Figure 1.--This early color photo dated 1964 shows a group of Soviet kids playing a ring game at a new-looking appartment block in some Russian city. We think it is probably Moscow, but are not sure. Apartment blocs like this is where most Soviet urban resuidents lived. It looks as though it might be in a newly developing sector of the city. Notice that it is winter and most of the children are wearing long stockings. This appears to have been still very common in the 1960s. Russian sources report that mothers continued to dress children in long stockings with supporters for reasons of economy (stockings were cheaper than long pants) and convenience (stockings could be unfastened from garters very easily and removed without undressing). Long stockings were worn by both boys and girls, especially at the age of the children here. They look to be younger primary children. Notice the number of children wearing berets. We see both black and red beretsr. One of the girls may be wearing tights in this picture, but they were not commonly available. One boy also wears knee socks. Note in addition to berets, the use of stocking caps. Source: Image courtesy of a generous Russian contributor, George. Clicvk on the image for a fuller discussion.

We note Soviets boys continuing to wear long stockings throughout the 1960s. A street portrat taken in the early-60s shows two Soviet boys, probably brothers, wearing long stockings. Soviet school books commonly show both boys and girls wearing long stockings. The photographic record suggests that they were worn with equal frequency at least by yoinger children. This is more difficult to assess for older children because so many boys began wearing long pants, especially in the late060s. The only other difference seems to be color preferences, although both genders wore the stabdard brown shades and to a lesser extent grey shades. The photograph on the previous page is a Moscow scene in 1967 showing boys still wore long stockings (figure 1). Most of the images from the 1960s show realtively younger boys wearing long stockings, at least with short pants. Most of the stockings look to be the brown.beige tones, presumably meant to reflect flesh tones. Following hosiery trend in general become somewhat more diffiicult because of the increasing populrity of long pants. We still see, however, many younger boys wearing short pants, often with long stockings on a seasonal basis. Apparently Russian mothers had a range of practical reasons for choosing long stickings. Russian mothers continued to dress children in long stockings with supporters for reasons of economy (stockings were cheaper) and convenience (stockings could be unfastened from garters very easily and removed without undressing). Long stockings worn with garter waists (sometimes four supporters but often only two). A Russian reader reports that 'long stockings were commonly worn through the 1960s, but that after tights appeared about 1969 they rapidly replaced long stockings. socks.'