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Austrian children over time have worn a range of different hosiery types. The popularity of the different hosiery types have varied over time. We see three-quarter socks in the early 20th century. Long stockings were common during cold weather, but were also worn for formality and modesty. Knee socks became very common after world War I in the 1920s. As longs stockings and knee socks declined in popularity by the 1950s and 60s we see more children wearing abkle socks. They were first mostly worn by girls, but became standard for boys as well. We are not yet sure about tights.
We see three-quarter socks in the 19th century as shortened-length pants (knee pants and bloomer knickers) began to be worn. They were also common in the early 20th century. We see both boys and girls commonly wearing three-quarter length socks. Neither ankle socks and knee socks were common before World War I. Three-quarter socks continued to be worn in the early 20s, but were rapidly replaced with knee socks and long stockings. We note both white and colored socks. Some white socks had various colored stripes at the top, usually various narrow stripes.
Austrian boys and girls like German children commonly wore long stockings. We note long stockings in the late-19th century as knee pants and bloomer knickers began to be worn. Long stockings were common during cold weather, but were also worn for formality and modesty. We note children wearing long stockings for a range of occassions, casual wear, school, and formal events. They were most common in cold weather, but for formal occassions might be worn any time during the year. They may not have been as popular as in Germany, but were still widely worn. We note two brothers wearing long stockings with Lederhosen in 1935. We suspect the weather was cool. We note Vienna children in 1936 wearing long stockings during the winter. The boy wears then with a short pants suit. Long stockings were done in arange of colors. Unfortunately the black and white photography of the day does not tell us much aboutcolor. We see an Austrian boy wearing white (or possibly beige) long stockings. White was more common for girls, but were worn by younger boys or occassiinally older boys for formal occassions. After World War I, beige or other light-brown shades became the standard color for children. Long stockings were most common for younger boys, but widely worn until about 11-12 years of age.
Knee socks became very common in Austria after world War I in the 1920s. Both boys and girls wore them. Short pants also became very common for boys after World War I, although the lengths for some time looked rather like knee pants. Children mostly wore either long stockings or knee socks, commonly on a seasonal basis. Gradually knee socks became increasingly common, althoufgh long stockings were still widely worn until after World War II. Boys very commonly wore knee socks in the 1920s-30s. We mostly notice solid colored socks. The black and white photography of the day makes it difficult to assess actual colors. We think grey was very common. We do not notice boys wearing black knee socks to any extent. White knee socks were sometines worn when dressing up. Knee socks were were still commonly worn after World War II in the 50s. We see patterened knee socks more commonly after the War. We note a variety of patterns such as argyles.
We begin to see both short pants and knee socks declining in popularity during the 1960s. As short pants became more of a casual, summer garmen and boys increasingly wore long pants dy\uring the winter, knee socks declined sharply, at least among boys. Girls continued to wear them which probably further reduced the populaeity with boys.
As longs stockings and knee socks declined in popularity by the 1950s and 60s we see more children wearing abkle socks. They were first mostly worn by girls, but became standard for boys as well.
We are not yet sure about tights.
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