Figure 1.--This unidentified boy looks to be about 4-5 years old. He wears a dressy juvenile suit with a lace collar, white stockings, and strap shoes. We are not sure about the natiionality, but it could be Czech. Click on the image to see his brothers in matching outfits. This was an outdoor photograoh. It is obviously posed. He has his hoop and stick. My guess is that mom did not allow him to play outdorrs in this outfit.

White long stockings were worn with several different garments. Trends varied somewhat from country to country. Young boys before breeching appear in long white stockings. I have no noted this fashion in the early 19th century. Of course this is before photography increased the number of available images, but also because dresses tended to be quite long ans even when they became shorter as the 19th century progressed were worn with long pantalettes making long stockings unecessary. After the mid-19th cetury when pantalettes became less common, at least long pantalettes, then long stockings appear. Fauntleroy suits during their greatest period of popularity in the late 19th century were almost always worn with long stockings, but dark ones generally matching the color of the suit were tghe most common approach. As discussed in the Fauntleroy section, Fauntleroy suits were not always black, a common misconception because of the available black and white photography of the day. Fauntleroy suits came in dark shades of blue, brown, burgandy, and green as well as various shades of grey. We do see some boys wearing long white stockings with Fautleroy suits. This seems most common in the early 20th century. Around the turn of the century it became fashionable to wear Faumtleroy suits with white socks of varying length, generally three-quarter length, or white stockings. This was not a universal trend. Concurrent with the appearance of long white stockings was the tunic suit. Various styles of tunic suits were worn, sailor Russian blouse, and Buster Brown tunic suits. They were one of the mosdt popular styles for younger boys at the turn of the century. At the same time, fewer boys were being outfitted in dresses. Many of the younger boys wearing tunic suits, prpbably would have still been kept in dresses a decade earlier. White sailor suits were popular summer where in the late 19th and early 20th century. Unlike other boys suits, some sailor suits, especially the white ones were made with long pants. Boys wear kneepants sailor suits might wear them with long stockings, but usually dark stockings. Bu the 1890s, boys in dressy sailor suits might wear long white stockings, but by the 1910sm socks were more common. After the turn of the century knickers began to replace kneepants. Initially many knicker suits were had knicker pants which fastened above the knees. These were worn with ling stockings. Usually they were dark stockings, but a younger boy in a fashionable white summer suit might wear white stockings. Long white stockings were considered to be formal dresswear. As a result, boys generally wore formal dress shoes with them. Various styles of patent leather strap shoes or dance pumps, with the required flat black bows, were the most common. I think they were almost always black strap shoes--but am not positive about this. HBC has noted some white strap shoes, but is uncertain about colored shoes like red or blue. After the turn of the century white stockings appeared as wear for younger boys, usually as part of fancy outfits. They were worn with dressy Fautleroy suits as well as suits with sailor motifs. Unlike the dark long stockings that were worn with kee pants, white long stockings were worn with above the knee knickers or short pants. As they were often worn as part of dressy outfits, in some cases dress shoes like patent leather strap shoes. The white long stockings were to some degree seasonal wear, being much more commonly worn during the spring and summer months.

Dresses

Young boys before breeching appear in long white stockings. I have no noted this fashion in the early 19th century. Of course this is before photography increased the number of available images, but also because dresses tended to be quite long ans even when they became shorter as the 19th century progressed were worn with long pantalettes making long stockings unecessary. After the mid-19th cetury when pantalettes became less common, at least long pantalettes, then long stockings appear. Dresses in the late 19th century were again generally worn long. Shorter knee-length dresses were more common in France than America. although HBC does not yet sufficent information on hem length and the popularitybof long wehite stockings in different countries. Initial assessments suggest that American boys rarely wire dresses with short socks while this was more common in France Dresses with long stockings were not common in America or Europe. While long dark stockings were common, white ones were not. When white hoser became was worn, short socks or three-quarter length socks were more common than stockings and the convention of young boys wearing dresses was going out of style.

