Figure 1.--. |
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The German economy was finally recovering in the early 50s. Rebuilt factories were opening and people were once again bringing home pay checks. Fashion catalogs show an increasing range of clothing in fashionable styles for German consumers. German boys still commonly wore short trousers, but catalogs and advertisements offered long pants as well. Boys commonly wore kneesocks, but some boys wore long stockings. Stores were beginning to introduce tights for both boys and girls.
Stores offered a range of headwear, including berets.
Many boys in these 1950s catalogs wear caual clothes. Some suits are also offered, including long pants, knicker, and short pants suits.
Sweaters were offered in a wide range of styles and patterns. We noted both sleeved and sleevless sweaters with different styles of collars. Some sweaters were pullovers and others buttoned. We note some thay had partial zippers, rugby style meaning that they only opened part way down the front.
Catalogs offerred short pants outfits for younger boys. They consisted of matching shirts and shorts, but not traditional suits.
Catalogs in 1950s showed a range of pants, including short pants, knickers (calf and and ankel length) and long pants.
Boys are shown wearing both white kneesocksand solid including white kneesocks. Younger boys are shown in anklesocks. Some children still wore long stockings, but companies began introducing tights in the early 50s. They were marketed for both boys and girls.
The advertisement from Willy Schoeneis & Co. in Gottingen is quite revealing. It is an appeal to mothers to switch from dressing their boys and girls in long stockings to dressing them in the more convenient and better-fitting tights. Note that the ad juxtaposes two images showing the old-fashioned long stockings, worn by the boy, with the innovation of tights, worn by the girl.
The boy has one of his stockings down because the clasp on one of his hose supporters has apparently come undone, whereas this problem doesn't exist with the new invention of tights for children.
We note catalogs with boys earing both shoes and closed-toe sandals.
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