Figure 1.--Here we see an unidentified New York City boy, probanly in the 1880s. He wears a long dress decorated with buttons and lace. He wears striped long stokings. The colors of the stripes probably matches the dress. This was a large-size mounted portrait (image sizes: 6" x 8.5"; mount size: 11" x 14"). The portrait is undated, but looks like the 1880s. The studio was "M Goldstein 1000 Third Avenue." That address is now occupied by Bloomingdales.

Younger boys in the 1870s and 80s wore a range of skirted garments. The skirted garments included dresses, skirts, tunics, and kilt suits. This included a wide range of styles during the approximately two decades that these striped stockings were particularly popular. We are not sure at this time if any of these specific skirted garments were especially associated with striped long stockings. We are not yet sure about the relative popularity of these garments with these striped stockings. They were worn with skirted garments for the same reason that they were worn with shotened-length pants, the garment did not cover their legs. And the colorful stockings could be used to complement the colors of the skirted garment which were somewhat more colorful than suits and pants. Unfortunastely this is difficult to track in black and white photography. We do not note pantalettes being worn very commonly with striped long stovkings. We are not sure precisely why. It may because pantalettes were declining in popularity or perhaps mothers did not want to coiver up the brightly colored stockings.

Dresses

Younger boys wore dtesses throughout the 19th century, although this fashion had begun to decline somewhat by the 1890s. It was still quite common diring the 1870s and 80s when striped stockings were especially popular. We do not have nuch information on color. Our basic assessment is, however, thast dresses could be more colorful than the suits and psants normally worn by boys. And the colorful stockings could be used to complement the colors of the skirted garment which were somewhat more colorful than suits and pants. Unfortunastely this is difficult to track in black and white photography.

Skirts

Tunics

Kilt Suits

Petticoats

Pantalettes

Pantalettes were not skirted garments, but they were mostly worn with skirted gasrments throughout the 19h century. We do not note pantalettes being worn very commonly with striped long stovkings. We are not sure precisely why. It may because pantalettes were declining in popularity or perhaps mothers did not want to coiver up the brightly colored stockings.

Created: 9:40 PM 1/8/2010
Last updated: 9:40 PM 1/8/2010