Figure 1.--Here we have a boy in New Tork City during 1935. He is on the fire escape for some reason. Note the light-cvolored, probably tan, long stovkings. They msy have been knitted by his more or grandmother.

This is the decade during which black long stockings, although still available, began to be a minority style. Various shades of tan and brown replaced black as the dominant colors. In 1930, for instance, we already see boys wearing brown long stockings with their knickers rather than black. Younger boys are seen wearing the new patterned hosiery with short pants (striped and checked stockings). But, as noted above, the patterned stockings seem to have gone out of fashion fairly quickly. Considerable details are available in the Sears 1931 catalog. In 1931 tan stockings dominated the catalog ads for full length hosiery for children. Camel, French tan gray, dark brown, and white were the choices (in addition to black), but only one grade of stocking came in black, whereas several grades had the lighter colors. The same trend is also notable in 1936. Now a new color called "French nude" (flesh color) is being offered along with French tan, camel, white, dark brown, brown. Black can still be had, but is clearly in the minority. Another indication of the change in color preference is the garter waists ads of the mid-1930s. Wards garter waists for 1936 show the boys and girls wearing only the tan or light-colored long stockings with their supporters. This is also true for the 1937 garter waist ads. Sears showed one boy wearing Sears "Dandy" garter waist with black stockings, but in its more typical ad for garter waists the same year (Sears Suspenders and Stocking Supporters, 1939), the two boys in the illustration are both wearing tan long stockings--now the commonly worn color. Another indication of the change to lighter colors is the specialized stockings sold in 1939. This was the year when button-on stockings and lastex top stockings were introduced to make the wearing of hose supporters unnecessary. These novelty styles seem to have been a failure with the public, but they were offered principally in tan and brown shades.

Shades

This is the decade during which black long stockings, although still available, began to be a minority style. Various shades of tan and brown replaced black as the dominant colors. In 1930, for instance, we already see boys wearing brown long stockings with their knickers rather than black. Younger boys are seen wearing the new patterned hosiery with short pants (striped and checked stockings). But, as noted above, the patterned stockings seem to have gone out of fashion fairly quickly. Considerable details are available in the Sears 1931 catalog. In 1931 tan stockings dominated the catalog ads for full length hosiery for children. Camel, French tan gray, dark brown, and white were the choices (in addition to black), but only one grade of stocking came in black, whereas several grades had the lighter colors. The same trend is also notable in 1936. Now a new color called "French nude" (flesh color) is being offered along with French tan, camel, white, dark brown, brown. Black can still be had, but is clearly in the minority. Mosdt photograophs we note of boys wearing long stockings during the 1930s are younger boys and the almost alwats are wearing light-brown/tan colored stockings. A good example is a 1934 nursery school. Another indication of the change in color preference is the garter waists ads of the mid-1930s. Wards garter waists for 1936 show the boys and girls wearing only the tan or light-colored long stockings with their supporters. This is also true for the 1937 garter waist ads. Sears showed one boy wearing Sears "Dandy" garter waist with black stockings, but in its more typical ad for garter waists the same year (Sears Suspenders and Stocking Supporters, 1939), the two boys in the illustration are both wearing tan long stockings--now the commonly worn color. By the 1930s black long stockings, although they had not quite disappeared (they might be necessary for funerals or some very formal occasion), were very little seen in everyday life. And the advertisemens reflect this fact.

Specialized/Novelty Stockings

Another indication of the change to lighter colors is the specialized stockings sold in 1939. This was the year when button-on stockings and lastex top stockings were introduced to make the wearing of hose supporters unnecessary. These novelty styles seem to have been a failure with the public, but they were offered principally in tan and brown shades. White was available in one brand, but not black. 1939 also saw the introduction of "combination stockings" and "2-in-1 Stockings" by Sears and Wards. These attempted to appeal to boys and girls who wanted the look of below-the-knee socks and to mothers who insisted on the protection of full length stockings. The lower part of these hose were of course colored like knee socks, but the part of the stocking above the knee--the part that would be attached to hose supporters--was made in "flesh color" (something close to light tan or beige, obviously). Black tops on such stockings would obviously have failed totally to give the illusion of a flesh tone. One other innovation appeared at the end of the 1930s--namely the introduction of "heather" shades of full-length hosiery for boys and girls. These were sportier stockings with a mixed color and texture that represented another attempt to make the wearing of long stockings more attractive to children who might have resisted their mothers' insistence on having knees covered during the chillier months. The heather stockings were available in "brown heather, gray heather, and tan heather."

Created: 12:32 AM 12/24/2004
Last updated: 11:37 PM 3/10/2005