Figure 1.--This photograph show two American children with their grandmother. It is undated, but we would guess was taken about 1910. Both children are dressed-up for the snapshot. The girl wears a large hair bow. We think that the color was painted on at the time. The image appears to a positive slide. Note the girl wears white socks and the boys wears white stockings.

Boys commonly wore dark colored stockings, black, navy blue, or brown. Unfortunately it is impossible to tell what color stockings boys were wearing in our photographic archive. Black was especially common. The popularity of these different colors varied substantially over time. We also notice light shades of tan and brown. There were also bright colors like red in the 19th century, although we are not sure how common they were. A major problem we have here is the black and white photography of the day which leave us unable to identify colors, except perhaps black and white. There are hundreds of images archieved on HBC with boys wearing long stockings. Very few are color images. A good example is an unidentified American boy in the 1870s. We can guess at the color, but there is no way to be sure. I think there may have been some bright colors. We know there were multi-colored stripped stockings. I also recall from Little Lord Fauntleroy that Cedie had red stockings before moving to England. I think it is clear from the photographs that black was not nearly as common in the 1870s and 80s as they became in the 90s. I also note colored illustrtions from the period showing bright colors. Of course illustrtions may have overemphasized color, but the question of color I think is an interesting one tht HBC needs to address. Boys also wore white stockings, although they were more common for girls. White stockings were worn by younger boys for dresswear, but white was more common for girls. We do not commonly note boys wearing bright shades, but our information is still realtively limited. We think that some colors like red were worn in the late 19th century. We note in the beginning of Mrs. Burnett;s book Little Lord Fauntleroy that cedric wore red stockings. We are not sure about the shade of red and how common such colors wore. The black and white photography of the day provide few insights here.

Problem

There are hundreds of images archieved on HBC with boys wearing long stockings. Very few are color images. A good example is an unidentified American boy in the 1870s. We can guess at the color, but there is no way to be sure. Unfortunately the photographs archived on HBC are not going to give us much color information. Hopefully the catalog sectionwill provide some insights. We may also find some paintings or prints with color information, but prints in particular are of indetermined accuracy.

Shades

We notice long stockings in a variety of different shades. Black was surely the most common, at least until World War I. Black was especially common, particularly in the late-19th and early 20th centuries. Boys commonly wore dark colored stockings, black, navy blue, or brown. We know that many other shades were worn. Boys and girls have worn the same color long stockings. There wew, however, some gender differences. Unfortunately it is impossible to tell what color stockings boys were wearing in our photographic archive. Both boys and girls wore black stockings. Boys and girls also wore white stockings, but white was much more common for girls than boys. The popularity of these different colors varied substantially over time.

Stripes

We know there were multi-colored stripped stockings. We have little idea just what these colors were. Often there were light colors stripes miked in with dark colors. These light stipes may have included yellow or other bright colors. The photographic record shows that strip stockings were very common in the 1870s abnd 80s.

Created: 5:00 PM 12/7/2006
Last updated: 12:48 AM 4/10/2012