Figure 1.--Wards had extensive ads for long stockings in 1930. Here we see the various types of long stockings Wards offered in a full page devoted to stockings in its 1930-31 Fall-Winter catalog. |
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The Wards Fall and Winter 1930-31 catalog had a full page devoted to long stockings. It shows how widely long stockings were still worn by boys. The illustration suggests the survival of the ornamental buttons at the hem (a hold-over from earlier decades when knee pants were worn with such buttons). I'm not sure, however, this is an accurate reflection of trouser styles. The illustrations also indicate the longer length of stockings by the year 1930--stockings that would not show under the shorter short pants. One of the illustrations also shows a boy wearing knickers with long stockings--a more formal alternative to the golf-style knee socks with cuffs. But most of the boys in this
advertisement wear knee pants with their stockings. The age sizes go up to 10--old enough for middle teenagers. The more rugged stockings are aimed at boys while the more luxurious and smoother textures are aimed at girls. But the ad makes clear that there is
some cross-over here because some girls need sturdier stockings for hard play, and some boy need dressier stockings for more formal, dress-up occasionas. The colors tend to be brown, tan, and "champagne" (another word for beige), but it is interesting that black is still available--presumably for such occasions as First Communion, and also white, although white seems by 1930 to have been mainly a color for girls. Some boys, however, wore white stockings for such occasions as weddings and First communions. This is page 116 of the Wards Fall and Winter catalog for 1930-31.
Although the word "consumerism" has a modern ring, it was personal concern for an early consumer movement, the "National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry," That inspired a young traveling salesman named Aaron Montgomery Ward to start the world's first general merchandise mail-order company in 1872. Aaron Montgomery Ward was born on February 17, 1844, in Chatham, New Jersey, to a family whose forebears had served as officers in the French and Indian Wars as well as in the American Revolution. Looking for something more compatible, Monty left home and followed the river to Lake Michigan and the town of St. Joseph, county seat and market for outlying fruit orchards. Chicago was the center of the wholesale dry goods trade and in the 1860s Ward joined the leading dry goods house, Field Palmer & Leiter. As a retailer, Potter Palmer had previously built a reputation for fair dealing. Ward absorbed these principles while working as a clerk for $5. The Chicago City Directories for 1868 through 1870 listed Ward as a salesman for Wills, Greg & Co. and later for Stetthauers & Wineman, both dry goods houses. In 1870, after canvassing territory in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Ward was again footloose. The plan shaping in Ward's mind was to buy goods at low cost for cash. By eliminating intermediaries, with their markups and commissions, and cutting selling costs to the bone, he could offer goods to people, however remote, at appealing prices - for cash. Since its founding in 1872, the company has literally "grown up with America" and has had a major impact on the shopping habits of a nation of consumers. Montgomery Ward & Co. discontinued its catalog operations in 1985 as part of its restructuring effort to change itself into a modern, competitive chain of value-driven specialty stores, a move which for a time saved the company. week.
Long stockings were commonly worn by boys and girls during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They appear when knee pants became popular in the mid-19th century and were mostly worn with shortened length pants (knee pants, knickers, and short pants). While both boys and girls wore them, there were generally varying gender conventions. We also note many different colors and patterns. There were variations over time and among countries that affected age, color, and legths. While our infornation from the 19th century mostly comes from photographs, during the 20th century we have much more information because catalog information is available.
The Wards ad here shows how widely long stockings were still worn by boys. The ad clearly makes the point that these stockings were equally appropriate for boys and girls. The more rugged stockings are aimed at boys while the more luxurious and smoother textures are aimed at girls. But the ad makes clear that there is some cross-over here because some girls need sturdier stockings for hard play, and some boy need dressier stockings for more formal, dress-up occasionas.
The illustrations also indicate the longer length of stockings by the year 1930--stockings that would not show under the shorter short pants.
The colors tend to be brown, tan, and "champagne" (another word for beige), but it is interesting that black is still available--presumably for such occasions as First Communion, and also white, although white seems by 1930 to have been mainly a color for girls. Some boys, however, wore white stockings for such occasions as weddings and First communions. Notice that the Ward's stockings here, like most long stovkings, are solid colors. This contrasts sharply with kneesocks at the time which were mostly patterned. We notice a few adds for patterned long stockings, but they were rather rare. An example here is a Sears 1928 ad. The patterned long stockings don't seem to have had much staying
power, commercially. They were sporty looking of course (like the golf style knicker socks), but one of the main reason for dressing boys in short pants with long stockings was for a look of greater formality and conservatism. This is one of the reasons, I think, that they didn't seem to catch on. Conservative mothers might have thought they looked a
little too flash-in-the-pan and a bit undignified. Commercially, they seem to have been a bit like the button-on stockings or the combination stockings (long stockings made to look as though they were knee socks). These styles had a brief life, but didn't turn out to sell well enough to remain in the catalogs more than a year or two.
The Wards Fall and Winter 1930-31 catalog had a full page devoted to long stockings. The age sizes go up to 10--old enough for middle teenagers. This is page 116 of the Wards Fall and Winter catalog for 1930-31. Wards offered eight different types of long stockings here. Some are specifically for boys or girls while others are presented as appropriate for boys and girls. The difference has to do with the colors and ribbing among other factors. The variety of stockings is an indicator that they were still very popular. Notice that the sizes are basically the same whether they are for boys or girls.
Most of the boys in this advertisement are depicted wearing knee pants with their stockings. This is a little unusual because knee pants had significantly declined in popularity by 1930. That is not to say that they had sisappeared, but they were certainly not very common. One of the illustrations also shows a boy wearing knickers with long stockings--a more formal alternative to the golf-style knee socks with cuffs. Knickers in contrast to knee pants were very common.
The illustration suggests the survival of the ornamental buttons at the hem (a hold-over from earlier decades when knee pants were worn with such buttons). I'm not sure, however, this is an accurate reflection of trouser styles. This is a common problem in catalogs. The item being sold is often accurately drawn, but associated item such as pants here are commonly inaccurately presented. Note a 1930 Sears ad for younger boys suits. Many of the boys are shown wearing patterned long stockings. While patterned kneesocks were very common in 1930, patterned long stockings were much less common. Even more common in the 1920s and 30s was suit ads showing boys wearing strap shoes. While this was not unkown, it was no where as common as suggested in the catalogs. What we are not sure about is why these inaccuracies occurred in the catalogs. They could unintentional or there could be a reason for them. Here we are just not sure.
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