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Eatons offered a variety of boys' summer knicker suits or, as thet called them "Bloomer Suits".
Eatons offered five different styles in their Spring and Summer catalog on page 136. All five had double-breasted jackets. They are all depicted as being worn with long stockings, mostly black long stockings.
T. Eaton's was a well known Toranto department store. Their catalogs provide a good indication of the styles popular in Canada at the time. 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.
We are not sure how knickers evolved. One might think that they were a natutral evolution from 19th Century knee breeches, but boys mostly wore long pants with skeleton and sailor suiys and other outfits during the first half of the 19th Century. I'm not sure precisely when boys began wearing knickers, but the appear at the mid-19th Century, especially during the 1860s. They appear to have been wore in both the above and below the knee style, but the below the knee style was the most common. Knickers do not at first appear to have been specialized children's wear. They seemed at first to have been more worn as a kind of sporting or outdoor wear. They were often associated with Norfolk jackets. The term Knickerbockers originated with the Dutch settlers who first populated the New York area in the 1600's. It became better known as the style of pants that the Dutch settlers wore. The pants were rolled by the knee and became associated as "Knickerbockers" or more commonly in America as "Knickers". The figure of the Dutch settler became symbolized by the figure of "Father Knickerbocker" in full Dutch outfit of cotton wig, three cornered hat, buckled shoes, and knickers. T
Eatons offered a variety of boys' summer knicker suits or, as thet called them "Bloomer Suits".
Eatons offered five different styles in their Spring and Summer catalog on page 136. All five had double-breasted jackets. They are all depicted as being worn with long stockings, mostly black long stockings. The ad copy read, "Some Very Fine Values in Boys’ Stylish Two-Piece Summer Suits."
The Eatons ad copy read, "Boy’s Two-piece Bloomer Suit, made from a dark brown English Tweed, Italian body lining, strap and buckle Bloomers. Sizes 29 to 33 [Chest measure]. $3.55."
The Eatons ad copy read, "Boy’s Two-piece Bloomer Suit, in an All-Wool English Tweed, a neat olive brown shade, showing stripe; double breasted coat, full lining strap and buckle bloomers. Sizes 29 to 33. $5.00."
The Eatons ad copy read, "Two-piece Bloomer Suit, in Navy Blue Serge, well made and trimmed. Sizes 29 t0 33. Price $5.95."
The Eatons ad copy read, "Better quality, of all wool Navy Blue Serge. Two-piece bloomer Suit. Sizes 29 to 33. $7.45."
The Eatons ad copy read, "A Choice Two-piece Suit, made from a neat brown mixed Tweed, all-wool imported fabric, tailored in smart double-breasted style, well lined, strap and buckle bloomers. Sizes 29 to 33. $6.00."
The Eatons ad copy read, "Two-piece Bloomer Suit, in a Scotch Tweed, a neat olive brown shade with stripe, all-wool. Sizes 29 to 33. Price $7.25."
These suits were done in sizes 29-33. I think that is inches in chest size. This would be somethingb like age 10-14 years, although we are not positive about this.
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