Figure 1.--Eatons offered several blouses for boys in its Spring-Summer 1907 catalog. They were on apage with a variety of other garments. |
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Boys wore both blouses and shirt waists in the 1900s. The principal differences between blouses and shirt waists was hat blouses did not have tails and shirt waiss did not have collars. Younger boys wore blouses. Some were still quite fancy. Eatons had a selection of blouses. Older boys wore shirt waists--an early form of shirt that came without a collar. Various collars could be attached. This was apractical arrangement at atme when washing was still a huge chore. Men annd boys might just change the collar rather than the whole shirt. Eatons had a selection of shirt waists.
This Canadian retailer began publishing mailorder catalogs in 1881, at least that is we begin noticing them. We have catalogs from the 1970s, although we do not know about the company's current status. The 1970s catalgs were full of clothes which look like American styles. Timothy Eaton, founder of the huge all-Canadian department store chain bearing his name, was an Irish immigrant born on a tennant farm in northern Ireland. He was born in 1834 and followed his brothers to Canada in 1854. His brothers had opened a small dty goods store in St. Marys. Timothy Eaton began his business with a small dry goods business in Toronto during 1869. He built a giant retail store in Ontario’s capital city along with a country-wide mail-order business and a big new branch store in Winnipeg, by the time of his death in 1907. The Winnipeg branch was the first of many branches. Eaton Company business establishments eventually spread all across Canada when Timothy’s family successors extended the Eaton empire. Timothy masterminded the company during the crucial period of its early development, spanning nearly 40 years. It was Timothy who implemented the concept of the "Department Store", in Canada, a concept which were already flourishing in London, Paris, and New York.
A blouse is a top shirt-like garment meant to be worn alone (as versus the chemise), or as a layer. As the name implies, the sleeves are loose, can be short or long, and the overall cut is usually generous, perfectly suited for a small child. Blouses can have various neckline styles, with or without collars. The materials are commonly cottons, linens, synthetics, satins, and silks. Fancier blouses can be made of velvets, velveteen, and valoure (sp?)--essentially, anything of a middleweight material. A bouse can be tightly fitted or drape loose from the body. The blouse has become the essential staple article of women's dresswear, but in past years was also worn by boys.
Eatons offered four different styles of blouses for boys 3-8 yers old. All had large collars, some with ruffles. This age range is useful in assessing unidentified Canadian photographs.
The Etons ad copy read, "Print blouses, striped and figured patterns, buttoned cuff, pocket, as cut E3-2080. {We believe this means refer to the illustration.] Sizes 3 to 10 years. 25 cents."
The Etons ad copy read, "Print blouses, light and dark striped and figured patterns, frill collar, as cut E3-2085. Sizes 3 to 10 years. 35 cents."
The Etons ad copy read, "Black Sateen blouses, fast dye, frill collar, as cut E3-2085. Sizes 3 to 10 years. 50 cents." This was the same style as E3-22805, but done in black sateen.
The Etons ad copy read, "White Cambric blouses, trimmed with insertion and embroidery, as cut E3-2090. Sizes 3 to 8 years. $1.00." Note that this blouse was only done up to age 8, presumably because it was especially fancy. It looks like a Fauntleroy blouse.
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