Figure 1.-- This sweater is clearly an atltletic style garment. It looks rather like the sweaters worn for ruby football in England. The same might be said fir the other styles of turtle-neck sweaters offered by Sears in 2002. This sweater is clearly for American football because the illustration here shows the model wearing football pants. The strips are a style commonly worn for rugby football. |
Sears offered an alternating-stripe sweater with turtle necks in 1902. The sweater was done in wool for schoo-age boys. It was shown as being worn as a kind of football jersey. The styling seems based oin uniforms worn in Britain for rugby.
This sweater is clearly an atltletic style garment. It looks rather like the sweaters worn for ruby football in England. The same might be said fir the other styles of turtle-neck sweaters offered by Sears in 2002. This sweater is clearly for American football because the illustration here shows the model wearing football pants. The Sears ad copy read, "Boys' Alternating Stripe Sweaters, $1.00.
No. 16R8072 Boys' Fine All Wool Sweater, made with alternating stripes as illustrated. A closely knitted sweater made from fine clean yarn that will not fail to give lasting service. Colors, black and orange, black and red, green and red, royal [blue] and white. A special leader at our low price. Sizes, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 breast measure. Price each . . . $1.00. If by mail, postage extra, each, 15 cents."
Rugby is another form of football. It is named after the English public (exclusive private) school) where some of the modern rules were developed. American football has evolved from Rugby. In many ways it is an anomaly. It became along with cricket, the principal sports (games) played at public schools and of interest to
upperclass English. This appears a contradiction in that the sport requires enormous physical strength, extensive physical contact, and played in the English autumn is an often muddy, filthy slog. The public schools in turn rejected football (soccer), an elegant game requiring more finess and with less physical contact. Football proceeded to become the game of choice of the working class and virtually the entire rest of the world, except America.
American football is played in only a small number of countries. It is only serious played in America. The basic uniform is simple, a helmet, jersey, and knicker-length pants. The full uniform is much more complicated, however, because of all the protective equipment. An HBC readers reports an interesting trend of late in
American high school football (and, to a lesser extent, in college football) where the pants are now being worn shorter, just an inch or two below the knees in many cases, with low ankle socks leaving the lower legs bare? This seems to be a trend away from the older look (still prevalent in the NFL) of football pants midway
between the knee and ankle, with long over-the-calf socks completely covering the legs.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing catalog/magazine pages:
[Return to the Sears 1902 sweaters]
[Return to the Main 1902 page]
[Main photo/publishing page]
[Store catalogs]
[Fashion magazines]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Cloth and textiles]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Topics]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Satellite sites]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Sailor suits]
[Sailor hats]
[Buster Brown suits]
[Eton suits]
[Knickers ]
[Rompers]
[Tunics]
[Smocks]
[Pinafores]
[Long stockings]
[Sweaters]
[Underwear]