Figure 1.--Canadian children commonly wore long stockings througout the 1910s. Thus support garments were also offered. It is an underwaist designed specifically for boys. Most underwaists were unisex and could be worn by either gender. This one appeared in the Eatons Spring and Summer catalog for 1918, p. 133. It seems to be made in a cooler style (for the warmer months), being constructed of "durable White Cotton" instead of the more common knitted material worn in winter because of its warmth. The age range is from 6 to 12.

A.T. Eatons offered a light-weight boy's waist in its Spring and Summer 1918 catalog. Eaton also offered a boys waist out in its 1918-19 Fall-Winter catlog. One interesting difference between the two waists is the age sizes. The summer waist span a larger number of years (from 6 6o 12 as opposed to 7 to 10 for the winter waist). I have no explanation for the age difference. Notice, however, that the summer waist opens down the front rather than in back--a style boys obviously preferred.

Eatons

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.

Stocking Suporters

The boys and girls wearing long stockings in the second half of the 19th Century held them up with various styles of stocking supporters. I believe that boys did not wear these supporters commonly in the first half of the 19th Century because kneepants were not nearly as common. Boys wearing long trousers did not commonly wear stocking supporters. It was not until the 1870s when kneepants became more commonly worn that stocking supporters became widely worn. Both boys and girls wore them. They were several different styles, including over the shoulder and waist styles. They were not very comfortable especially for boys involved in strenous outdoor activities. Notably Lord Baden Powell when he designed the first Boy Scout uniform chose kneesocks so cumbersome stocking supporters would not be necessary.

Boy's Waist

Canadian children commonly wore long stockings througout the 1910s. Thus support garments were also offered. It is an underwaist designed specifically for boys. Most underwaists were unisex and could be worn by either gender. This one appeared in the Eatons Spring and Summer catalog for 1918, p. 133. It seems to be made in a cooler style (for the warmer months), being constructed of "durable White Cotton" instead of the more common knitted material worn in winter because of its warmth. The age range is from 6 to 12. All boys of this age in 1918 worn knee pants with long stockings--usually even in the warmer months--and so needed a support garment. Most waists had detachable supporters or were sold with only tabs at the sides so that separately purchased supporters could be attached. This model has the supporters built into the garment, attached to "a graduated double under-arm section." Presumably the "graduated" strip under the arm made it possible to adjust the supporters for proper length. An additional feature here is that the cotton material of the waist extends in two flap-like sections down over the hips underneath the supporters so that the elastic part of the garters doesn't chafe or rub against the skin. This would probably not be a problem in the winter time when a boy would be wearing long underwear under his waist, but in the summer time, there would probably be a bare area between the hem of his underwear and the top of the stockings. This style of waist was later sold by Sears and advertised as a "R. & J." waist. I have no idea what the initials stand for, but the advantage of the style, as explained by the Sears advertisements, was that safety pins (the usual way of attaching supporters to waists) were not necessary because the garters were already built in. Of course if the elastic wore out, you would have to purchase a whole new waist. On the other hand, 50 cents in Canadian money probably was not too expensive in 1918. One of the male features of this waist is its front-buttoning style (boys didn't like waists that buttoned down the back because this was considered a girl's style, especially by older boys). Bone buttons are attached by tapes around the waist for fastening knee pants or other garments.

Ad Copy

The Eaton's ad copy read, "98-1502. Boy's Waist, suitable for ages 6 to 12 years. The material used is durable White Cotton, with a graduated double under-arm section, on which strong hose supporters are attached. Well stayed, taped bone-buttons, fastens in front. AGES 6 to 12 years . . . . 50 c."

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Created: 6:37 PM 8/23/2006
Last updated: 6:38 PM 8/23/2006