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Mail order catalogs show major changes in Canadian boys clothes during the 1900s. Several important fashion trends are notable. Tunic suits were all the rage for little boys. Kneepants were still dominate in the 1900s, but knickers began to be worn by older boys. Short pants were intoduced for the Boy Scouts, but the boys insisted on wearing knickers. Kneesocks were still little worn. Most boys wore long stockings.
We have some cataloga and advdertisement information that we believe to have been published in the 1900s, but are not sure about the specific decade. One particularly popular style for younger boys in the 1990s was tunic suits.
A T. Eaton catalog page offers a wide range of outfits for younger boys in 1900. We note mostly kneepants outfits with middy blouses and fancy blouses. Blouces trimmed with ruffles and lace seem quite popular. There were also Highland kilts and kilt suits which were middy blouses worn with skirted garments. We also note a double breasted jacket. Eaton was a large Totonto Department Store. The different outfits are depicted with quite a range of caps and hats.
A T. Eaton catalog page offers a wide range of outfits for younger boys in 1900. We note mostly kneepants outfits with middy blouses and fancy blouses. Blouces trimmed with ruffles and lace seem quite popular. There were also Highland kilts and kilt suits which were middy blouses worn with skirted garments. We also note a double breasted jacket. Eaton was a large Totonto Department Store. The different outfits are depicted with quite a range of caps and hats. We also notice suspender and garter waists.
We have some information about boys' suits in 1902. We notice suits for boys of various ages illustrated in a fashion magazine. Unfortunately we do not have the text of the article. It was A French Canadian fashion magazine, but we do not know the title. We notive an interesting advertisement from Eatons' Spring and Summer catalog for 1902, p. 93. These are all knee-pants suits sold for "youths"--that is, boys in the upper teen years from about 15 5o 20 years of age. The ad uses the term short pants although the garments look more like kneepants.
We have an image from a French Canadian magazine L'album universel in 1904. It illustrates some fashionanle outfits for both boys and girls. Unfortuntely we can not make out the text in the associated outfits. The outfits have a French look to us, but this is only a guess. Blouses tended to have large collars. Some were quite fancy. We are not sure to what extent fashions varied between English and French Canada. Boys at the time mostly wore knee pants with both three-quater socks and long stockings.
We have a few Canadian catalog items for 1906. We note tunic suits for boys 3-6 years of age appeared in a French Canadian fashion magazine or newspaper at the turn of the 20th century. They look quite similar to the clothes American boys were wearing at the time. After graduating from tunic suits, boys would normally wear knee pants. We note Eatons knee pants suits for boys about 10-16 years of age.
The Eaton catalog provides a great deal of information about Canadian boys' clothing in 1907. We note a wide range of different styles. There were several pages on suits, showing that boys still very commonly wore suits. One page shows the variety of styles of knee pants suits that were fashionable. The styles seem very similar to the United States. Norfolk styling seems especially popular. Canadian boys up to the age of at least 14 years wore knee pants suits. These styles show both single and double-breasted models. These are dress-up clothes for boys from about 10 to 16. The sizes are chest circumferences. Notice that all the suits are depicted exclusively with high-top shoes and long black stockings. We see black long stockings as a mainstay in many catalogs during the 1900s.
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