Figure 1.--Here we see an unidentified boy who seems to be wearing white knee socks in the 1900s. This was rare. Long stpckings were more common at the time.

We do see American boys wearing knee socks in the 20th century, mostly after World War I. Knee socks also appeared in America as an import from England. They were popularized in Europe by the Boy Scouts which adopted them as part of the uniform. Knee socks were commonly worn by boys throughout Europe in the 1920s. European boys commonly wore them with shorts pants and shorts were not nearly as well received by American boys as European boys--even American Boy Scouts for decades declined to wear shorts. While knee socks appeared in America about the same time, but were not as well received as in Europe. American boys continued to wear long stockings with kneepants and knickers. Younger booys wearing knee pamts were more likely to wear thre-quarter length stockings. Knee socks in America did not begin to commonly replace long stockings until the mid-1920s. THey were worn worn with short pants as in Europe, but were more commonly worn with knickers. American boys were more likely to wear shorts with ankle socks. We see this trend in the 1930s. And by the 1940s, knee socks were not very common, exept among Scouts and some of the boys dressing up in short pants suits. Kneesocks were still worn with shorts by American boys, but this declined substantially in the 1950s. By the 1950s, American boys had begun to regard kneesocks as girls clothes because they were so commonly worn by girls. As a result, many boys did not want to wear them. After the 1960s only very young American boys wore knee socks.

The 1900s

We do not see American boys wearing knee socks in the 1900s. Most boys wore knee pants and wore them with long stockings. Some younger boys weore three-quarter socks, mostly during the summer. Knee socks were, however not yet worn, al least we have not found them in the photographic record. And the photographic record by the 1900s is vasr and includes not only studio portraits, but thanks to the Lodak Bronie the addu=ition of a bast number of gfamily snapshots. This makes prevalenve in the photographic record an increasingky relaiabke indicatir of actual pioularity and prevalnce.

The 1910s

Most American boys continued to wear long stockings during the 1910s. Some younger boys as in the 1900s wore three-quarter socks duting the summer. We see a few boys at the end of the decade wearing knee socks with above the knee knickers. This was a decided minority of boys, but we do notice a number of examples in the photographic record. We are not syre to what extebt this was actual knee socks or rolled down long stockings. We also notice a few boys wearing knee socks wuth tunic suits, but it was not very common. One example is John Koch, we believe in the late-1910s. A factor that has to be considered here is boys' inherent dislike of complicated clothing. Boys do not like to be bothere with complication and restructions. Girls are much more willing to out up with such matters. And long stockings mneant the vonsideable complication of stocking supporters. Knee socks totally eliminated such encumberences. When parents totalkly dictated fashion trends, but the preferences of boys tended to become more important in the 20th century. This was not yet a major factor in the 1910s, but it was beginning. And it wiukld be a makor factor in subsequent decades. We are not syre what was drivung this change, but changing attitudes toward childrem and child raising would have a major factor in popular fashion.

Figure 3.--Most American boys wore knickers in the 1920s, but short pants were also worn, nostly by younger boys. Older boys wearing short pants were often from the more affluent class. Here a boy wear short pants with knee sicks. Note that they are solid-colored knee socks and not the loud patterns.

The 1920s

We do see American boys wearing knee socks in the 20th century, mostly after World War I. Knee socks also appeared in America as an import from England. They were popularized in Europe by the Boy Scouts which adopted them as part of the uniform. Knee socks were commonly worn by boys throughout Europe in the 1920s. European boys commonly wore them with shorts pants, but shorts were not nearly as well received by American boys as European boys--even American Boy Scouts for decades declined to wear shorts. Although they did wear knee socks wih knickers-like breeches. While knee socks appeared in America about the same time, but were not as well received as in Europe. American boys continued to wear long stockings with knee pants and knickers. Younger boys wearing knee pants were more likely to wear the-quarterlength stockings. Knee socks in America did not begin to commonly replace long stockings until the mid-1920s. They were worn worn with short pants as in Europe, but were more commonly worn with knickers. The knee socks we see at first were flat colors without patterns or just patterns at the turn-over-top cuff. This chnged late in the decade and we see boys wearing brightly colored patterned knee socks. The type of hosiery is useful to destinguish between the 1920s and 30s with undated photograohs of boys wearing knickers. But as the shift from long stockings to these brightly paterned knee socks did not appear precisely with the turn-of-the decade, some care must be used in dating these images. We note some American boys wearing knee socks with shorts, but we also see ankle shorts, especially by the end of the decade. The knee socks were mostly the turn-over-top type, despite the fact that they were commonly worn with knickers.

Figure 4.--Here we see an unidentified Ameican boy wearing bright patterned knee socks with corduroy knickers during the 1930s.

