historical girls' clothing fashion costume styles countries England chronology 20th century garments hosiery (2024)

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In the 20th century one of the main differences between women’s and girls outfits were the types of hosiery they wore. Although a mother and daughter may have worn similar styles of dress, often the girl’s juvenile status was signified by the socks she was wearing, whilst her mother wore stockings or tights. Only in the past couple of decades have girls worn similar types of hosiery to their adult relations and carers on a regular basis.

The 1900s

The differences in hosiery between women and girls first emerged in the early part of the 20th century. Before then girls wore long socks well above the knee or stockings, but socks began to shorten to the ankle during this period, particular for younger girls. Older girls remained in long socks and stockings, which were also worn by girls of all ages in cold weather. White was a popular colour for younger girls, but darker colours were more practical, especially for those from working class households who would have played outside on dusty streets.

The 1910s

The 1920s

From the 1920’s onwards grown up females stopped wearing ankle length dresses and skirts there was a need for stockings that would not only provide warmth but look aesthetic on the now visible legs. Silk stockings were expensive and were only worn on a regular basis by the wealthy or saved for best, however alternatives using synthetic materials came into being. Post the First World War Rayon stockings became available. Known as “mother-in-law silk”, they provided an affordable alternative to silk stockings. One of the disadvantage of stockings is they needed a method of support for the wearer such as a garter belt, or using “stay up technology” such as a silicone elastic band. Stockings made of silk or Rayon also had the disadvantage of snagging very easily. It was likely a combination of these disadvantages and the desire to see girls pursue activities such as playing games that they rarely wore these types of hosiery, as wearing socks was seen as more practical and healthier.

The 1930s

The 1940s

The next big development was the launch of nylon and nylon stockings by the American Du Pont Company. Production began in 1939 and from the time it went on sale to the general public in May 1940 nylon hosiery was a huge success. Unfortunately in 1942 nylon production was switched to the production of war items such as parachutes and tents, but once the war had ended production resumed and nylon hosiery has become the standard for many women. From 1959 tights (pantyhose) became available which were easier to wear than stockings, as they were supported by the waist and covered the wearer’s underpants. This made them easier to wear and teenage girls began to wear them.

The 1950s

The 1960s

The age in which a girl would stop wearing socks and move on to tights has often been a sticking point, although less so nowadays. Up until the early 1960s girls tended to wear socks, apart from special occasions such as weddings, until they reached school leaving age at 15 or 16. From the 1960s onwards girls would start graduating to tights at varying ages often dependent on a combination of local customs e.g. school uniform rules, or what the girl’s parents opinion was. The current trend is for girls to start wearing tights on a regular basis when they start secondary school, although local differences occur. In one town secondary school girls will wear socks as part of their uniform, while in many towns it is unheard of.

The 1970s

Up until the late 1970s most girls still tended to wear socks despite tights becoming a viable alternative. Critics of tights argue the nylon fabric is extremely prone to laddering, which can be caused by simple movements such as catching the toenail of her big toe in the fabric when the hose is put on, or by catching it on a rough desk. There are also health concerns such as the warm, moist environment created by nylon pantyhose being a predictive factor in the development of fungal infections of the skin of susceptible wearers, particularly in the feet, abdomen and genital areas. The wearing of nylon tights can also lead to pre-existing fungal and allergic conditions, including eczema, athlete's foot, hives and rashes becoming exacerbated. Unfortunate teenage girls often had a miserable time if their parents felt they weren’t ready to wear tights, especially when their peer group had moved on. It would mean the unlucky teenager would find it difficult to be part of the in-crowd, and possibly be subjected to unwelcome comments from other teenagers and adults. It would not have helped her self esteem and she would have felt uncomfortable during bad weather not having the protection against the elements tights give. The Nolan’s were a popular English family singing group in the 1970s and 80s. In her autobiography, the eldest daughter Anne writes candidly about her abusive father who would not allow her to wear tights at school unlike her friends. [Nolan] Anne Nolan even had to wear white socks on occasions as a young adult. The cover of their first LP released in 1972 just before they hit the big time when Anne was 22 shows the girls all wearing white knee socks. When they appeared on the Cliff Richard Show soon afterwards the sisters wore maxi-length dresses with tights, but the youngest Coleen (then aged 7) wore shorter dresses with white knee socks. <! Figure 4, “The Singing Nolan’s” album cover. The girls ages range from 7 to 22, but the only concession to the older girls is they don’t have straps on their skirts like the three youngest girls.>

The 1980s

The 1990s

Today girls of all ages wear tights, including those made from heavier materials such as wool or cotton. Modern tights are much cheaper to produce and are available in a wider range of colours and deniers. Sheer flesh coloured tights are around 15 denier, whilst up to 30 is considered semi opaque, with being 100 fully opaque. Girls’ tights are usually in the stronger deniers which are more durable. Sheer tights tend to be worn by older girls. Some school uniform lists specify a particular denier level, to prevent girls from wearing laddered tights.

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Created: 7:09 PM 11/19/2010
Last updated: 7:09 PM 11/19/2010