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Vintage Dancer | 1900s Fashion | Edwardian Stockings, Hose Socks 1900s -1910s

Edwardian Stockings, Hose Socks 1900s -1910s

Edwardian Fashion 1900-1910s

12 Nov 2021

During the Edwardian period, women’s hosiery or stockings, expanded in color and texture. This varied by country to some degree. English women preferred to match stockings to the hat, veil or belt. The French woman matched her stockings to her dress or shoes. American women were the least exciting, preferred to embrace practical brown or black stockings with colored embroidery.

Scroll to the end to see where to buy Edwardian style stockings.

1903 stockings Edwardian

1903 fancy pattern stockings

The focus on women’s stockings in the Victorian era was to wear practical hosiery or if she were interesting, a fancy pair that was only know to her and her maid. As hemlines grew shorter in the Edwardian era, the visibility of stockings because something to notice, talk about, and judge.

“The great vogue of short-skirted frocks among smartly gowned women necessitates that much more attention shall be paid to their hosiery than has been given under different fashions and in consequence there is a great demand for stockings that shall harmonize with every detail of the dress, and this means many pairs different in color and ornamentation” says Vogue, 1907.

1907, a ladies stockings were visible under shorter hemlines. Matching stockings to dress was common practice.

1907, a ladies stockings were visible under shorter hemlines. Matching stockings to dress was common practice.

Silk sheer stockings inset with lace, hand-embordered with small flowers, leaves or repeating patterns, or hand painted lace effects were the best of the best.  Most decoration centered on the front of the hose up to the knee or along the side in clocked patterns.

Small pin dots, hairlines of contrasting color, tiny checks, wide stripes, and chevron were more of the very plentiful patterns. Plaid and big stripes were for traveling or sport players.

1899- Fabulous polka dot stockings!

1899- Fabulous embroidered pin dot stockings!

Color choices were as varied as any dress fabric. Violet, pink, light blue, navy blue, yellow, green, teal, red, copper as well as white, black, brown and grey.

Advertiser

1900s fashion colors colours for women
1900s colors for women
1910s colors for women
1910s colors for women

Poor women or for day to day uses by all classes, had shoppers picking up cotton, lisle or cheap wool black stockings in smooth or rib knits. These could have machine-made lace or embroidery inserted onto the hose. Knitting stockings at home was more economical and better fitting.

Cashmere was the more luxurious wool stocking choice that came is weights for summer and winter.

1909 plain black cashmere stockings hosiery women poor

1909 plain black cashmere stockings

Most hose were cut in the Fully Fashioned style, meaning it was cut and sew into the shape of a leg, this made them ill-fitting if a leg shape was anything but standard. “Out size” stockings were available for plus size legged women.

Advertiser

1903s plus size stockings hose Edwardian fancy stockings

1903 plus size seamless cotton stockings (out size)

Seamless stockings were knit into a tubular shape.  To make them stronger heels and toes were double knit layers. The heel could extended up to mid calf when worn with taller boots.

Article Outline

  • Hose Supporters
  • Stocking Holders for Girls
  • Where to buy Edwardian Stockings

Hose Supporters

Wearing stockings was not an easy business. Today we have tights with elastic that work much better but in the Edwardian era there was no such thing. Stockings were held up with garter straps called hose supporters that attached to the corset or to a separate supporter pad (essentially a garter belt) worn over the corset. As seen below elastic straps attached to the front of the corset whereas later vintage garters attached front and back.

1901 garter clips corset stockings
1901 garter clips
1902 corset garter clip
1902 corset garter clip

Hose supporters were also sold attached to corsets, up to 6 straps front and sides. These did the best job at keeping hose from falling down.

1906 corset with ruffled garter straps

1906 corset with ruffled garter straps

The worst but prettiest holders were elastic leg garters. They circled the thigh. Too tight and they cut off circulations. Too loose and the hose would quickly be at the knees. The disappeared around 1910 but came back in the 1920s when flappers rolled their stockings with them. 

1910 hose supporter belts and elastic straps
1910 hose supporter belts and elastic straps
1905 pretty hose garters

The Pantella stocking was designed to fit over the entire leg and button onto the corset. Notice how they were worn over long underwear. These not only provided two layers of warmth but a smoother line under narrow fitting skirts.

1902 Pantela stockings and winter long underwear

1902 Pantella stockings

Stocking Holders for Girls

The full leg stocking idea was borrowed from girls clothing. Babies and young girls before wearing corsets with garter clips would attach stockings to the inside of slips (chemise) or petticoats. They could be attached with cheap buttons, safety pins, ribbon ties or pin on garter straps.

The same pin-on garter clips sold to women were made in children’s sizes. These were probably the most commonly used form of stocking holder for children and teens:

1914 safety pin on garter straps

1914 safety pin on garter straps

Fore active children (boys and girls) there were hose supports that looked like suspenders with/without belts such as these:

Edwardian girls boys socks stockings holder garter clips belts
1908 wearing a hose supporter for children
1914 hose supporters for children – suspender and belt styles

Where to buy Edwardian Stockings

Pretty embroidered silk stockings will be nearly impossible to find. Most ladies will choose basic black, white or brown tall socks or full tights to wear under Edwardian dresses and skirts. Wool or pure cotton knee high socks will be the most authentic and warmest.  Pretty lace, polka dot, plaid or striped semi-sheer stockings will give the closest look to Edwardian embroidered hose.

Falke Has over the knee socks in black wool

Wolford – Also makes wool socks and stockings

Sock Dreams– A good assortment of thigh high and over the knee knit socks and stockings. Plus sizes too.

Snag Tights – Basic wool, sheer or pattern full tights for plus sizes. Women rave about these!

American Duchess– Silk thigh high stockings. Clocked stockings. Early design that carry into the Edwardian era.

Amazon – Over the knee lace knit socks and pattern tights.

Here are some additional stocking examples from ladies clothing catalogs. You will have to imagine all the beautiful colors!

1903 novelty hose stockings
1903 novelty hose
1902 fancy stockings

1903 hosiery
1903 hosiery
1905 stockings

1904 fancy hosiery
1904 fancy hosiery
1906 Edwardian pattern stockings tights hosiery. Click to see more pictures.
1906 pattern stockings

1907 embroidered cashmere
1908

1908
1908

1913 Edwardian Cotton Clox Tights. Click to see more pictures.
1913 Cotton Clox Tights
Edwardian 1913 cashmere stockings. Click to see more pictures.
1913 cashmere stockings

1917 stockings
1917 stockings – silk, lisle, cashmere
1918 stockings hosiery
1918 stockings

 

debbie
We are Debbie and Oscar, your guides to dressing up like decades past. We are here to help you find clothing online and learn about vintage fashions as worn by everyday people, just like you. Need help with your outfit? Ask us anytime.
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