German Schoolwear:  Hosiery Chronology


Figure 1.-- Here German school children in the 30s are lined up to enter their school building. All the children seem to be earing long stockings.

The hosiery worn by German boys to school has changed over time. We do not yet know anything about the 18th century. We belive that children commonly went barefoot, except for the well-to-do and during thewinter months. We note a variety of hosiery worn by German school children. We do not yet have much information on the early-19th century. UYntil the 1860s we hav few photographic images and even then because boys still wore mostly long pants, we can not tell much about hosiery. Gradually has knee pants bcome more important we learn more bout hoiery. We believe that long over-the-knee stockings were very common. And boys and girls seem to have worn similar hosiery. We know much more about the 20th century because of the very extensive photographic record. No country in Europe has left such a complete photographic record. We note mostly three-quarter socks and long stockings in the early-20th century. Knee socks gradually became very common. We believe knee socks evolved from children rolling don their long stockings on warm days. Long stockings were still virtually universal during the winter. We continue to see long stockings. Younger boys wearing shorts which were very common in the winter might wear them with long stockings. We see fewer children wearing long stockings in the 1950s and more children wearing long pants. In the 1960s long stockings were replaced with tights which avoid the need for hose supporters. Also we do not see knee socks very commonly by the 1960s, they seem to have been gradually replaced with ankle socks. Seasonality was formerly an impotant factor, but as boys began weaing long pants all year rund, this bcamne a non-factor for hosiery. Ankle socks became standard.







HBC-SU






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Created: 11:49 PM 4/9/2014
Last updated: 11:49 PM 4/9/2014