The 1930s

Knee socks were widely worn in the 1930s by both boys and girls. There was a major shift from long stockings to kne socks. We see many 1920s trends continuing in the 1930s, but there were differences. Boys continued wearing knickers, but long stockings were commonly replaced by knee socks. This change began in the late-1920s, but was well establihed throughout the 30s. Bright patterned knee socks done in argyles and other patterns were the most common. They were so common in the 30s that they are a useful indicator for dating images, but it has to be rembered that we begin to see patterned knee socks in a range of bright colors appearing in the late-1920s. Unfortunately the black nd white photography of the day does not capture the actual colors. These patterned knee socks became standard in the 1930s. Most Americn boys wore knickers in the early-and mid-30s and they were primarily worn with these patterned knee socks. These knee socks have a sporty look to us now, but they were for the mostpart worn by boys dressing up in suits as well as more caual wearlike school or even for play. But by the mid-30s, ankle socks were energing as a major hosiery type for American boys. A good example is a class of Ohio kindergardeners in 1935-36. By the end of the decade we even see boys wearing knickers with ankle socks, especially during the summer. Long stockings were declining in popularity. We see few boys wearing them with knickers. Some younger boys wore them with short pants, but as the decade progressed this was becoming increasingly rare. At the beginning of the decade we see boys wearing knee socks with short pants. we see both the pattened knee socks populr with knickers and flat-colored knee socks without the patterns often worn with shorts. The colors used for flat knee socks varied, but we se mostly subsued colors. Girls might wear white knee socks, but rarely boys exceot with First Communion suits. While knee socks with shorts were common at the beginning of the decade, this too began to decline and we see boys increasingly wearing ankle socks with shorts. We continue to see mostly the turn-over-top type.

Figure 5.--Here we see an unidentified Ameican boy wearing bright patterned knee socks with suspenders, short pants, and knee socks. He looks to be about 4 years old. Notice that they are solid color knee socks, navy blue or black. We suspect tht they were mostly to be worn with a short pants suit.

The 1940s

The popularity of knee socks with boys begn to decline in the late-1930s. And they were much less common in the 1940s than they had been in the 30s. We see quite a few boys wearing knickers in the very early 1940s, but often without knee socks. This was especially the case during the summer. There was a steep fall off in wearing knee socks, both with short pants and knickers. This was especially the case for boys. We see girls continue to wearing knee socks. Knee socks for boy, were not very common. A factor here was the inceasing prevlence of long pants among boys. We can see these trends clearly in school wear. Knee socks for boys were were just not very common, espcially by the late-40s. Many of the boys who still wore knickers in the early-40s wore them with ankle socks. Scouts mifhtt wear knee socks. Knicker uniforms were phased out (1942), and shorts were introduced. But they we mostly worn at camp. Perhaps this influence is why we see knee sovcks at some summer camps. And we continue to see some boys dressing up in short pants suits and wearing knee socks. There was a social class factor at play here. While short pants suits and knee sovks declined in popularity, we do continue to see them among well-to-do families, perhops influenced by British or other European styles. Tis was especially true wuth school age boys wearing short pants suits. We also see knee socks commonkly wirn with the short pnts suits worn by Catholic boys for First Communion. Knee socks were still worn by some boys with shorts during the 1940s, but ankle socks were much more common, even when dressing up. The knee socks that we do note were flat-colors. Wwe rarely see the patterned knee socks that had been so popular in the 1940s.

The 1950s

Knee socks declined for boys even more in the 1950s. We do not see many examples in the photographic record of boys wearing knee socks during the 1950s. Many American boys by the 1950s had begun to regard knee socks as girls clothes because they were so commonly worn by girls. As a result, many boys did not want to wear them. And short pants were not very common, except for casual summer wear. And even during the summer many boys did not wear shorts. We do see shorts for boys on summer vacation trips with their patents, but here again, knee socks were not very common. The boys that did wear shorts during the summer rarely wore knee socks. A few college boys wore argyle knee socks with Bermuda shorts. We see some boys from affluent families wearing short pants with knee socks, but this was not very common. We see fewer boys wering the loud patteren knee socks such as argyles that were worn in the 1930s. Mostly we see dark colored knee socks. We think they were mostly worn with suits. An exception was college youth where Bermuda shorts were sometimes worn with Bermuda shorts. We see some Scouts wearing knee socks with the summer uniform. This was most common at camp. Fewer Cubs wore the short pants uniform, probably because camping was less common for the Cubs. We also see knee socls at ethnic events such as German events and Irish abd Scottish dancing.

The 1960s

Knee socks declines in poularity during the 1960s, at least for boys wear. They continued to be widely worn by girls. Some younger boys wore short pants suits with knee socks. Knee socks were not wirn for casual wear., but almost alwats when dessingbup in suits. Here social-class conventions were at play. This was most common for boys from affluent families. This was, however, no longer very common, especially by the end of the decade. There were some special occassions such as First Communion, but even this was becoming less common by the ehd of the decade.

The 1970s

After the 1960s only very young American boys wore kneesocks. An exception here was tuibe socks, but they were more of an atletic sock than proper knee socks. There weresome specialized exceotions such as Scouting or boys doing Irush dancing or a range of activiiescinvolving Scottish dancing. We also notice boys wearing Lederhosen at German ethnic events.

Created: 3:10 AM 1/31/2010
Last updated: 6:35 PM 5/26/2020