*** American mail order catalogs with boys clothes -- 1911








American Mail Order Catalogs with Boys Clothings: 1911

wash suits
Figure 1.-- Tunic suits were still very popular. They were mostly worn by todlers and pre-school children. We see boys up to about 8 years old wearing them, but generally not to school. We see some examples in the Franklin Simon Spring-Summer catalog. They were wash/washable suits done in various stules including Russian blouse and sailor styles. FS refers to tunics as Russian Suits. There are outfits for boys in sizes 2-8 years. Notice that almost all the outfits were done with bloomer knickers. We see more of these wash suits (figure 1). Notice how poopular tunic were for younger boys. A factor to be consudered here us that FS had a some what more well-to-do cletelle than many of the New York department stores.

We have Little information on 1911 catalogs at this time. Boys still commonly wore suits. Norfolk styling was still very popular. We note an ad from A. Shuman & Co. Suits of Boston with an illustration of a Norfolk suit. Boys commonly wore knee pants and knickers. Long stockings were very widely worn by both boys and girls. We note button-on long stockings in 1911. They were not common. Most boys wore various types of stocking supporters to hold up their long stockings. We do note advertisements for Velvet Grip hose supporters in 1911 issues of "The Youth's Companion", a children's periodical. We note Sears shoes in their 1911 catalog. Many styles were made in mens' and boys' sizes. There were both high-top and low-cut styles. One of the most prominent items advertised in the Ladies' Home Journal for the years 1911 and 1912 were three different competing types of suspender waists and hose supporters for boys. All three variations appear repeatedly in successive copies of the magazine, and it is clear that the manufacturers were trying to convince mothers to buy them for their sons--especially their teenage sons. We think the reason for this new specificity about suspender waists in 1911-12 is that these garments were a relatively new invention at the time--a genunine innovation in boys' wear--and the three competing firms were trying to corner the market on garments that were just beginning to catch on and that were much more popular with boys than the conventional underwaists, skeleton waists, and pin-on supporters that had dominated the market theretofore. In earlier years boys wore pretty much the same kind of support garment. Chalmers of Amersterdam, New York made Porosknit fabric, a porous cotton knitted material for men's and boys' underwear that allowed perspiration to evaporate through its mesh-like construction.

Headwear

We don't see much in the way of headwear in advertising. The dominant headwear for boys througout the 10s and 20s was flat caps, commonly associated with knickers. Thus is very prevalent in the pohotographic record. Younger boys migh wear sailor caps, at least middle-class boys. The broad-brimmed sailor hat for boys was decling in popularity, but we begin to see shome hats with the brim cocked up. We see some of those in the Franklin Simon (FS) Spring-Summer catalog, not for sale but along with th illustrations for other garments. Most school-age boys, however, wore flat caps which are also illustrated in the FS catalog.

Skirted Garments

Younger boys wore skirted garmets for centuruies. Ths convention declinned in the late-19th century. By the 1910s it had largely disappeared. The sole exception was the tunic suit done in various styles. Tunic suits were were particularly popular as wash suits for summer wear (figure 1). They were worn by pre-school boys and younger primary boys. They were only worn by boys. We see them during both the 1900s and 10s in the photograohic record, but not so much as schoolwear.

Toddler Clothes

Todlers migh wear rompers. We notice wash suits worn by both todlers and younger school age boys. Tunic suits were still very popular. They were mostly worn by todlers and pre-school children. We see boys up to about 8 years old wearing them, but generally not to school. We see some examples in the Franklin Simon, an important New York departmnt store, which had a well-illustrated Spring-Summer catalog. They were wash/washable suits done in various stules including Russian blouse and sailor styles. FS refers to tunics as Russian Suits. There are outfits for boys in sizes 2-8 years. Notice that almost all the outfits were done with bloomer knickers. We see more of these wash suits (figure 1). Notice how popular tunic were for younger boys. A factor to be considered here is that FS had a some what more well-to-do clientelle than many of the New York department stores. For some reason FS does not separate the styles for tunic/Russian suits and bloomer knickers, but mixes them up on several pages in their catalog. The page here is a good example.

Blouses and Shirts


Sailor Suits

We see both tunic suits with sailor styling and sailor suits with both knickers and long pants in 1911. We see both sailor tunics and sailor suits in the Franklin Simon Spring-Summer catalog (figure 1). Here they are all depicted with bloomer knickers for both the younger and school-age boys. We see some of these styles here (figure 1). The sailor tunics were for boys up to about 8 years old, although we see mostly younger boys wearing them. We these suits being done for boys up to 12 years of age. Except in England, it was more common for European boys this age to wear them. We see mostly younger boys wearing them in the photographic record. We can assess that fairly effectively in 1910s school photography . Sailor styles seem more common with the girls. The sailor outfits, both the tunic and blouse suits were worn with the same bloomer knickers. Wedo see differences in hosiery and footwear. During the summer the younger boys might wear socks, commonly three-quarter socks. The older boys continued wearing long stockings. During the Winter even the younger boys wore long stockings. You can see this here (figure 1) and on other FS catalog pages.

