|
Collars were still a major fashion statement and detachable collars still commonly worn. Eaton in 1917 offered several styles of rubber detachable collars for men and boys. We note Eton collars as well as many other mostly formal styles. Some were done in a dull finish. Also offered are cuffs and fronts. It is interesting to note a strategic sesource like subber being used for collars in the middle of World War I. Eatons seems to have had a cnnection with the Arlington Company in Texas.
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 have also seen rubber collars, but they were not very common. We have not seen them in very many catalogs. An examples is the Canadian Eaton's catalog in 1907.
It seems to us a material that would not be very comfortable at the neck. Eatons offered four of them. They seem to be standard collar types only made in rubber. Rubber collars had the advantage of being washable with a sponge or a cloth and could be cleaned by just wiping them off the way today we would wipe off a counter top. White collars were the most easily soiled of any item in a boy's dress--at least his visible dress--and the laundering of linen collars was expensive and time-consuming because of the process of heavy starching. Hence manufacturers developed all sorts of non-cloth collars that could be either cheaply replaced. We haven't noticed them in American catalogs, but this is not a tpic tht we were actively researching. A reader writes, "I actually hadn't noticed rubber collars in other catalogs either, but then like you I wasn't looking for them. I suspect that they didn't last much after the middle 1920s, and they may have gone out of style even before that--maybe during the 1910s." We have no information on just how rubber collars were received by consumers. But as we see very few in catalogs, they do not seem to have been much of a success.
It is interesting to note a strategic sesource like subber being ued for collars in the middle of World War I. Trucks were beginning to become important in transport and this created aneed for rubber. There were many more uses for rubber. And they wee not obvioulsy apparent. A battleship is most associated with steel. Yet there were many parts associated with a battleship and other ships that used rubber. The British at the time werein the process of replacing Brazil as the world's principal source of natural rubber. They had founded rubber platations throught the Empire, but especially in Malaya. And the Royal Navy's control of the Sea meant that productionn could be delivered to Britain and France. The Royal Navy's blockade alo meant that Germany had no access to natural rubber. German chemists invented synthetic rubber, but it was not nearly as durble as natural rubber. Even today rubber tires which are made primarily of synthdtic rubber have a natural rubber component.
We looked up rubber collars in the 1917 Eaton's catalogue, and there are still quite a variety being sold--for both men and boys. Interesting as we had not realized that rubber collars were very common. We are not sure when they first appeared, but noted them in the 1907 catalog. They seem even more popular in 1917. Most of these collars are for both men and boys depending on neck size and height of the collar. Some collars are for neck sizes as low as 11, 12, and 14 (definitely boys’ sizes) but go up to as high as 18 (men’s sizes) so there is considerable overlap. The variety and number of rubber collars show that they were quite popular in 1917 in Canada. Notice that shirt fronts and cuffs are also available in rubber. The prominence of the “dull finish” indicates that these collars were not made to look artificially shiny. Some have interlining which would make them more comfortable to wear since, in these styles, the rubber would not be touching the skin of the neck.
The Eatons' ad copy read, "Children’s Rubber Eton Collars, Arlington make, 2 ½ inches deep, round corners. Sizes 11 to 18 ½. Each 18 cents or 3 for 50 cents." The term "children's" was commonly used for boys and girls. Thus this collar may have been worn by girls as well as boys. Note the very wide age range, the larger sizes, despite the heading was for men. Note this Eton collar has slightly rounded tips, and not the pointed tips of the classic Eton collar.
The Eatons' ad copy read, "Men’s Arlington Make Rubber Cuffs, dull finish, as cut. Sizes 9 ½ to 11 ½. Per Pair 30 cents." I think Arlingtom reffered to an American company that made rubber or ruberized material for collars and cuffs and other products. I believe the company was in Arlington, Texas. We do not yet know much about the company. Note that while there were many styles of collars, the cuffs only came in one style.