Fauntleroy Suits

Fauntleroy suits during their greatest period of popularity in the late 19th century were almost always worn with long stockings, but dark ones generally matching the color of the suit were tghe most common approach. As discussed in the Fauntleroy section, Fauntleroy suits were not always black, a common misconception because of the available black and white photography of the day. Fauntleroy suits came in dark shades of blue, brown, burgandy, and green as well as various shades of grey. They would be worn with dark long stockings of a matching and not contrasting color. We do see some boys wearing long white stockings with Fautleroy suits. This seems most common in the early 20th century. Around the turn of the century it became fashionable to wear Faumtleroy suits with white socks of varying length, generally three-quarter length, or white stockings. This was not a universal trend. Especially in the 1900s, some boys still wire dark stockings, especially for very formal functions. After the turn of the century, the colored Fauntleroy suits became less common and a greater proportion were black suits. Thus the Fauntleroy suits worn with white stockings or socks, were mostly black suits. This style persisted until Fauntleroy suits went out of fashion after World War I (1914-18). The white stockings did not replace dark stockings with Fauntleroy suits, but they were worn. I'm not sure which was more popular. The time period explains why boys wearing white stockings with Fauntleroy suits often have ruffled rather than lace collars which went out of fashion after the turn of the century.

Tunic Suits

Concurrent with the appearance of long white stockings was the tunic suit. Various styles of tunic suits were worn, sailor Russian blouse, and Buster Brown tunic suits. They were one of the mosdt popular styles for younger boys at the turn of the century. At the same time, fewer boys were being outfitted in dresses. Many of the younger boys wearing tunic suits, prpbably would have still been kept in dresses a decade earlier. These tunic suits were worn with both socks and stockings. Some boys in the 1900s might even go barefoot during the summer, especially in the southern satates. Stockings were most common in the 1900s while socks, usually three-quarter length white socks, were more common in the 1910s. White stockings were particularly popular with white tunic suits of all three styles.

Sailor Suits

White sailor suits were popular summer where in the late 19th and early 20th century. Unlike other boys suits, some sailor suits, especially the white ones were made with long pants. Boys wear kneepants sailor suits might wear them with long stockings, but usually dark stockings. Bu the 1890s, boys in dressy sailor suits might wear long white stockings. We see quite a few boys dressed up in all white. A good example is an American boy in the early 20th century. While we see white stockings being worn with dark suits like Fautleroy suits, they were much less common with dark sailor suits. We still see long white stockings in the 1910s and early 20s for formal occassions. They had become less common, however after World War I.

Juvenile Suits

There were in the early 20th century many styles of suits worn by younger boys. One popular style was Oliver Twist suits. Many of these juvenile suits do not seem to have had specific names, al tleast not names with which we are familiar.

Knicker Suits

After the turn of the century knickers began to replace kneepants. Initially many knicker suits were had knicker pants which fastened above the knees. These were worn with ling stockings. Usually they were dark stockings, but a younger boy in a fashionable white summer suit might wear white stockings.

Shoes

Long white stockings were considered to be formal dresswear. As a result, boys generally wore formal dress shoes with them. Various styles of patent leather strap shoes or dance pumps, with the required flat black bows, were the most common. I think they were almost always black strap shoes--but am not positive about this. HBC has noted some white strap shoes, but is uncertain about colored shoes like red or blue.

Other Outfits

After the turn of the century white stockings appeared as wear for younger boys, usually as part of fancy outfits. They were worn with dressy Fautleroy suits as well as suits with sailor motifs. Unlike the dark long stockings that were worn with kee pants, white long stockings were worn with above the knee knickers or short pants. As they were often worn as part of dressy outfits, in some cases dress shoes like patent leather strap shoes. The white long stockings were to some degree seasonal wear, being much more commonly worn during the spring and summer months.

Created: 5:09 PM 1/23/2007
Last updated: 4:41 AM 2/22/2007