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We have found only a few catalog and magazine items for children's clothes in 1910, but are gradually adding items. We note some skirted items for todlers, both dresses and tunics (figure 1). Some of the boys in the accompsnying illustrations have short ringlets. Both dresses and ringlets were becoming less common for boys, even toddler boys by the 1910s, although tunics were a very popular style. We also have a Ladies Home Journal illustration for younger boys' blouses. We do not have the ad copy, but believe the magazine is offering patterns for these blouses. Children commonly wore long stockings. A Sears catalog offers hose supporters. There is a Combination Belt and Supporter as well as Progress Suspender and Hose Supporter. This appears to be the ancestor of the suspender waist. We have found a newspaper ad for the Kern's Supporter Waist. We also have a page from the Montgomery Ward catalog showing some of the different styles of footwear offered, referred to as shoes and slippers. Included was double-bar strap sandals, one of the earliest ads we have noted for these sandals.
Younger boys wore skirted garments throughout the 19th century. This convention began to decline in the 1890s, especially after the 1895. And it became much less common for boys to wear skirted garments in the 1900s. We still note some skirted items for todlers, both dresses and tunics, in 1910. We notice some skirted todler outfits for boys designed by Lilian Bartion Wilson. Some of the boys in the article illustration have short ringlets. Both dresses and ringlets had become less common for boys, even toddler boys by the 1910s, although tunics were a very popular style. Skirted garments, however had not yet totally disappearred. We can not read the text, but the outfits look like they are for boys from about 2-3 or possibly 4 years of age. This seems to ba specialty botique. We see less of the skirted outdfits for boys (except tunics) in the mainline mailorder catalogs like Sears and Wards meaning that it was a declinging convention.
We note a range of todler outfits in 1910. Skirted outfits except for tunic suits are relatively rare by 1910 based on the photographic record. One popular outfit that we do see in the photographic record were romper suits. Unlike the tunic suit, rompers were worn by both boys and girls. They were primarily a play suit. We notice Stern Brothers' rompers. Stern Brothers calls them rompers. They were also called rompers. done with both short and long sleeves. The short sleeves were done in bubble style. They They were identified as 'children's and not boys' outfits. This, the illustration, and the color options all ;point to them being made for both boys and girls. They were made in sizes 2-6/8 years of age. This of course put them beyond the toddler age and into the school-age range. The thing is that we do not see school-age boys wearing them in the photographic record. The larger sizes may have been worn by girls.
Boys in 1910 wore a variety of shirt-like garments. We note primarily shirts, shirt-waists, and blouses. Blouses were still very common for boys, including younger teens. By blouses we mean shirt-like garments without tails that bloused at the waist using a drawstring. We also have a Ladies Home Journal illustration for younger boys' blouses. We do not have the ad copy, but believe the magazine is offering patterns for these blouses. Both detachable and attached collars were worn. Stern Brothers was an important retailer in the eraly-20th century. This 1910 page from the Stern Brothers' summer catalog show a range of garments and items, mostly for boys (figure 1). It primarily offers blouses, shirts, and collars, but a few other items such as rompers (for boys and girls) and overalls. The descriptions provide the age sizes. One term we do not understand is 'negligee' blouse and shirt. We are not sure how widely the term was used. A reader writes, "The negligee blouse refers to the material and was dressier (usually white and more delicate material) than other materials used in a blouse." We note what Stern Brothers' refers to a negligee blouse or shirt both with attached and detachable collars. Notice all the detachable collars which are unnamed. They attached to shirt waists and blouses to attach to blouses to size 14 1/2 which is easily a boy of 16 to 18 years old. At that time colors were not wash fast which means they were much more difficult to maintain and keep looking good so white was an easier color to keep fresh looking. Some colors were wash safe just not all. Stern alo mentions shirt coats. We are not sure just what thatbmeant, but it invoved the style and not the fabric. We note a wide range of collars, much more variety than modern collars. The two basic types were attached and detachable collars. There wre also different styles like Eton and Peter Pan collars, but many of the other collars do not seem to have had destinctive names.
We note a range of different boys knickers suits in the Sears 1910 catalog. All of the suits on the poage are knicker suits. Sears use the full term, knickerbockers. As knickers became more established, ctalohs would hyst say knickers. We do not have the full catalog and do not know of sraight-leg knee pants suits were also offered. We do not behin to see kniocker suits in Amerrica to any extent until about 1908 and they very bqyuckly reflace straught-leg knee pants. This is a good examole of what was happening. We have no idea why this change took place at the time. The knickers depicted look like full cuts. They were the Sears' Ucanttear brand, a trade nane intended to indicte that the they were sturdy and long wearing. We see both single- and double-breasted suits. They were done in many different patterns and wool fabrics. They are shown being worn with long stockings. Colors include black, blue, broiwn, and grey shades. The note both plain flat suits and fairly loud patterns. The ad copy mentions, 'full peg top knickerbockers'. We are not sure what that means. They were made to buckle at the knee. There were both belt loops and suspender buttons. Oruces eanged fom $3.50 - 6.25.
Children commonly wore long stockings. Younger children might wear socks in the summer.
A Sears catalog offers hose supporters. There is a Combination Belt and Supporter as well as Progress Suspender and Hose Supporter. This appears to be the ancestor of the suspender waist. We have found a newspaper ad for the Kern's Supporter Waist.
We also have a page from the Montgomery Ward catalog showing some of the different styles of footwear offered, referred to as shoes and slippers. Included was double-bar strap sandals, one of the earliest ads we have noted for these sandals.
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