The Eatons' ad copy read, "The 'Arlington' Make 'Challenge' Brand Rubber Collar, 1 5/4 inches high. Sizes 14 to 17. Each 20 cents." Challenge was a brand name. I'm not sure how to classify this collar, but it was a basic turn-down collar, widely worn by men. It was not a wide as an Eton collar, but it was still a stiff stand-up collar..
The Eatons' ad copy read, "Men’s and Boys White Laundered Fronts. 17 cents. These are apparently not made of rubber, although we are not sure why they were included with the rubber items. The term "laundered" seems to suggest this front was fabric and not rubber.
The Eatons' ad copy read, "Men’s and Boys’ Rubber Fronts. Each 35 cents." We are not sure what the difference was with the front above, but note the term "landered" is not used. This one seems to be rubber. They apparently were styled similarly.
The Eatons' ad copy read, "The “Arlington” Make “Challenge” Brand Rubber Collar, low, lay-down style. Sizes 14 to 19. Each 20 cents." This was another Arlington men's collar. Itwas a more informal style. I lay down on the collar rather than standing stiffy up.
The Eatons' ad copy read, "'Arlington' Make lined Rubber Collar, cut-away style, dull finish. Sizes 14-17. Each 18 cents, or 3 for 50 cents." This looks to be the collar most like modern styles. The cut-away mmeans that the tip or points of the collar are spread fr apart. Note than many other collars shown here have the tips very close or even touching.. Also note the that dull finish is specified. This suggess that the other collars unless specified had a shiny finish.
The Eatons' ad copy read, "Men’s and boys’ Rubber collars. Stand-up, turn –down style, round corners, dull finish, 1 ¼ inches deep. Sizes 12 to 17 ½. Each 15 cents." This one is the same style as 90-124 above. This one is done in a wide range of sizes, but not the smallest and largest.
The Eatons' ad copy read, "Men’s Interlined Dull Finish Rubber collars, 1 ½ inches deep, square corners, 1 ½ inches deep. Sizes 14 to 18. Each 18 cents or 3 for 50 cents." Interlines we think mean that the interior of the collar had a cloth surface so tht the unfomfortable rubber would not touch the skin. This was a popular style in the early-20th century, but were not often worn by boys. I thik they ere called wing collars.
The Eatons' ad copy read, "Imported Rubber Collar, linen finish. I and ¾ inches high. Sizes 13 to 18. Each, 20 cents. 90-126A 2 inches. Sizes 14 to 17. 20 cents." Rubberwas of course all imported by Canada. So this must mean that the finished collar was imported. Note the linnen finish. This is in comparison to the smooth finish on the other collars.
The Eatons' ad copy read, "Men’s and boys’ Dull finish Rubber Collars. 1 ½ inches and 1 ¾ inches deep. Sizes 12 to 17 ½. Each 18 cents; 3 for 50 cents." This seems to be another severe stand-up collar. Noye that the most severe stand-up collars were made in boys' sizes.
The Eatons' ad copy read, "Men’s Dull Finish Rubber collars, reinforced metal buttonholes, depth 1 ¾,as illus. only. Sizes 14 to 17 1 ½. Each 18 cents or 3 for 50 cents."
We have no information at this time about the Arlington Company which made many of these collars. We think it was located in Arlington, Texas. We are not sure at this time how Arlington became associated with the rubber indusry, especially before the development of the synthetivc rubber industy based on petroleum.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing catalog/magazine pages:
[Return to the Main Canadian mail order 1917 page]
[Return to the Main Canadian mail order 1910s page]
[Main photo/publishing page]
[Store catalogs]
[Fashion magazines]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[French glossary]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Sailor suits]
[Sailor hats]
[Buster Brown suits]
[Eton suits]
[Knickers ]
[Rompers]
[Tunics]
[Smocks]
[Pinafores]
[Long stockings
[Underwear]
[Return to the Main rubber page]
