American Mail Order Catalogs with Boys Clothings: Underwear (1902)


Figure 1.--Many underwear garments look old-fashjioned and are no longer worn today. We do note garments like union suits, combination belt, and hose supporter. An important role of underwear at the turn-of-the-century was to support other garments. Sears offered this cobination belt and hose supporter.

We do not yet have detailed information about underwear offered in 1902 catalogs. Many underwear garments look old-fashjioned and are no longer worn today. We do note garments like union suits, combination belt, and hose supporter. An important role of underwear at the turn-of-the-century was to support other garments.

Sears Combination Belt and Hose Supporter

A Sears catalog page offered a combination belt and supporter. Yhis garment was worn by both boys and giurls. The Sears ad copy read, "No. 18R4816 Children's Combination Belt and Supporter for Boys and Girls. The handiest, safest and most convenient waist and hose supporters on the market. Made of good sateen and lisle elastic sides. Sizes are from 2 to 12 years. Be sure and give age. Comes in white only. Price, each 19 cents. If by mail, postage extra, 4 cents." This is an early version of the waist and hose supporter for boys and girls that later came to be associated with Dr. Parker and was sometimes referred to as "Dr. Parker's Garter Waist" or "Kern's Dandy Garter Waist". See a later Sears ad for suspenders and stocking supporters. It is this one that is closest in style to the 1902 Sears ad and illustrates the Dr. Parker model. Sears in 1939-40 also offered garter waists. Note that the shoulder straps and hose supporters are adjustable, that the waist band has buttons for the support of trousers or skirts, and that the garters are quite long because the stockings they support come only a little above the knee. This garment was obviously worn with knee pants which extended to just about knee height or slightly above.

Sears Nazareth Waist

A Sears catalog page offered a Nazareth waist Sears describes the Nazareth waist as, "No. 18R4820. The Nazareth Waist for Boys and Girls. Made of elastic knit fabric, giving wear and comfort; strapped with tape to catch the strains the youngsters are apt to give. The Nazareth waist comes in sizes from 2 to 12 years. Be sure and give age. Price, each 19 cents. If by mail, postage extra, 5 cents. This knitted waist was worn for the purpose of attaching skirts or knee pants by means of buttons around the waist line and also had garter tabs for the attachment of hose supporters. The garter tabs aren't mentioned but the ad takes them for granted since all waists had them. These would probably have been tape loops sewn onto the sides or eyeleted tabs for fastening the pins of the supporters. Note that the description mentions the tape straps over the shoulders to take the "strains" of additional clothing such as pants, skirts, and stockings. "Nazareth" was a brand name of children's underwear. At a later point they advertised waist union suits which performed some of the same functions as the waist described here. See the Nazareth ad in Parents' Magazine for 1929.







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Created: 1:27 AM 9/19/2004
Last updated: 7:03 PM 9/19/2004