Figure 1.--A British mail order catalog, Freemans, show a wide range of boys clothes in 1974. Here are two sets called suits for younger boys 4-7/8. |
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Freemans offered an extensive line of boys' clothes in its 1974 catalog. We have little information about the company at this time. Freemans offered two sets for younger boys age 4-7/8 years. One was a shorts set done with continental styling that had become very popular in England by the 1970s. The other was a long pants denim style looking rather American.
Freemans offered an extensive line of boys' clothes in its 1974 catalog. We have no information about the company at this time. Hopefully our British readers will provide some information about the company. A British reader tells us, "This page brings back memories when I was a lad in the 1970s. I was 6-12 and my mum always bought my shorts
and grey knee socks from freemans catalogues." Notice that for all items in the 1974 catalog, Freeman's choose models who are at the upper end of the age-range for that item. I guess they thought that boys wouldn't want an item modelled by someone younger than themselves.
Freemans here offers two shirt and pants sets hich it refers to as a suit (figure 1). We are not precisely why they use the term suit. There were sets for younger boys with matching or coordinated shirt/jacket and pants. The sets were with both short and long pants. This was a common convention for younger boys. We note that they are sometimes referred to as suits, meaning that the material and color of the pants and shirt/jacket are the same. Also the outfits have vest/jackets rather than simple shirts. Boys in the 1970s might wear these sets for occassions in which suits were once worn.
This two piece set was a shirt matched with short pants. Freemans describes it as a suit. The shirt is a composite utem looking like a high-neck long-sleeved yellow shirt and brown vest combination. The long-sleeved shirt and short cut shrts look somewhat unusual, but that was still an acceptable style in the 1970s for younger boys. The brown shorts are done in the continental style. The outfit was done in sizes 4-7 years, one size less than the long pants set. The ad copy read, "Up to the minute two piece with contrast polyester front band and pockets. Suit fully lined in nylon. Washable. Material: Crimplene and polyester. Colour: dark brown mufti."
The other set is a long pants set with an American Western look. It was done in a size larger than the short pant set. The ad copy read, "Tough guy 'denim-look' suit with mock pocket flap and contrast trim on jacket. Flare leg trousers have elasticicated waist. Washable. Material: cotton. Colour: blue."
We notice references to "continental-style shorts" in Britain. A reader writes, "When English boys stopped wearing "culottes anglaises", what they wore were described as "continental-style shorts". At the same time as the Brits were looking to the continent for fashion ideas, the French started dressing their boys in longer culottes anglaises. It's funny how they admired each other's styles, yet they couldn't manage to both dress the same way at the same time." English school boys and Cubs by the 1970s were wearing continental-styled shorts. The image here shows an English mail order catalog offering continental-style shorts (figure 1). We notice that there was no reference to any specific continental country, perhaps because the shorter-cut shots were so common throughout Europe. We note that they were also worn in Japan. We have not noted them as being worn in America. We believe, however, that France was an especially important fashion influence.
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