Figure 1.--Long stockings were still standard school wear for both boys and girls during the 1920s. This was, however, the last such decade. And even in the 1920s they were to a large extent highly seasonal. This school portrait is unidentified, but looks like the very early-1920s to us. We still see long stockings in the 30s, but with the exception of formal wear were almost enbtirely cold weather wear. Notice that this photograpph was taken in the early spring before the warm weather began.

American children for the most part did not wear school uniforms, thus school hosiery trends were essentially the same as overall hosiery trends, with the caveat that children tend to dress a little differently for school than they wore around home for everyday wear. We are not entirely sure what boys wore to schools in the early 19th century. We note white hose in paintings, but as the boys wore long pants and the girls long dreses, we are not sure about the length. At the time the public school system was still developing and photography did not yet exist. Also long pants were commonly worn, making it difficult to determine what hosiery was worn, at least by boys. We know much more about the second half of the 19th century with the advent of photography. Children both boys and girls wore long stockings. There are very few exceptions in the photographic record. Socks were much more common in Europe. Boys and girls throughout the 19th century wore basically the same hosiery. Long pants were still very common for boys, except younger boys. This only began to change in the 1880s and by the 1890s we see boys of all ages wearing knee pants, almost always with long stockings. Girls also almost universally wore long stockings. Most boys continued wearing long stockings after the turn-of-the 20th century, but by the 1910s knee pants had been replaced with knickers. Yonger boys after the turn-of-the century began wearing tunic suits and would often wear them with three-quarter socks rather than long stockings. Many boys went to school barefoot, especially in rural areas and the South. This became less common after World War I. . As knickers became standard after World War I, boys increasingly wore knee socks--commonly patterned socks. After World War I we begin to see socks being worn. A factor here is that boys began wearing more casual clothes to school. This trend appeared first at primary schools and later at secondary schools as well. Boys at first mostly wore knickers with long stockings, but by the end of the decade, patterened knee socks became popular. Younger boys might wear short pants with a variety of hosiery, including ankle socks, three-quarter socks, knee socks and long stockings. Gradually ankle socks became the dominant hosiery for boys, especially by the 1940s and long pants becamne increasingly common. Girls continued to wear knee socks. After World War II (1939-45) most boys wore ankle socks. Striped socks were particularly popular and fewer and fewer boys wore knee socks. Many boys wore white socks. Tights appeared in the 1960s, but only girls worn them. Tube socks were popular in the 1970s as short pants began to be worn by boys again, but mostly atlhetic styles.

Overview

American children for the most part did not wear school uniforms, thus school hosiery trends were essentially the same as overall hosiery trends, with the caveat that children tend to dress a little differently for school than they wore around home for everyday wear.

The 19th Century

We are not entirely sure what boys wore to schools in the early 19th century. We note white hose in paintings, but as the boys wore long pants and the girls long dreses, we are not sure about the length. At the time the public school system was still developing and photography did not yet exist. Also long pants were commonly worn, making it difficult to determine what hosiery was worn, at least by boys. We know much more about the second half of the 19th century with the advent of photography. Children both boys and girls wore long stockings. There are very few exceptions in the photographic record. Socks were much more common in Europe. Boys and girls throughout the 19th century wore basically the same hosiery. Long pants were still very common for boys, except younger boys. This only began to change in the 1880s and by the 1890s we see boys of all ages wearing knee pants, almost always with long stockings. Girls also almost universally wore long stockings.

The 20th Century

Most boys continued wearing long stockings after the turn-of-the 20th century, but by the 1910s knee pants had been replaced with knickers. Yonger boys after the turn-of-the century began wearing tunic suits and would often wear them with three-quarter socks rather than long stockings. Many boys went to school barefoot, especially in rural areas and the South. This became less common after World War I. As knickers became standard after World War I, boys increasingly wore knee socks--commonly patterned socks. After World War I we begin to see socks being worn (1920s). A factor here is that boys began wearing more casual clothes to school. This trend appeared first at primary schools and later at secondary schools as well. Boys at first mostly wore knickers with long stockings. And long srockings were very common for girls as we see here (figure 1). Long stockings had become seaonal. Notice that everyone here is wearing long stockings when the weather was not yet warm. Yet a phtograph taken in 1920 during Mat with waemer weather at the Tully School in New York, we begin to see a few children wearing knee socks. By the end of the 1920s, knee socks had become very common, including patterened knee socks became popular. Younger boys might wear short pants with a variety of hosiery, including ankle socks, three-quarter socks, knee socks and long stockings. Gradually ankle socks became the dominant hosiery for boys, especially by the 1940s and long pants becamne increasingly common. Girls continued to wear knee socks. After World War II (1939-45) most boys wore ankle socks. Striped socks were particularly popular and fewer and fewer boys wore knee socks. Many boys wore white socks. Tights appeared in the 1960s, but only girls worn them. Tube socks were popular in the 1970s as short pants began to be worn by boys again, but mostly atlhetic styles.

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Created: 2:23 AM 3/20/2016
Last updated: 7:08 PM 3/27/2020