# Figure 1.--For much of the late 19th and early 20th century, American children and youths, both boys and girls, commonly wore long black stockings. This snapshot is undated, but looks to be taken about 1915-20.

American boys with knee breeches commonly wore long stockings in the 18th century. White was the most common color. German immigrants brought knitting frames to America in the early 18th century beginning the domestic production of hosiery. After the appearance of skeleton suits in the late 19th century, short socks became morte common and contuinued so in the early 19th century when most boys wore long pants. Industrial production of hosiery began in the 19th century using the inexpensive being produced on expanding southern plantations. American boys in the late 19th century as the kneepants fashion became a convenbtion for boys commonly wore long sdtockings, except for the very youngest boys. Striped long stockins were fashionable in the 1860s and 70s, but solid colored stockings were increasingly common by the 1880s, especially black stockings. We have developed some inforation on the early 20th century. After the turn of the 20th century three-quarter socks became more common for boys. Long stockings were worn during the winter and for dress occassions. Dark stockings were the most common, but girls and younger boys also wore white long stockings. Baden Powell's Boy Scouts helped to popularize knee socks in the 1910s. After World War I, black long stockings brecame less common and tan colors became the standard. Knee socks and ankle socks gradually replaced long stockings, although they did not disappear until the 1940s.

17th Century

English colonists arrived in America during the early 17th century. The first was in in Virginia (1607). The second was in Massachusetts (1620). Early American settlers wore heavy homespun woolen stockings in natural colors (russets, blues, browns, and gray-greens). Colonists in the cities for the most part wore hosiery that mirrored the styles being worn back in Europe. The wealthier Colonists, as in Europe, were able to afford hosiery of fine silk. Also availale in the cities and towns were linnen and cotton hosiery in a full range of stockings.

18th Century

The first hosiery industry in America was located in Germantown, Pennsylvania. There was a thriving hosiery industry there by the mid-18th century. German immigrants appear to have brought knitting frames to the Colonies in the early 18th century. A census in New England in 1717 listed a stocking maker. Often a knitting frame was in someone's home - dad did the knitting, mom did the seaming, and kids wound the yarn. Wealthier people could house several frames and hire workers to use them. American boys wore the same clothes as their fathers after breeching. There were until very late in the 18th century no destinctive boys' clothing. Boys wore knee breeches commonly with white stockings just like their fathers. Paintings from the era suggest that white was the most common color, but this probably misleading. Individuals pictured are mostly the affluent urban class in their best clothes. A reader writes, "White was fashionable (for the upper classes) by the 3rd quarter of the 18th century. Colors were popular for everyone at other times. One shopping list of a well-to-do family lists white, black and gray stockings for the family, and colored stockings for the servants. Probably the white was more difficult to keep clean, so colors were more practical. Blue was common because it was easy to dye." European styles largely determined colonial fashions. This was reinforced by the fact that clothing was imported from Europe by the affluent and these European stylkes set the fashion for the clothing produced in America. but this probably reflects the dress clothing of the affluent urban class. Skeleton suits with long trousers appeared in Europe in the late 18th century. This was a style just for boys. We assume that American boys from ffluent families wore these suits, but they do not seem to have been very common. The long stockings worn with knee breches were no longer needed. All materials could be imported, alyhough that made the material expensive. One could hand knit silk stockings, but I can't say one way or the other whether that was done in the colonies. Linnen stockings seem to have been common. They were called "thread" stockings. We are not sure about how common cotton stockings were. Cotton is of course a critical fabric in both clothing and economic history, especially in Britain and the United States. We do not think cotton was very important for hosiery in the early 18th century. Raw cotton and Cotton fabric was available from India before the Industria Revolution. American colonists probably imported mostly finished cotton goods from Britain. Cotton production from the Colonies was very limited through much of the 18th century. A reader tells us that cotton stockings were available in the Noh as well as the South, but we suspect that cotton hosiery in the north was relatively limited in the early 18th century. But this surely must have changed as the decade progressed. One historian tells us that 1730 is the year usually given for the widespread availability of cotton yarn. We are not sure about the time line in Colonies. The Industrial Revolution in Britain at this time was based on cotton textiles. We believe, that at the time America was not a major source of cotton. It was grown in the South, but was not a profitable crop until Ely Whitney invented the cotton gin (1793). The American Revolution (1776-83) also had a major impact. Britain discouraged trade between the Colonies. The point of a colony was to send raw materials to England for manufacture, and then be consumers for the finished products. (This was a policy Britain changed after the Revolution.) There was, however, illicit trade among the colonies as well as with foreign countries. Socks in the 18th century were held up by garters. They were simple garters, fashioned from plain ribbons and tied either above or below the knee. They could also be leather with a buckle. Knee breeches, when properly fitted, have the band below the knee snug enough to hold up the stockings.

19th Century

Some sources indicate that hoisery was not manufactured in America until the early to middle 19th century. As far as we can tell, production actually began in Germantown in the 18th century. The scale of manufactire does appear to have expanded in the early 19th century. At that time knitting mills were established. The stocking industry found a home in several Connecticut towns. A factor here may have been the increasing supply of inexpensive cotton from the southern states. After the appearance of skeleton suits in the late 18th century, short socks became more common and contuinued so in the early 19th century when most boys wore long pants. Men wore knee breeches longer, but by the 1830s were like boys also wearing long trousers. Men wore trousers that fell to just above the tops of the shoes. As a result, men's and boys' hose was shortened accordingly. Over the next few decades, due to a need for extra warmth and comfort, hose length extended up, over the calf of the leg, and became known as the sock (probably from the Latin soccus, which was a light covering for the foot). American boys in the late 19th century as the kneepants fashion became a convenbtion for boys commonly wore long sdtockings, except for the very youngest boys. Striped long stockings were fashionable in the 1860s and 70s, but solid colored stockings were increasingly common by the 1880s, especially black stockings.

20th Century

We have developed some inforation on the early 20th century. After the turn of the 20th century three-quarter socks became more common for boys. Long stockings were worn during the winter and for dress occassions. Dark stockings were the most common, but girls and younger boys also wore white long stockings. Baden Powell's Boy Scouts helped to popularize kneesocks in the 1910s. After World War I, black long stockings brecame less common and tan colors became the standard. Kneesocks and ankle socks gradually replaced long stockings, although they did not disappear until the 1940s.The hosiery industry truly began to flourish in the 20th century. Cotton, wool, and combinations of these fabrics in vivid colors and patterns caught the fashionable man's fancy. It was also during this period that sports hose in knitted wool, mixtures of wool and silk, and wool and cotton gained in popularity. This interest in patterns continued until the 1950s, at which time synthetic yarn for hosiery was introduced, permitting the manufacture of stretch hosiery, one-size-fits-all. Retailers, pleased to be able to reduce their inventory, didn't care that the hose was producible only in solid colors. Combined with the newfound interest in patterned trousers, solid hose regained popularity and fancy hose faded from the fashion scene. The industry has yet to recover. While today more patterns and colors are available for sports hosiery, a man looking for stylish dress hosiery has his work cut out for him.

Created: 9:08 PM 5/24/2005
Last updated: 3:31 AM 8/28/2010