CLOTHING: STEP TWO - STOCKINGS

[Stynky Tudor]

As we work our way through clothing and upgrade our kits, it’s time we talk about stockings. What little I know on the subject, wool and silk would have been the most common materials with neutral, off white and browns being the most common colors. But honestly I don’t know.

As our 1721 standard to shoot for, can anyone provide examples (with citations) for what people wore for stockings?

[michaelsbagley]

Stockings is one I tend to gloss over.

From a historical accuracy perspective, they should be knit of wool (or silk if higher class), and have the strange narrow triangular gusset running from just above the ball at the side of the ankle to the sole (point of triangle goes up).

From a pragmatic standpoint (which I tend to lean to in most cases), "clocked stockings" are generally the only "commercially" available stockings with that gusset, and if memory serves, anywhere that sells those clocked stockings, tend to only do so in cotton. This leads one to a decision:

a] Your stockings look more accurate, but are of inaccurate material (cotton)

b] Your stockings end up of the more correct material, but missing a detail

c] You end up spending too much money on such a low impact item to have someone custom make/knit them for you.

I tend to gravitate to option "B", specially as I tend to do a fair amount of cold-weather events. But I do that with absolutely no judgment to anyone else that chooses elsewise. Let's face it, most of that gusset would be covered by shoes (which we all should be wearing), and the little wedge sticking out is so subtle, only a pedantic putz of a "thread-counter" would notice, let alone say something about it.

[Stynky Tudor]

20 hours ago, michaelsbagley said:

Stockings is one I tend to gloss over.

I think a lot of us gloss over this as well and the accuracy here is less important/impactful. Unless we're talking those silly farby flamingo stockings (that Mission wears).

The couple pairs of thigh length wool stockings I own are too thick for the spring/summer/fall months, but are great to wear in winter. I usually go with some sort of commercially made cotton stockings, but I am looking to trade up and recently purchased some light weight wool stockings online. 

[michaelsbagley]

26 minutes ago, Stynky Tudor said:

I think a lot of us gloss over this as well and the accuracy here is less important/impactful. Unless we're talking those silly farby flamingo stockings (that Mission wears).

The couple pairs of thigh length wool stockings I own are too thick for the spring/summer/fall months, but are great to wear in winter. I usually go with some sort of commercially made cotton stockings, but I am looking to trade up and recently purchased some light weight wool stockings online. 

One comprimise I make that works (for me) is years ago (and possibly still?), there was a rash of the typical reenactor vendors that got stock in "Lindsey-Woolsey" stockings. The price was reasonable (a little more than the cotton, less than wool), the colour was that pale natural mottled tan colour (think oatmeal, and make your jokes with that!), but did not have the gusset. They were a little heavier than cotton stockings, but way lighter than wool ones, and I found them to be an awesome middle-ground.

Check around, and if they still exist/available, grab a pair to try them.

Edit - On second thought, don't look. It was Hamilton Dry Good that was the primary source for them -> https://www.hamiltondrygoods.com/socks/ (scroll to bottom of page). I think all fo the other vendors just purchased them from there and resold them.... and it seems now they are "Rare" and sold out everywhere. If you happen to find them, grab them, but don't waste your time hunting for them, as it would likely be more effort than it is worht.

Edited January 8 by michaelsbagley

[madPete]

1 hour ago, michaelsbagley said:

One comprimise I make that works (for me) is years ago (and possibly still?), there was a rash of the typical reenactor vendors that got stock in "Lindsey-Woolsey" stockings. The price was reasonable (a little more than the cotton, less than wool), the colour was that pale natural mottled tan colour (think oatmeal, and make your jokes with that!), but did not have the gusset. They were a little heavier than cotton stockings, but way lighter than wool ones, and I found them to be an awesome middle-ground.

Check around, and if they still exist/available, grab a pair to try them.

Edit - On second thought, don't look. It was Hamilton Dry Good that was the primary source for them -> https://www.hamiltondrygoods.com/socks/ (scroll to bottom of page). I think all fo the other vendors just purchased them from there and resold them.... and it seems now they are "Rare" and sold out everywhere. If you happen to find them, grab them, but don't waste your time hunting for them, as it would likely be more effort than it is worht.

I've really not worried much about stockings in the past. I've focused on the major clothing items for the most part. 

But I think I may have bought some of the above cause I have a couple pair that are heavier and tend to bunch up at the ankles without garters (otherwise known as "cankles", just ask Wendy LOL)

if someone comes up with a good source, I'll be there.

[Stynky Tudor]

Jno Connolly posted this to Facebook 2023 DEC
This pair of stockings was found on the wreck of the Archangel Raphael, which sank in 1724. There were some clothing items that are specifically Germanic that were found, which makes sense since it was a German trade ship that sank on the Baltic Sea. I’ve never seen the different colored yarn pattern like this pair has by the knee, but the overall construction represents what knit stockings would have looked like.

RUSSIAN GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

https://www.rgo.ru/en/article/clothing-food-and-household-items-18th-century-what-we-found-sunken-ship-archangel-raphael?fbclid=IwAR3d182bNBkaq5sgT_C-kDQWHK8B3gjihJrl8jZe7GrKl-Bn8MhswRDqlaM#:~:text=Aboard the ship%2C the divers,researchers discovered crew's home shoes

https://www.rgo.ru/en/article/about-200-items-18th-century-were-raised-ship-archangel-raphael-sank-baltic?fbclid=IwAR3EW_WL6UNIHgc-pLphdfjrSdO9b0M0D-OYa4Sso9beXo0IEbOSwXuAV_M

 

[Stynky Tudor]

1 minute ago, Stynky Tudor said:

I think these stockings look amazing - love the patches sew on them.