Figure 1.--German boys primarily wore long stockings for formality and warmth during cold weather. They were so common, however, during the early 20th century that we commonly see boys wearing them for plsy during the summer. It is difficult to see why this boy, probably in the 1910s is wearing long black stockings with a short pants play suit. Apparently mother just felt that long stockings were proper hosiery with short pants.

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 beginning 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. .

Tights

German boys did not commonly wear tights with short pants, largely because by the time tights appeared in the 1950s, short pants were becoming warm weather, casual wear. This had become the case by the 1960s. There was an exceoption here. The principal reason for wearing tights (as for long stockings) was for warmth. Many but a decreasing number of boys still wore short pants year round in the 1950s. We note boys wearing tights at home, both with and wihout short pants in informal suituations during the late-50s and early 60s. These would have been winter photographs although it is not always obvious in indoor photographs. There was another reason--formlity. Thus we see a few boys in the 1950s ad early 60s wearing short pants suits and tights for formal occassions. And for formal dress, tights were not just worn during the winter. So boys were more likely to be wearing short pants, at least in the 1950s and 60s. Here in formal situations we see boys wearing white tights. A good example is an unidentified German boy wear white tights with a white suit for his First Communion. German boys did wear tights in the 1960s, but not commonly with shors. This was because by the 1960s boys were wearing long pans in the wintr. We do note tights being worn with shorts for sport anf this has continued into the modern age. This seems especially the case of boys playing soccer un the winter.

Long Stockings

Long stockings were very popular in the 9th century and eary- and mid-20th century. Both formality and seasonality were major factors affecting the popularity of long stockings. We do not know a great deal about the popularity of long stockings in the early-19th century, but with the appearance of the CDV in the 1860s, photographt provides a detailed record of long stockings and other hosiery types. Formality was a major factor in the 19th century. As knee pants become more important, seasonlity begins to become a major factor. Knee pants were not, however, as popular for older German boys as rhey were in America. In the 20th century as short pants become increasingly popular, seasonality become an increasingly important factor. Long stockings were widely worn by boyj German boys and girls in the first half of the 20th century. As boys often wore short pants year round, long stickings became very important, especially for winter wear. This only began to change as long pants begn to be mote common for winterwear after mid-decade, Several of our German contributors make the point in their accounts of personal experiences having to do with long stockings that even after they had begun to wear long trousers to school (often with long stockings worn underneath for warmth), they were required to wear shorts out of school by their parents (often with long stockings in the cooler seasons). Part of the reason was economic. Long trousers were more expensive than shorts, and thrifty parents were minimizing the damage to long trousers by insisting on shorts for play outside of school hours and for general time spent at home.

Knee Socks

Knee socks were very popular for German children in the first half of the 20th century. This was especially true after World War I in the inter-War period. Knee sicks continued to be worn in the post-World war II period, but began to decline in popuilarity for boys in the 1960s.

Three-quarter Socks

Three quater socks were very common for German children in the early 20th century.

Ankle Socks

We note ankle socks increasing in popularity during the 1950s. Knee socks were worn into the 1960s, but even in the 50s we see large numbers of boys wearing ankle sicks. A first there was a seasonal element, but by the 1970s, ankle socks had becon=me the dominant hosieret worn by boys, even with short psants.

Home Knitted Socks

A complicating factor was 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.

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Created: 1:27 PM 12/21/2010
Last updated: 1:41 PM 12/21/2010