Figure 1.-- Here we see a gathering of the Rupp family on July 4, 1922, in Pittsburgh. Quite a few children are present, wearing a variety of clothes. Tree of the boys wear long black stockings whereas a younger boy wears knee socks. Notice the boy, center left, wearing a sailor suit with button-on knee pants.

Here we see a gathering of the Rupp family on July 4, 1922, in Pittsburgh. Quite a few children are present, wearing a variety of clothes. This family photograph is interesting for a variety of reasons. Especially notable here is the variety of the clothes. Three of the boys wear long black stockings whereas a younger boy wears knee socks. Notice the boy, center left, wearing a sailor suit with button-on knee pants. The white buttons at his waist are very prominent. His suit has a white dickey and a dark scarf. The boy standing next to him wears a white open- necked blouse, above-the-knee knickers and long black stockings. A boy at the extreme right in the second row wears a sweater will a rolled collar, white above-the-knee knickers, and long black stockings. The younger children, both girls and boys, wear knee socks whereas the slightly older children wear long stockings. The girls tend to wear white stockings. A HBC reader writes, "Notice that one boy in a sailor suit wears a button on outfit while the other wears the suit with a blouse top. Also, the slightly older boy with the button together sailor suit wears long stockings and the other boy knee socks. The boy in the knee socks appears to have his underwear protruding below his right trouser bottom. I state this because it shows some variety just as we have today. Also notice that the young girl with white long stockings is next to a slightly older girl with knee socks. Yjis suggests to be conscious age grading and the suggestion that the parents chose the clothes."

Created: 4:45 AM 7/15/2005
Last updated: 4:45 AM 7/15/2005