Suits

We have some information on 1911 catalogs at this time. Boys still commonly wore suits. Norfolk styling was still very popular. And we see see noth single- and double-breasted suits. We note an ad from A. Shuman & Co. Suits of Boston with an illustration of a Norfolk suit. We also see suits offered by Franklin Simon, both Norfolk and double-breasted suits. Boys commonly wore kniclker suits in 1911, although some suits for younger boys were still done with knee pants. Knicker suits were done in sized up to 17 years, meaning for high school ages, but this began to decline as the decade prigressed. The knicker suits were worn with long stockings abd we still see high-top shoes in 1911, although low-cut shoes weree beginning to appear.

Pants

Boys commonly wore knee pants in the 1900s decade, but beginning in 1908 we begin to see a rapid change to knickers. Boys wearing tunic suits mostly wore bloomer knickers. As with the wash suits we also mostly eee bloomer knickers in 1911. We do not see any separate page offerings for pants/trouserrs in the FS catalog. But a few are featyred in the FS suiut oagfe. This was probably because boys so commonlyn wore suits, especilly boys from families in comfortable circumstances like the FS clietelle.

Coats

We note Franklin Simon offering coats for boys and teenagers o all ages except infants and very young boys. . The age range was 2 1/2 -17 years of age. The catralog page describes 'auto, rain, and top coats'. Top coats seems to mean overcoats. The reefers might be called jackets, but there are no light-weight jackets offered. The younger boys are seen with reefers, double-breasted coats, some with velvet trim collars. They are done wih various ptterns, includung a bod check. Thee are for ages 2 1/2-10-12 years. We alslso see rain coats, top cots, and duster (auto coat) for teengers up to 17 years. Auto coat reflect the open body cars of the time. The headwear is discussed in the 'Headwater' section. Again these coats and headwear look like garment that middle-class boys and teenagers and not working-class boys would wear. Notice a car is pictured in the illustration. The car was now becoming commnly pictured in advertising. The car was still a prestgious item. Henry Ford had created the bare bones Model-T, a car which workercould afford, but thuis only occurred in America. It is worth noeing that warm coats were very imprtant at the time because so much of the population lived in northern states.

Underwear

Chalmers of Amersterdam, New York made Porosknit fabric, a porous cotton knitted material for men's and boys' underwear that allowed perspiration to evaporate through its mesh-like construction.

Support Garments

Most American children in 191 except for the various youngest during the summer wore long stockings. Boys and girls wore various types of stocking supporters to hold up their long stockings. There wew many different types and brands. We note advertisements for Velvet Grip hose supporters in 1911 issues of "The Youth's Companion", a children's periodical. One of the most prominent items advertised in the Ladies' Home Journal for the years 1911 and 1912 were three different competing types of suspender waists and hose supporters for boys. All three variations appear repeatedly in successive copies of the magazine, and it is clear that the manufacturers were trying to convince mothers to buy them for their sons--especially their teenage sons. We think the reason for this new specificity about suspender waists in 1911-12 is that these garments were a relatively new invention at the time--a genunine innovation in boys' wear--and the three competing firms were trying to corner the market on garments that were just beginning to catch on and that were much more popular with boys than the conventional underwaists, skeleton waists, and pin-on supporters that had dominated the market theretofore. In earlier years boys wore pretty much the same kind of support garment. We find a Pearl Waist in an ad for waists printed in the Idaho Daily Statesman, Boise, Idaho (November 25, 1911, page 7). The store was George A. Anderson's, referred to as "Boise's Parcel Post Store" (apparently one could shop by mail here). In a general ad for knitted waists, the ad points out that "Knit waists are much nicer than the old-fashioned jeans waists; they are more comfortable and easier laundered."

Sleepwear


Hosiery

Children wore a wide range of socks and stockings. Long stockings were very common and worn with various types of stocking supporters. Long stockings were very widely worn by both boys and girls. We note button-on long stockings in 1911. They were not common. Here both seasinality and age were important. Wec see youger biys bwearinjg socks, but oklder boys even in the summerv wire long stickings. We see taht on the opages gor wash suts.

Shoes

Boys still wore mostly high-top shoes in the early-1910s, although low-cut oxfords were abailable. By the end of the decade chikden were wearing high-top shoes. Younger boys might wear strap shoes, often done up with bows in 1911 . We also note sandals. But by the end of the decade we ee mostly low-cut shoes. We note Sears shoes in their 1911 catalog. Many styles were made in mens' and boys' sizes. There were both high-top and low-cut styles.







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Created: 6:47 PM 7/13/2010
Last updated: 6:20 PM 1/20/2024