Figure 1.--Two short pants suits were offered for boys 4-6/10-12 years of age. They were described as cloth and tweed suits. One was a three-piece suit. As is often the case, we are nor sure what were the characteristics of these suits that made one more suitable for younger boys and the other more suitable for a slightly older age range. |
Two short pants suits were offered for boys 4-6/10-12 years of age. They were described as cloth and tweed suits. One was a three-piece suit. As is often the case, we are nor sure what were the characteristics of these suits that made one more suitable for younger boys and the other more suitable for a slightly older age range. The major difference in these suits appears to be a different handling of the lapels. One was shown being worn with an Eton collar and the other with a soft collar. The suit for the slightly younger boy was depicted with short socks while the slightly older boy wore kneesocks.
Weldon's appears to have been a major supplier of pattrns to British mothers. We do not know when the company bergan operating. We have an issue of Weldon's Home Dressmaker
devoted entirely to boys' clothing. It is undated, but is ussue N°248 (figure 1). It looks to us like about 1922. These pattern bookles were published by Weldon's Ladies Journal
in Britain and Canada and provided advice, fiction, household hints, and fashion news to women. One of the services the magazine provided to its subscribers was the inclusion of a
fashion portfolio that illustrated all of the new pattern releases--and a set of free sewing patterns. One reviewer maintains that "The Weldon patterns are some of the most
stylish of their era." A British homemaker in the 1920s, however, recalls, "We always used Weldon's paper patterns for cutting out, and we had one for almost anything. They
were very fragile and had to be used carefully, using pin holes that had been used before. When Woolworth's opened in Leigh, we were able to buy Butterick patterns which were
more up to date. We are unsure just when Weldon's was first published, but we have noted issues in the 1890s-30s.
Two short pants suits were offered for boys 4-6/10-12 years of age. Theywere described as clotyh and tweed suits. One was a three-piece suit. As is often the case, we are nor sure what were the characteristics of these suits that made one more suitable for younger boys and the other more suitable for a slightly older age range. The major difference in these suits appears to be a different handling of the lapels. The bittons are also different. One was shown being worn with an Eton collar and the other with a soft collar. The suit for the slightly younger boy was depicted with short socks while the slightly older boy wore kneesocks.
Suit 61490 is a two-piece short pants suit shown for the slightly older boy on the right. The jacket has two buttons and is single breasted. The narrow lapels are handled conventionally. It was shown worn with an Eton collar, bit a rather inconventional cross tie, but this was not part of the design of the suit. The suit is for boys 6-12 years of age. The jacket has waist-level patch pockets. The short pants are shwn as shrter than those worn by the younger boy, but this may be more of variatiions in the illustration than the actual pattern. The kneesocks have a pattern at the turnover cuff and shows modern style shoe.
The other pattern number is 65455. It is a one-button single breasted tweed suit. Notice the chaon between the back pf the two buttons on the jacket. The suit is for boys 6-12 years of age. The jacket lapels come all the way down to the buttons. The three-button vest or waistcoat is of the same material as the suit and appears a standard style, in contrast to the somewhat unconventional jacket. The suit is shown being worn with a soft collar shirt and dark necktie. The short pants are cut long to the top of the knee. The illustration shows short white socks and old fashioned high-top shoes. I am not sure if these older-style shoes were considered more appropriate for boys or just happened to be the choice of the illustrator.
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