Figure 1.--German boys commonly wore long stockings to school in the late-19th and early 20th century. We still see children wearing long stockings in the 1950s. This boy was photographed for his first day portrait, probably in the 1920s. . |
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School children both boys and girls very commonly wore long stockings to school in the 19h and early-20th century. This varied from country to county and over time. were veryMany boys in the-late 19th century wearing kneepants wore long stockings held up with stocking supporters. This was very common in both Europe and America. There was some differences from country to country. Here climate was a factor. American boys, although they did not commonly wear school uniforms, by the 1870s were commonly wearing kneepants and long stockings to school. British schools varied greatly in school uniform requirements. Many schools did not rigidly enforce uniforms. Many school boys wore long pants and thus kong stockings do not appear to have been as common as in the United States. Long stockings began to disappear in the early 20th century as knickers and short pants began to replace kneepants. Long stockings continued to be worn to school in several countries with severe winters, the Scandanavian countries, Poland, Germany, Russia, and a few other countries. We also notice long stockings in Japan. They were worn to school, but usually not as part of a school uniform. We note them declining in popularity in America during the 1930s. We continue to see them in Germanu into the 1950s and in the Soviet Union even in the 60s.
Long stockings were a very common school garment in several countries during the late-19th and early-20th centuries. In some instances they were almost universal. This varied from country to country and over time as well as seasionsaly. In the United States virtually all younger children wore them with knee pants and knickers and for a time even msny teenagers. They were nearly as common in Canada, Germany, Poland, Russia, and Scndinavia. They were also worn to vaying degrees in many other countries such as Japan, the first Asian country to have a modern education system. Climate was a factor. They were less prevalent in southrtn Europe, although even there they might be worn for formal occassions. School children both boys and girls very commonly wore long stockings to school during this period. While they seem equally common for boys ahd girls, colors had some gender connotations. We note many school portraits in which all or virtually all of the children are wearing long stockings. Thisdshows just how prevsalent long stockings were. After World war I they become somewhat lkess common, but were worn quite commonly in the Soviet Union during the 1960s.
We do not know a great deal about the early-19th century. Not only are there not very many images available and boys commonly wore long pants. Gradually after mid-century, boys began to wear shortened-length pants, first younger boys and by the turn-of-the 20th century older boys. Here the age conventions varierd from country to country. Many boys in the-late 19th century wore knee pants and long stockings were very common with knee pants. Long stockings were held up with stocking supporters. Long stockings were very common and often worn year round in the late-19th century. This began to change in the 20th century. Long stockings were still very common, but gradually became aseasonal garment. This was especually the case after World War I. We see more children wesaring ankle and three-quarter socks. After World War II long stockings disappeared in America and many other counties, but continuerd to be worn in some European countries such as Germany, Polsand, and Russia for some time. The developments of children's tights meant the end of long stockings, but tights were introduced at different times in Western and Eastern Europe.
This was very common in both Europe and North America for both boys and girls. There was some differences from country to country. Here climate was a major factor. American boys, although they did not commonly wear school uniforms, by the 1870s were commonly wearing kneepants and long stockings to school. British schools varied greatly in school uniform requirements. Many schools did not rigidly enforce uniforms. Many school boys wore long pants and thus kong stockings do not appear to have been as common as in the United States. Long stockings began to disappear in the early 20th century as knickers and short pants began to replace kneepants. Long stockings continued to be worn to school in several countries with severe winters, the Scandanavian countries, Poland, Germany, Russia, and a few other countries. We also notice long stockings in Japan. They were worn to school, but usually not as part of a school uniform. We note them declining in popularity in America during the 1930s. We continue to see them in Germany into the 1950s and in the Soviet Union even in the 60s.
We notice children of all ages wearing long stockings to school, although they were less commom for older teenagers. They wre primarily worn by primary-age children, but many younger teenagers also wore them to school. Here this varied from country to country and with different time patterns. Long stockings were widely worn to school because much of the school year is during the cold and cool-weather months. Children in most northern countries both boys and girls began wearing long stockings at quite an early age, before they began school. They were thus very commonly worn by the children beginning school at about 6 years of age. We see this thriughout northern Europe an North America as well as Japan. Long stockings were very common in American schools during the late-19th and early 20th century. This included some older teenagers at the turn of the century. This became less common after World War I, although primary-age boys and even some younger teenafers wore them in the 1920s, but less commonly in the 30s. The pattern was a little different in Europe. Older German boys tended to wear long pants until the 1910s. We see long stockings being commonly wormn with short pants by primary boys and younger teenagers in Germany throughout the inter-War era. The same pattern was similar throughout northern Europe.
Long stockings were commonly worn by both boys sand girls. The gender conventions involved were very similar in the countries where long stockings were popular. As long stockings declined in popularity during the 1930s, girls seemed to h
worn them more than boys, especially among the older children. And we note some conservative girls schools continuing to require long stockings They were usually dark-colored long stockings, often as part of a school uniform. Here the purpose was modesty rather than warmth. This was fairly common in Britain until World War II. The time line seems very similar. There may have been some varisation in age conventions and color.
We are not sure about long stocking colors in the mid-19th century. Black was by far the dominant cilor in the late-19th and early-20th century. Boith boys and girls wore black stockings. This is a littlke difficult to assess from the black-and-white photographic reciord. While we can tell that the stockings are dark, it is often not apparent if they are black or some other dark color. White stockings were worn to school, but mostly by girls. After World War I we begin to see beige (and other light-brown shades) stockings.
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