Kneesocks have been most commonly worn kneesocks as part of a school uniform in England. Almost all English boys wore grey kneesocks. Other colored kneesocks have been worn. Sctooish boys have worn many different colored kneesocks. Schools boys in several other countries have worn white kneesocks.

Figure 1.--Many Japanese elementary schools have uniforms with blue short pants and white kneesocks.

Australia

Several Australian secondary schools have uniforms requiring white kneesocks. I have not noticed in any primary schools with white kneesocks for boys' uniforms. They are for some reason normally worn with blue rather than grey shorts. They are also normally worn with blavk Oxford shoes. I'm not sure how common white kneesocks are in Australia. They may be seasonal summer wear. One school requiring them is in Brisbane where the climate is quite warm.

Belgium

Belgian school boys like French schoolboys have worn white kneesocks. Actually school fashions in Belgium have rather been determined by contemporary French styles. Boys going to school in smocks might wear white kneesocks. I'm not sure how much this was required by the school or simply the parent's choice. Some Cathloic private schools after World War II adopted white kneesocks as part of the school unifom.

England

Little British boys were sometimes dressed in white kneesocks, but by the time they began school they wanted grey ones--considering that white kneesocks were for girls. Some schools, however, had the boys wear white kneesocks for sports.

France

French boys, primarily at private secondary schools, wore white kneesocks with blue shorts--in some cases cord shorts. The French schools often had the choir boys wear white kneesocks. Some schools where the boys wore smocks required white kneesocks.

Germany

Some German boys wore white kneesocks to school. I think, howeve, that that this was what their mother chose for them rather than a requirement by the school.

Italy

Some schools requiring smocks had the boys wear white kneesocks. I believe white kneesiocks were fairly common at Italian schools, but unfortunately have little information yet on Italian schools.

Japan

Many Japanese schools require boys to wear school uniforms. The details are left to the individual school. Many have chosen a uniform of white shirts and blue short pants. The boys at these schools commonly wear white kneesocks. These uniforms began to appear in the 1960s and have continued into the 1990s.

Created: December 5, 1998
Last updated: June 15, 1999