Figure 1.-- Children at the turn of the 20th century, both boys and girls, almost universally wore underwaists to hold up outer clothing and long stockings. We notice an ad for the EZ Easy Waist for boys and girls.
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Figure 1.-- Children at the turn of the 20th century, both boys and girls, almost universally wore underwaists to hold up outer clothing and long stockings. We notice an ad for the EZ Easy Waist for boys and girls. |
Children at the turn of the 20th century, both boys and girls, almost universally wore underwaists to hold up outer clothing and long stockings. We notice an ad for the EZ Easy Waist for boys and girls.
We are not sure about the manufacturer of the EZ-Waists. The ad here was placed by the wholesaler, Birdsey, Sommers & CO. in New York City.
Advertisements for these advertisements for the E-Z Waist appeared in The Youth's Companion (December 2, 1899 (p. 675) and April 12, 1900 (p. 195). "The Youth's Companion" described itself as "An Illustrated Weekly Paper For Young People and the Family, Established in 1827." It was published in Boston, Massachusetts, by the Perry Mason Company, 201 Columbus Avenue. We are not sure how lon it was publised, but we notice that it was still being published into the 1910s. The magazine catered to teen-age boys and girls especially, containing articles on sports, on hobbies, and on various literary and cultural interests. But it was really a family magazine and had many advertisements for clothing, both adult and children's.
American children at the turn of the 20th century, both boys and girls, almost universally wore underwaists to hold up outer clothing and long stockings. These underwaists were sleeveless vest-like garments that usually buttoned down the front and had strappings over the shoulder to which waist buttons were sewn for the support of knee pants, skirts, drawers, etc. These underwaists also had cloth tabs, sometimes eyeletted, or tape loops at the sides so that hose supporters could be fastened on. Later on these waists
were mainly for children ten years old or younger, but in 1899-1900 boys and girls wore them up until the age of 13.
Underwaists of this period were sometimes made of coutil [Charles: What is coutil?] or some other non-elastic cotton material. But other types were of knitted fabric (like the E-Z model shown here). Both the waist itself and the shoulder straps were knitted so that the garment would give elastically with the child's bodily movement. This knitted feature is the point being advertised in the E-Z offering.
At a later point older boys began to prefer the masculine suspender waist to the ordinary girls' and boys' underwaist as a means of supporting their trousers and their long stockings,
but in 1899-1900 boys who were not yet teenagers mostly still wore underwaists because this is what their mothers bought for them. As can be observed in the 1900 ad, these were basically gender-neutral. Boys and girls wore almost exactly the same garment.
The 1899 EZ ad copy read, ""The E-Z (Easy) Waist for Boys and Girls. It gives all over; in every thread, and allows a child a thousand twists and turns an hour, a fair average of the demands on a healthy child's waist. Made entirely of knitted webbing
that will not stiffen or clot like cloth waists and provided with Knitted Tubular Straps to support pants, drawers, and skirts; preventing strain on buttons and buttonholes. [HBC note: attachments for hose supporters are also provided at the sides.] The peculiar knitting gives splendid ventilation and the waist is suitable for all seasons. Mothers and children everywhere are friends of the E-Z waist. Sizes--for children from 2 to 13 years of age. 25
cts. At all Dry Gods Dealers. Birdsey, Somers & Co., 349 Broadway, New York, Wholesale Agents. [Note that although this waist is equally for boys and girls, two boys are shown as the models.]"
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