Figure 1.--This German ad for boys' tights looks to be fairly recent. Our impression is that only single-colored tights were worn in the 1980s, but this needs to be confirmed. The new style of tights is to have the choice of patterns such as argyle, a diamond design in several colors. The ad copy reads, "Following the fashionable trend, we enrich our product line of single-colored tights with an imaginative range of patterned styles." Geman boys could wear these tights with short trousers (as a substitute for long stockings) or with knickers. The ad probanly dates to the 1990s. We don't know where it appeared.

German children have worn a wide range of hosiery over time. We have noted ankle socks, three quater socks, and knee socks, long stockings, and tights. The popularity of the different types of hosiety varied over time. Long stockings were popular in the 19th and first half of the 20th century. We see three-quater socks in the early-20th century. Knee socks were populsr through the 1960s, but by mid-century we increasingly see boys wearing ankle socks. Long stockings were particularly popular in Germany for many years until replaced by tights in the 1960s. East Germany lagged a little behind West Germany in these and other fashion trends. Boys and girls wiore the same hosiery with some limited differences until after World War II.

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Created: 4:13 AM 9/14/2010
Last updated: 4:13 AM 9/14/2010