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Canadian boys primarily wore knickers and long stockings during the 1910s. Girls also wore longstockings. Eatons offered long stockings along with the knickers in 1913. They offered Scool Lad and Lass black long stockings. Apparently black was seen as a color suitable for school wear. There were gender destinctive options, but they were very similar. The stockings ere were offered in Eaton's 1913 Catalogue (Spring and Summer), p. 84).
in 1913.
T. Eaton's was a well known Toranto department store. Their catalogs provide a good indication of the styles popular in Canada at the time. This Canadian retailer began publishing mailorder catalogs in 1881, at least that is we begin noticing them. We have catalogs from the 1970s, although we do not know about the company's current status. The 1970s catalgs were full of clothes which look like American styles. Timothy Eaton, founder of the huge all-Canadian department store
chain bearing his name, was an Irish immigrant born on a tennant farm in northern Ireland. He was born in 1834 and followed his brothers to Canada in 1854. His brothers had opened a small dty goods store in St. Marys. Timothy Eaton began his business with a small dry goods business in Toronto during 1869. He built a giant retail store in Ontario’s capital city along with a country-wide mail-order business and a big new branch store in Winnipeg, by the time of his death in 1907. The Winnipeg branch was the first of many branches. Eaton Company business establishments eventually spread all across Canada when Timothy’s family successors extended the Eaton
empire. Timothy masterminded the company during the crucial period of its early development, spanning nearly 40 years. It was Timothy who implemented the concept of the "Department Store", in Canada, a concept which were already flourishing in London, Paris, and New York.
The stockings ere were offered in Eaton's 1913 Catalogue (Spring and Summer), p. 84).
in 1913.
We are not sure how knickers evolved. One might think that they were a natutral evolution from 19th Century knee breeches, but boys mostly wore long pants with skeleton and sailor suiys and other outfits during the first half of the 19th Century. I'm not sure precisely when boys began wearing knickers, but the appear at the mid-19th Century, especially during the 1860s. They appear to have been wore in both the above and below the knee style, but the below the knee style was the most common. Knickers do not at first appear to have been specialized children's wear. They seemed at first to have been more worn as a kind of sporting or outdoor wear. They were often associated with Norfolk jackets. The term Knickerbockers originated with the Dutch settlers who first populated the New York area in the 1600's. It became better known as the style of pants that the Dutch settlers wore. The pants were rolled by the knee and became associated as "Knickerbockers" or more commonly in America as "Knickers". The figure of the Dutch settler became symbolized by the figure of "Father Knickerbocker" in full Dutch outfit of cotton wig, three cornered hat, buckled shoes, and knickers. T
HBC has noted several images of Canadian boys wearing long stockings. This appears to have been quite similar to American patterns in the late 19th century. HBC has noted that some Canadian boys continued wearing long stockings in the 20th century when many American boys began wearing short socks and kneesocks. In particular Canadian boys appear to have worn longstockings for dress occasions. This appears to have been more prevalent among French Canadians than English Canadians. HBC has noted French boys wearing long stockings for dress wear as late as the early 1950s. Canadian boys appear to have priarily worn dark long stockings. Ages have varied over time. Quite old boys might wear long stockings at the turn-of-the 20th century, but by the 1940ss and 50s it was mostly boys up to 7 or 8 years, probablu about 10 years at the oldest.
We are not sure if School Lad and School Lass were Eaton's brands. The store clearly is suggesting that black long stockings were suitable for school wear. We suspect that modesty was a factor for the girls. It was not seen as appropriate in the 1910s for school-age girls to show their knees and black helped to draw attentioin away from the legs. We are less sure whu=y black was seen as appropriate for boys. We know that black stockings were almost universally worn by boys in the 1910s and they were sill very common in the 1910s. The reinforced knees were obviously approprite for school wear.
Both boys and girls wore black long stockings. They might wear the same stockings. There were, however, gender distinctions. Eatons here, however, offers different types of boys and girls stockings. These long black stockings for both boys and girls are nearly identical, yet they are advertised as designed separately for the two genders. The price is exactly the same. The only real difference is the “heavy double knee” for the boys’ stockings and the “4-ply triple knee” for the girls. One would have thought that the triple-knee reinforcement would be more appropriate for boys and their reputation for rougher play, so the apparently heavier knee reinforcement for the girls is a bit surprising. But the boys’ stockings may have been of slightly heavier weight. Note, however, that the category labeled for girls would also be appropriate for boys apparently, because this category is later described as suitable for “school children” (which would obviously include boys). It is difficult to see that there is really any important difference between the two models, which would look exactly the same when worn. Many brands of long stockings for school children during the first half of the 20th century made no distinction about gender, but we note a distinction well up into the mid-1930s. Boys and girls, however, usually wore the same stockings in the late 1930s up through the 1950s. But we have some evidence from contributors from Quebec in the late 1930s and 1940s that boys preferred heavier ribbed stockings as more masculine while girls preferred finer ribbing for a more dressy style. Note that the boy in the illustration is wearing knee pants with ornamental buttons. Above-the-knee knickers were already being introduced for boys, but knee trousers with straight hems were still apparently more prominent and considered more dressy by parents. Knickers for boys in Canada were usually referred as “bloomers” (not to be confused with the bloomers school girls wore for gym classes).
We are just beginning to work on Eaton's catalogs, so we are not yet familiar with their practives and operations. We think that School Lad and Lass may be a store brand like Sears' Pilgrim brand, but we are not yet sure about that.
Eatons offered gender destictive long stockings. The Eaton's offering was headed "School Lad—School Lass Hosiery". The hosiery in both instances was black long stockings which Eatons seemed to think were especially appropriate for schoolwear. The price was the same for both options, "13 cents Per Pair. Two Pairs for 25 cents."
The Eaton's ad copy read, "
School Boys’ 1/1 Ribbed Black Cotton Stockings. This line is ideal for the mother who wants a sturdy stocking at a moderate price. It is built with heavy double knee from stout 2-thread yarns, and the heels and toes are reinforced to make them 4-thread. Sizes 6 to 10 [to fit boys from roughly ages 6 to 16]. Per pair 13 cents. Per dozen $1.50." Note both boys and girls had reinforced knees.
The Eaton's ad copy read, "School Girls’ 1/1 Ribbed Black Cotton Stockings. We desire to specially call your attention to the stocking: first, the quality of the 2-thread yarn; second, the dye absolutely fast, hygienic; third, the triple knee; fourth, the 4-ply heels and toes which save darning. It will be a favorite of all mothers of school children. Sizes 6, 6 ½, 7, 7 ½, 8, 8 ½, 9, 9 ½, 10 [to fit girls up to at least 16 years]. Pair, 13 cents. Per dozen pairs, $1.50."
The Eaton's 1913 catalogue had an additional page for hosiery. It had a page offering a mixture of stockings for the entire family--men's, women's. boy's, and girl's hose.
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