Figure 1.--Eaton's devoted an entire page to long stockings in its 1927 catalog. Note the variety of different stockings available.
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Figure 1.--Eaton's devoted an entire page to long stockings in its 1927 catalog. Note the variety of different stockings available. |
Canadian boys in the 1920s commonly wore both kneesock and long stockings. Both boys and girls commonly wore long stockings. Here we see a page from an Eaton's 1927 catalog offering many different kinds of long stockings. The fact that an entire page was devoted to long stockings and so many different types were offered is an indication of how popular they were.
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.
Boys began wearing long stockings in the second half of the 19th Century. Long stockings were not worn earier as long trousers were often worn. Even smaller boys before breeching did not need long stockings as hey might wear pantalettes with shorter dresses. As kneepants became increasing common in the 1870s, boys began to wear long stockings. They were held up with a kind of suspanfer waist. Tights were not worn instead they were a pair of long stockings. When the new knicker style became more popular after the turn of the century, long stockings were stil worn as the knickers were worn above the knee. Boys by the 1920s increasingly buckled their knickers below the knee. This tendency and the increasing popularity of short pants caused boys to shift to kneesocks. After the mid-1920s long stockings were less commonly worn in America and Britain, although they did not disappear. They continued to be worn in worn more commonly in Germany, Poland, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries--although tights were also worn in these countries. Many of the garments studied by HBC have evolved in style over time. Long over the kneestockings are a garment that has entirely disappeared.
Here is most of a page from Eaton's 1927 catalogue. The entire page
is devoted to long stockings. I transcribe below all of the text that is
available, omitting the far right column which unfortunately was cropped in
the copy available. I omit the little box on sizes which is exactly the same
for Canada as for the U.S. and which HBC has already reproduced in other
places (i.e., on the corresponding American pages in Sears catalogues).
Text Heading: "For Growing Girls or Boys Eaton Values in Light and Heavy-
weight Hosiery" [For Sizing scale of "Infants' and Children's Sizes", see
sizing scale for American long stockings in HBC catalogue section.]
The page is headed with the text "Ribbed Wool and Rayon". Many long stockings at the time were ribbed.
The Eaton's ad copy read, "Colors Peach with White, or Pongee with White. Sizes 7, 7 1/2, 8, 8 1/2, 9, 9
1/2, 10. 69 c. Per Pair.
20-206 Dressy and comfortable Hose, knitted with stretchy 6/3 ribbed legs from
serviceable Wool and lustrous Fibre Silk yarns. Have reinforced heels and
toes for added wear." [N.B. These mixed color stockings might seem to appeal
more to girls than to boys, but they were apparently worn by both sexes. The
ribbed texture gave them an almost striped, sporty appearance.]
The Eaton's ad copy read, "Color Black only. [These stockings are
priced according to size.] Size 6 (55 c.), 6 1/2 (60 c.), 7 (65 c.), 7 1/2 (70
c.), 8 (75 c.), 8 1/2 (80 c.), 9 (85 c.), 9 1/2 (90 c.), 10 (95 c.), 10 1/2
($1.00). 20-207 Made in England from high-grade all-Wool yarn of splendid heavy weight. Have stretchy 2/1 ribbed legs. Recommended for real comfort and durability."
The Eaton's ad copy read, ". Color Black only. Sizes 5 (35 c.), 5
1/2 (40 c.), 6 (45 c.), 6 1/2 (50 c.), 7 (55 c.), 7 1/2 (60 c.), 8 (65 c.), 8
1/2 (70 c.). 20-211 Medium hosiery of British manufacture: All-Wool yarns; 2/1 ribbed legs and reinforced knees, soles, heels, and toes."
The Eaton's ad copy read, "Colors Brown or Black. Sizes 5
(55 c.), 5 1/2 (60 c.), 6 (65 c.), 6 1/2 (70 c.), 7 (75 c.), 7 1/2 (80 c.), 8
(85 c.), 8 1/2 (90 c.) 20-213 Made in England and from selected quality fine All-Wool yarns of good medium weight. Have elastic fitting 2/1 ribbed fashioned legs and reinforced knees, soles, heels and toes.
The Eton's ad copy read, "59 c. Per Pair. 3 Pairs for $1.75.
Color Black only. Sizes 7, 7 1/2, 8, 8 1/2, 9, 9 1/2, 10. 20-214 Excellent value is here offered in these Made-in-England stockings of splendid All-Wool medium weight. Have stretchy 2/1 ribbed legs and spliced knees, heels and toes.
The Eaton's ad copy read, "Children's 6/4 Ribbed. Colors Peach,
Blush (Pinkish Fawn), Grain, or Black. Sizes 6, 6 1/2 (40 c.), 7, 7 1/2 (45
c.), 8, 8 1/2, 9, 9 1/2, 10 (50 c.) 20-220 Knitted from selected quality mercerized cotton known as Lisle (with the regular stretchy 6/4 ribbed legs); plain knit, seamless feet, reinforced heels and toes.
The Eaton's ad copy read, "Colors White, Peach, Fawn or Black. Sizes
6, 6 1/2, 7, 7 1/2, 8, 8 1/2, 9, 9 1/2, 10. 50 c. Per Pair.
20-249 Knitted from lustrous fibre silk plated over fine mercerized Cotton,
with the popular 4/1 ribbed legs and reinforced heels and toes. Very dressy
and durable hose, moderately priced."
The Eaton's ad copy read, "Colors white, nude, French nude, or black.
Sizes 8, 8 1/2, 9, 9 1/2. $1.00 Per Pair.
20-203 Stylish plain knit Hosiery made from fine Japanese thread. Silk plated
over lustrous Rayon. Have deep fine Cotton garter welts (i.e. tops where
hose supporters would be attached), reinforced soles, Cotton spliced heels and
toes, and neat seamed backs with fashion marks. Well-made dressy hose." [These
stockings are for girls only. The seam up the back is clearly a feminine
style.]
The Eaton's ad copy read, "Colors White, Fawn, or Black. Sizes
6, 6 1/2, 7, 7 1/2, 8, 8 1/2. 23 c. Per Pair. 3 Pairs for 65 c.
20-234 Plain-knit from fine durable Cotton of medium weight. Have spliced
heels and toes, neat hem tops and are seamless."
The Eatin's ad copy read, "Children's Hose. Fawn, Brown or Black. Sizes 7, 7
1/2, 8, 8 1/2, 9. 9 1/2, 10. 33 c. Per Pair. 3 Pairs for 95 c.
20-218 Well-made stockings knitted from durable Cotton yarns with elastic-
fitting 1/1 legs, plain knit seamless feet and reinforced heels and toes."
The Eton's ad copy read, "Color Black only. Sizes 6, 6 1/2, 7, 7
1/2, 8, 8 1/2, 9, 9 1/2, 10, 10 1/2. 50 c. Per Pair.
20-251 Serviceable All-Wool yarns are used in the knitting of these durable
and comfortable hose. Have stretchy 2/1 ribbed legs and spliced heels and
toes. State size and color.
This part of the page is cropped, but the stockings on offer
here appear to be made of various grades of cotton. [HBC note: Although tan and beige long stockings had become very popular, indeed almost dominant, in the United States by 1927, it is interesting that the closest the Canadian stockings come to this color is "fawn" (more or less the equivalent of light tan). Black and brown stockings still predominated in Canada, at least for boys. The popularity of ribbed stockings is interesting--a feature of durability as well as of elasticity. The heavier weights available and the number of choices in all-wool knit fabrics reflect the colder climate of Canada. Long stockings were worn by both boys and girls in
Canada for warmth as well as for formality in 1927.]
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