Figure 1.--Long stockings continued to be widely worn in the 1920s. These unidentified American boys had their portrait taken in front of the family home in 1928. Cyriously the older boy seems to be wearing long stockings and the younger boy knee socks, although it is impossible to be sure because the boys are wearing knickers. A reader writes, "The older boy is certainly wearing black long stockings. The younger boy, I think, could be wearing knee socks, but the striped pattern could also be long stockings. We don't see any cuffs on the striped stockings. But you are probably correct."

We see American boys wearing primarily knickers after World war I in the 1920s, but long and short pants were slso worn. This depended primarily on age, but shorts were increasingly worn during the summer. The pants of course to some extent affected the hisiery chosen. After World War I, we see some boys wearing knee socks, but long stockings continued to be the principal hosiery worn by boys through much of the 1920s until the end of the decade. We see mostly black stockings although the black and white photography of the day, but we also begin to see the new beige shades as well, primarily for younger children. In contrast the new knee socks boys were also wearing by the end of the decade were commonly patterned socks done in colors. There were many different patterns and color combintions. Knee socks were much more common in Europe, but and mostly solid colors. We are not entirely sure why this difference developed between American and Eurooean hosiery. It may be related to the difference in pants that also developed. European boys were mostly wore short pants rather than knickers. We don't fully understand why this difference occurred or how it may have affected hosiery trends. American boys seem less willing to wear the short pants that European boys began to wear. Mothers seemed more concerned with dressing boys warmly in the cold weather. We are not just not sure. And American mothers seemed concerned about boys wearing shorts in the winter, although girls commomly wore skirts leaving their knees bare. This same concerned seems to have also affected attitudes toward hosiery. It does get colder in America than many European countries, but we expect that more was involved than climate. American boy's seemed to think that shorts pants were boyh girlish and just for younger boys. We rarely see ankle socks during the 20s. Knickers in particular were almost always worn with long stockings or knee socks. You never see boys wearing knickers with ankle socks which became fairly common un the late-1930s. Younger boys often wore three-quarrter socks, at least during the summer.

Pants

We see American boys wearing primarily knickers after World war I in the 1920s, but long and short pants were slso worn. This depended primarily on age, but shorts were increasingly worn during the summer. The pants of course to some extent affected the hosiery chosen. American boy's seemed to think that shorts pants were both girlish and just for younger boys.

Shoes

There was a major change in American footwear during the 1920s. At the beginning of the the 1920s, high-top shoes were still common. By the end of the decade we see low-cut shoes as more common. Notice the two boys wearing low-cut shoes in 1928 (figure 1). There was a loose link between high-top shoes and long stockings, peimrily just because both were declining in popularity. But in this case, the older boy here is wearing long stockings with low-cut shoes.

Hosiery Types

After World War I, we see some boys wearing knee socks, but long stockings continued to be the principal hosiery worn by boys through much of the 1920s, until the end of the decade when we see knee socks becoming increasingly popular. We still see long stockings at the end of the decade, but much less commonly than at the beginning of the decade. We are not entirely sure why this occurred, but believe that a major factor is that boys don't like fussy clothing items. And long stockings, at least in America, required complicated stocking suporters to hold the stockings up. Knee socks in sharp contrast made getting dressed much less complicated. We rarely see ankle socks during the 20s. Knickers in particular were almost always worn with long stockings or knee socks. You never see boys wearing knickers with ankle socks which became fairly common in the late-1930s. Younger boys often wore three-quarter socks, at least during the summer. We still don't see as lot of ankle socks in the 1920s, but we do not know what kind of hosiery the boys with long pants were wearing.

Colors

We see mostly black stockings although the black and white photography of the day, but we also begin to see the new beige shades as well, primarily for younger children. In contrast the new knee socks boys were also wearing by the end of the decade were commonly patterned socks done in colors. There were many different patterns and color combintions. For some reason, long stockings were mostly solid colors while knee socks were commonly patterned. We have non idea why this was.

Country Trends

Knee socks were much more common in Europe, but and mostly solid colors. We are not entirely sure why this difference developed between American and Eurooean hosiery. It may be related to the difference in pants that also developed. European boys were mostly wore short pants rather than knickers. We don't fully understand why this difference occurred or how it may have affected hosiery trends. American boys seem less willing to wear the short pants that European boys began to wear.

Climate

Mothers seemed more concerned with dressing boys warmly in the cold weather. We are not just not sure. And American mothers seemed concerned about boys wearing shorts in the winter, although girls commomly wore skirts leaving their knees bare. This same concerned seems to have also affected attitudes toward hosiery. It does get colder in America than many European countries, but we expect that more was involved than climate.

Ages

At the beginning of the decade age does not seen to hsve been a major fasctor in hosiery selection. By the end of the decade we see age becoming more of a fsctor with long stockings becoming increrasingly persistung for younger boys.

Created: 4:15 PM 6/12/2008
Last updated: 7:30 AM 10/31/2022