Formality was another important factor and as a result we commonly see long stockings or knee socks in formal situations. .

Footwear without Socks


Barefeet

We see fewer German boys going barefoot, dxcept during the early 20th century and it was an indicator of poverty.

Chronology

he popularity of these different types varied over time.

Conventions


Age

We also note age and seasonal variations which also affected the type of pants worn.

Families

There were differences from family to family.

Social Class

Social class seems a minor factor, except for long stockings and children going barefoot.





HBC






Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing German pages:
[Return to the Main German short pants page]
[Return to the Main German pants page]
[Return to the German hosiery pants page]
[German choirs] [German scouts] [Hitler Youth] [German school uniforms] [German royalty]
[German sailor suits] [Lederhosen] [Ethnic] [Tights] [Long stockings]



Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main country short pants page]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Images] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]




Created: 8:58 PM 12/4/2008
Last updated: 1:17 PM 12/21/2010