Figure 1.--We see very few children wearing long stockings in neutral shades (tan and beige) in the early-20th century. After World War I in the 1920s we begin to see these neutral shades emerging as the primary colors used for long stockings. Here we see a German boy, we think in the late-1930s.

We see some boys wearing long stockings that seem to be tan or beige in the early-20th century, although with black abd white photography, it is difficult to be sure. They do not seem very common. White or dark stockings seem nuch more common. It was not until after World War I in the 1920s that we begin to see neutral colored long stockings in large numbers. As in America, the style for lighter colored long stockings also flourished in Europe. It is unclear if the trend originated in North America or Europe or appeared independently in both regions at the same time. There were differences. The popularity of tan shades does seem more pronounced in Europe where older boys wore them than in America. In Germany we see a greater prominence of black and darker brown stockings, especially for boys. The darker colors showed soil less easily, of course, which is perhaps one reason for them. But more neutral colors are also seen in central Europe as well as Russia. Sometimes in the available black and white photographs it is difficult to distinguish the tan shades from the gray shades, but it is clear that tan and beige long stockings were fairly widely worn in Europe. We do not see the trend in Britain because knee socks almost universally replaced long stockings of any color for boys. Tan shades of long stockings seem increasingly prevalent by the mid-1920s. We hope to develop more precise chrological data. While it is obvius from the photographic record, we have not yet found any mention of this trend in the ladies columns and fashion magazines. We do see these colors advertized in mail order caralogs and advertising. Notably this was about the sane time that boys began wearing short pants and girls shorter skirts. There appears to have been some difference in popularity from country to country, but not in the general time line. White and black colored stockings were also available in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, but it was the neutral, tan, and light brown shades that were the most popular. When long stockiLong stockings went out of style in America during the 1940s. They were still worn in Western Europe and Canada during the 1950s. And they were worn in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union during the 1960s. It was primarily the neutral shades that were being worn after World War II in the countries where long stockings continued to be worn.

Country Trends

As in America, the style for lighter colored long stockings also flourished in Europe. It is unclear if the trend originated in North America or Europe or appeared independently in both regions at the same time. There were differences. The popularity of tan shades does seem more pronounced in Europe where older boys wore them than in America. In Germany we see a greater prominence of black and darker brown stockings, especially for boys. The darker colors showed soil less easily, of course, which is perhaps one reason for them. But more neutral colors are also seen in central Europe as well as Russia. We have some individual country chronologies: America and Germany.

Decade Trends

We see some boys wearing long stockings that seem to be tan or beige in the early-20th century, although with black abd white photography, it is difficult to be sure. They do not seem very common. White or dark stockings seem much more common. It was not until after World War I in the 1920s that we begin to see neutral colored long stockings in large numbers. Sometimes in the available black and white photographs it is difficult to distinguish the tan shades from the gray shades, but it is clear that tan and beige long stockings were fairly widely worn in Europe. We do not see the trend in Britain because knee socks almost universally replaced long stockings of any color for boys. Tan shades of long stockings seem increasingly prevalent by the mid-1920s. We hope to develop more precise chrological data. While it is obvius from the photographic record, we have not yet found any mention of this trend in the ladies columns and fashion magazines. We do see these colors advertized in mail order caralogs and advertising. Notably this was about the sane time that boys began wearing short pants and girls shorter skirts. There appears to have been some difference in popularity from country to country, but not in the general time line. White and black colored stockings were also available in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, but it was the neutral, tan, and light brown shades that were the most popular. When long stockiLong stockings went out of style in America during the 1940s. They were still worn in Western Europe and Canada during the 1950s. And they were worn in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union during the 1960s. It was primarily the neutral shades that were being worn after World War II in the countries where long stockings continued to be worn.