Figure 1.--Long stockings continued to be worn in Switzerland through the 1950s. The tan abd beige colors were very popular. This Swiss boy from a 1956 school portrait is wearing beige long stockings.

Long stockings declined in popularity during the 1950s, but were still popular in several countries. The situation in North America was mixed, They had largely disappeared from America by the late-40s, but were still worn in Canada. They also continued to be worn in northern Europe. Long stockings were still worn in Western Europe (especially Germany) and Eastern Europe during the 1950s. Here the Cold War was a factor. While long stockings were declining in the West, they continued to be commonly worn in the East. We mostly see lighter shades which we believe are mostly neutral tan/beige shades. We still see German children wearing long stockings, especially in the early 1950s. Most of our images are from West Germany, but long stockings were also worn in East Germany. We note a rare color image of a German boy wearing long stockings out on a hike in 1954. They look to be a washed-out pair of tan stockings, but we are not positive about the color. We note another German boy wearing tan cotton stockings with corduroy shorts in 1954. We notice a Polish boy wearing a a short pants suit with neutral-colored long stockings in 1956.

North America

The situation in North America was mixed, They had largely disappeared from America by the late-40s, but were still worn in Canada. We see Virtually no examples of American boys wearing long stockings in the 1950s since the style had almost entirely disappeared after the mid-1940s. We noted a boy in a black knickers suit and blackn long stockings for a quiz show in 1950, but that is the only example we have found in the photographic record. And we see no American boys wearing tan stockings in the 50s. Long stockings for boys did survive sporadically in Canada, particularly in Quebec and in the more rural and remote parts of the country. We are not entirely sure how common they are as our Canadian archive is limited. Climate was presumably a factor, but the fact that knickers continued to be worn in Canada was another factor. Conservative French Canadian society may have been another factor. We note a Quebec City boy practicing the piano in 1950, wearing what appear to be medium or dark tan long stockings. We also see children in St. Charles Borremeo (1954), a fairly remote area on the Gaspe Peninusla, wearing tan long stockings that get rolled down during warm weather.

Europe

Long stockings also continued to be worn in northern Europe. Long stockings were still worn in Western Europe (especially Germany) and Eastern Europe during the 1950s. Here the Cold War was a factor. While long stockings were declining in the West, they continued to be commonly worn in the East. We mostly see lighter shades which we believe are mostly neutral tan/beige shades. We still see German children wearing long stockings, especially in the early 1950s. Most of our images are from West Germany, but long stockings were also worn in East Germany. We note a rare color image of a German boy wearing long stockings out on a hike in 1954. They look to be a washed-out pair of tan stockings, but we are not positive about the color. We note another German boy wearing tan cotton stockings with corduroy shorts in 1954. We notice a Polish boy wearing a a short pants suit with neutral-colored long stockings in 1956. A major factor was the appearance of tights in West Germamny which very rapidly replaced long stockings. The less consumer oriented economies on the other side of the Iron Curtain was slower to adopt tights and we continuecto see long stockings in the late-50s and well into the 60s. This was especially true of the Soviet Union.

Northern Asia