Figure 1.--These are the styles of blouse waisdts offered by Ward's in 895. Note the drawstrings at the bottom hem.
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Figure 1.--These are the styles of blouse waisdts offered by Ward's in 895. Note the drawstrings at the bottom hem. |
The Ward's blouse waists have drawstrings as waist closures. This is not really noticeable in period photographs. But probasnly is the waist blouces out it had a drawstring and was a blouse waist. This can be seen in the illustrations, but is not mentioned in the ad copy. This appears to be the destinguishing characteristic of the blouses. They are made for boys age 4 to 13 years of age. This is the same for both the blouse waists and shirt waists.
Ward's does not explain the difference between the blouse and shirt waists they offer. Based on the illustrations the difference appears to be that the shirt waists have buttons at the waistr rather than drawstrings like the blouse waists. These buttons were used to hold up the boys' kneepants.
We had thought that the blouse waits were for younger children than the shirt waists. Heree with the Ward's waists the age sizes for thre blouse and shirt waists were identical at 4-13 years. There were no age difference in the approprisateness of these two garments.
These Shirt Waists and Blouse Waists were worn by boys only up to the age of 13. Older teenage boys apparently wore shirts more like adult men's shirts that tucked into their knee pants and had tails or were at least long enough to tuck in.
Ward's offered several different styles of blouse waists. Several were made in the same style, but different materials. The Ward's ad copy reads, "Boys' Bloluse Waists. Sizes 4 to 13 years."
32442: Boys' Blouse Waists, fancy light ground cotton cheviot, sailor collar. Each $0.30, Per dozen, $3.24.
32444: Boys' Blouse Waists, plain black sateen, sailor collar. Each $0.35, Per dozen $3.78.
32446: Boys' Blouse Waists, light ground striped Chambray, double ruffle down front, sailor collar and turned over cuffs, with ruffle. Each $0.40, Per dozen, $4.32.
32448: Boys' Blouse Waists, plain black sateen, double ruffle down front, sailor collar, with ruffle. Each $0.45, Per dozen, $4.86.
32450: Boys' Blouse Waists, soft finished percale, light ground, with combination of stripes and figures; double ruffle down front, sailor collar, turned over cuffs, with ruffle. Each $0.50, Per dozen, $5.40.
32452: Boys' Blouse Waists, fine white lawn, double row of colored narrow embroidery down front, sailor collar and turned over cuffs, trimmed with same. Colors: Navy blue or red embroidery. Each $0.70, Per dozen, $7.56.
We notice that Ward's offered many more tyope of shirt waists thsan blouse waists. We suspect thast means that the short waists wrere more popular thn the shirt waisdts.
Note that Ward's offers these waists by the dozen. We wonder why parents would want a dozen, especially s dozen of the same syle. Granted families were larger, but purchasing a doizen waists seems somewhat surprising.
We note a range of styles, both every day styles as well as dressy Sunday or party styles. Other styles are not real clear to us as to how they were worn.
A reader writes, "I agree that the difference between the two types of shirts--shirt waists and blouse waists--is that the shirt waists have straight hems at the bottom and are designed to be worn over the knee pants with the waistband not showing and that the blouse waists have drawstrings in the bottom hem so that they can be tightened to create the blousing effect. I think both types are
worn outside the knee pants, i.e., not tucked in. If a boy wore suspenders with his knee pants rather than a belt (as I think many boys did), the suspenders would have to go under the shirt waist or blouse waist unless the shirts were tucked into the pants, and this would interfere, I believe, with the design of these garments." Here HBC has a little different take on these garments. We beleve that the shirt waists were tucked into the trousers. The buttons were fitted into the button holes in the waistline of the kneepants that they were worn with. This differed from the blouse waists which were not attached in any ways with the pants. Rather they were bloused over the waist of the kneepants and pulled snug with a waist drawstring that ran through the hem of the blouse.
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