Boys' Historical Uniform Garments: Hosiery

Figure 1.--Boys' uniformed groups with short pants uniforms adopted kneesocks. This has continued to be the case even when boys less commonly wore kneesocks and camping became a less important part of the program.

The original Scouts wore short pants with kneesocks. Knee length socks with turn-over-tops continued to be partbof the uniform for decades, worn with both shorts and knickers. As long pants became more common--kneesocks have become less important. They are still, however, worn with most shortpanrs uniforms, even, after boys no longer commonly wore kneesocks. While the vast majority of boys wore socks of various length with their uniforms, long stockings and tights were also worn.

Long Stockings

Some Boys' Brigade units had uniforms with kneepants and long stockings. The long stockings had to be kept up with claps worn won a special belt like farment or attached to clothes. They were hardly practical for outdoor camping. Thus they were discarded by Baden Powell and the British Scout movement. The official English Boy Scout uniform was designed with knee socks rather than long over-the-knee stockings. Most Scouts around the world for years afterwards wore kneesocks. While long stockings generally disappeared in the 1920s in Britain and America, they were still worn on the Continent, especially as cold weather winter wear. Some Scouts or Cubs wore them in German, Poland, and Scandinavian countries, although HBC does not think they were very common. They were worn by some Italian Baillal boys. They may have been worn by some Hitler Youth boys, but I am less sure about this--especially as the Hitler Youth had a winter long pants uniform. Long stockings continued to be worn in many countrues through the 1940s, especially during the Winter. This was the case in Germany, Russia, Eastern Europe, and Scandinavia. We believe that some boys in those countries surely must have worn long stockings with youth group uniforms, including the Scouts, Young Pioneers, Hitler Youth, and probably some natioanlist groups.

Knee Socks

Kneesocks had been worn by boys in the late 19th century, but they were mot widely worn as until the turn of the cebtury mostly younger boys wore short pants. Kneesocks were worn by some adults. Knickers gradually became accepted for country wear after mid-century and they were worn with kneesocks, rather than the long stockings boys wore with kneepants. British soldiers in tropical postings always wore kneesocks when wearing short pants. It was logical therefore for Baden Powell to include kneepants as part of the original Scout uniform. They proved to be practical for the outdoor camping that was a major component of early Scouting programs. Virtually every subsequent youth group adopting short pants as part of the uniform, also turn-over-top kneesocks. The socks were usually solid colors of the same color as the sgorts, with a few exceptions. British Scouts sometimes worn kneesocks with colored bands. The Hitler Youth often dressed in white kneesocks, contrasting with the black shorts. The American Scouts in 1980 adopted new athletic socks with red tops for the Scouts and yellow or the Cubs.

Ankle Socks

I do not know of any boys' uniformed youth group which had regulation ankle socks until very recent times. In the 1990s many Scouts began wearing ankle socks. They were also worn by some nationalist groups in Europe. The Dutch natonalist group was the first such group that HBU has noted.

Tights

Tights have not been commonly worn by boys in uniformed youth groups. HBU has, however noted reports of Young Pioneers wearing tights in both Germany and Russia. we do not know, however, the official Pioneer regulations about hosiery. As far as we know only Young Pioneers have worn tights, but our information at this time is very preliminary.