Figure 1.-- This page of the Eaton's SpringSummer 1907 catalog (page 68) offered different types and styles of sailor suits. |
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Sailor suits were a popular choice for boys. They became popular in the late-19th century and coninued to be widely-worn in the 1900s. There were two different styles, including both tunic suits and regular straight-leg knee pants suits. There were also tunic suits in the wash suit selections. There was one long pants suit. This was the most traditional of the various suits offered. Styling varied quite a bit. The styles seem quite similar to popular styles in the United States. Sailor suits seem to have been popular with boys, in part because they were not as fussy and fancy as the blouses which were an important alterative outfit. Eatons offered quite a range of different styles of sailor suits in its Spring-Summer 1907 catalog.
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.
Few boys' clothing styles have been as imortant or so widey worn as the sailor suit. The sailor suit is certainly one of the classic styles for boys' clothing. Originally conceived in England, it soon became an internatiinally acepted style, easily crossing national borders. Interestingly, the classic enlisted man's uniform first worn by the Prince of Wales in 1846 was a relatively novel invention because the Royal Navy had only just begun to regularize uniforms for enlisted men. The classic sailor suit has changed little over time, although the pants worn with it have changed. While the classic style has changed little, there have been many variation on the classic style worn first by the British princes and subsequently by royals and commoners throughout Europe and America.
Eatons offered a range of differet sailor suits in its Spring and Summer catalogue (1907), page 68. There were both regular pants (mostly straight-leg knee pants) as well as Russian blouse (tunic suits). The page was labeled "Boys’ Fancy and Sailor Suits". Earons advised, "Be sure to give age and size. The sizes ranged from 21-28 with some variation among the various suits.
Tunic suits were popular outfits for boys in the early 20th century. They were referred to by different terms. Eatons calls them Russian suits. Russian blouses were another common term. HBC used the generic term tunic suit. Eatons offered two of these suits in sizes up to 25..
E3-2030: The Eaton's ad copy read, "Russian Suit of Brown Velveteen, white front, as cut E3-2020. Sizes 21 to 25 [chest sizes]. $4.50."
E3-2025: The Eaton's ad copy read, "New Russian Suit of Neat Small Pattern Tweeds, nicely trimmed, as cut E3-2025. $4.00." We do not commonly notice tunic suits being done in tweed, especially summer suits.
Eatons offered eight sailor suits for boys on this page. The blouses varied somewhat, but the small size of the illustration makes this difficult to see in detail. All but one were done with straight-leg with straight-leg knee pants. Much of the difference in these suits is the material. Curiously even though this is the Spring-Summer catalog, there are no white suits. The sizes varied. The largest sizes was 28 for the Man of War suits, but some only went up to 25.
E3-2036: The Eaton's ad copy read, " Better Quality of Navy blue Serge, as cut E3-2035 $1.00 and $1.50."
E3-2040: The Eaton's ad copy read, " Sailor Suit of Nay Blue Cheviot Serge, white front, nicely trimmed collar, as cut E3-2040. Sizes 21 to 26. $3.00."
E3-2045: The Eaton's ad copy read, " Sailor Suit of Navy blue worsted Serge, collar trimmed with silk stars, as cut E3-2045. Sizes 21 to 26. $4.00."
E3-2050: The Eaton's ad copy read, " Sailor Suit of Navy Blue Worsted Serge, collar and front trimmed with 8 rows silk soutache, as cut E3-2050. $4.00."
E3-2055: The Eaton's ad copy read, " Sailor Suit of Light Grey Homespun Tweed, red stars, black braid trimming on collar, as cut E3-2055. Sizes 21 to 26. $4.00."
E3-2060: The Eaton's ad copy read, " Sailor Suit of Black and White Shepherd Plaid Worsted, collar trimmed with black silk soutache, as cut E3-2060. Sizes 21 to 25. $5.00."
E3-2065: The Eaton's ad copy read, " Man of War Suits of Navy blue Cheviot Serge, regulation English make, cream serge front, blue drill overcollar, long pants bell shaped, as cut E3-2065. Sizes 21 to 28. $3.50."
E3-2066: The Eaton's ad copy read, " Man of War Suit of Navy Blue Worsted Serge, regulation English make, as cut 2065, Sizes 21 to 28. $5.00." The Man of War suits were the long pants suits that were made most like actual naval uniforms.
E3-2070: The Eaton's ad copy read, " Stylish Sailor Suits of Navy Blue Imported Worsted Serge, silk soutache braid trimmings and emblems, silk tie, as cut E3-2070. Sizes 21 to 28. 5.00."
There were two other outfits offered, a vestee suit (I think meaning a three-piece suit with a vest) and a Highland kilt outfit. I think they were placed here because they were in boys' sizes. We discuss them in under the appropriate categories (suits and skirted outfits).
Note that most of the garments are done in serge or other heavy material. This seems strange for a Spring-Summer catalog. An American catalog would have offered many lighter-weight options. Presumably this is because Canada has a colder climate. Perhaps with only a short summer it was not considerc worthwhile to buy a light-weight summer outfit.
The sizes indicated are chest sizes expressed in inches, 21-28, although most only went up to 25 or 26. We are not entirely sure at this time what the age equivalents, but would guess that his would be ages 3 to 10 or 11. As the the trousers were bloomer knickers for the tunic suits and knee pants for the sailor suits, trouser length was not very important.
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