New Kind of Boy's Suspender Waist: Pioneer Junior (1919)

Pioneer suspender waist
Figure 1.--This ad appeared in a magazine circulated to retailers of boys' clothing called 'The Boy's Outfitter' (1919, p 18) It was a trade magazine from which shops, department stores, and other retailers got ideas for stocking their shelves. It is therefore a pretty good guide to what children (in this case boys) were wearing in 1919, when the issue from which this ad was taken was published. During the 1910s and 1920s a variety of support garments for boys in knee trousers, short pants, or above-the-knee knickers were being purchased.

This ad appeared in a magazine circulated to retailers of boys' clothing called The Boy's Outfitter (1919, p 18) It advertized a new kind of suspender waist--The Pioneer Junior. It was a trade magazine from which shops, department stores, and other retailers got ideas for stocking their shelves. The Boy's Outfitter is a pretty good guide to what children (in this case boys) were wearing in 1919, when the issue from which this ad was taken was published. During the 1910s and 1920s a variety of support garments for boys in knee trousers, short pants, or above-the-knee knickers were being purchased. We have already noted the most popular of the suspender waists, the "Kazoo" which apparently sold very widely, judging from the large number of advertisements that appeared in newspapers and magazines of the time. The Pioneer Suspender-Garter or "Suspender Junior" seems to have been less popular, but it was manufactured by a prominent company that specialized in men's belts, suspenders, and garters and was therefore very well known. Pioneer was a reconizable brand name.

Boys Outfitter

This ad appeared in a magazine circulated to retailers of boys' clothing called The Boy's Outfitter (1919, p 18) It advertized a new kind of suspender waist--The Pioneer Junior. It was a trade magazine from which shops, department stores, and other retailers got ideas for stocking their shelves. The Boy's Outfitter is a pretty good guide to what children (in this case boys) were wearing in 1919, when the issue from which this ad was taken was published. These ads also appear in mass circulation magazine for consumners, incouraging mothers tgo ask for the hose suspenders by brand name. There were quite a few different types and brand names. .

Support Garments

During the 1900s-20s a variety of support garments for boys in knee trousers, short pants, or above-the-knee knickers were being purchased. American children at the time, both boys and girls, commonly wore long stockings. This was a continuation of 19th century trends. And support garments were needed to hold up the stockings. Drooping stokings look slovely. American companies developed ll sort of support garments. Long stovkings were wirn in irope, but this varied from country to country. Support garments were availvle in Europe, but many parents ised Ad hoc approches.

Suspender Waists

Suspender waists were a support garment to hold up other garments. So-called “suspender waists” were invented at the turn of the 20th century and were popular mainly with boys who wore knee pants and needed a way of supporting their long stockings—almost always black. Although some models of the suspender waist (such as Kazoo) were manufactured in styles that could be worn also by girls, the main wearers of these waists were boys. They were called “suspender waists” because they combined trousers suspenders with hose supporters and had leather suspender attachments for holding up knee pants in addition to hose supporters for long stockings. The style did not last very long and was most popular during the 1910s. N.B. Suspender waists are not to be confused with the older style of garter waists (such as the Dr. Parker waist) which also had suspender-like straps over the shoulders, a waist belt (sometimes with waist buttons for outer clothing), and hose supporters. With true suspender waists only the garter part of the waist can be classified as underwear because the shoulder straps would be visible (like ordinary modern suspenders) on top of a shirt. A good example is a 1918 ad for Kazoo suspender waists. The 1918 ad shows a boy actually wearing the suspender waist, and we also see his younger sisters wearing a different version made for girls. A 1919 ad for Kazoo suspender waists gives a diagram illustrating how the suspenders actually attach to the trousers and illustrates in addition what the masculine appeal of the Kazoo was for boys who might still be forced by their mothers to wear the younger boy's standard underwaists. Another brand was the Sampson suspender waist.

Brand Nmes

We have already noted the most popular of the suspender waists, the "Kazoo" which apparently sold very widely, judging from the large number of advertisements that appeared in newspapers and magazines of the time. The Pioneer Suspender-Garter or "Suspender Junior" seems to have been less popular, but it was manufactured by a prominent company that specialized in men's belts, suspenders, and garters and was therefore very well known. Pioneer was a reconizable brand name.

Features

The Pioneer Suspender-Garter differs somewhat from the Kazoo Suspender Waist in design and is unusual in having four individual hose supporters (two in front and two in the rear) rather than the standard double pendant Y-shaped supporters that are almost universal on other such American garments. In this respect it resemble the standard German Strapsleibchen, which also featured four hose supporters as a rule. But it is like the Kazoo in having trousers suspenders that are actually exposed and are worn (like adult suspenders) over the boy's shirt. Another unusual feature is that the supporters are non-elastic unlike almost all other hose supporters. The element of stretch which is necessary to hold up long stockings tautly is entirely located in the shoulder suspenders (which are elastic). As the ad implies, having tape supporters that aren't made of elastic increases their durability (there are no rubber threads in the webbing to wear out by constant stretching and contracting), so the garters never have to be replaced. The diagram shows how the waist is worn (with the suspenders visible and the supporters for stockings hidden under the trousers). The garment is called the "Pioneer Junior"--an appeal to boys whose fathers wore the well-known Pioneer suspenders on a regular basis.

Ad Text

Here is the ad transcribed: "Build Up Your Boys' Department. Carry in it Pioneer Junior, the best Suspender-Garter for Boys on the market. Pioneer Junior is scientific, hygienic, perfectly comfortable and will stand an enormous amount of wear. Pioneer Junior sells on sight. No boy who has worn one will ever be satisfied with any other. Here's Why Pioneer Junior is Selling BIG: 1. Notice the extension back feature which avoids the shoulder blades and insures comfort--no binding. 2. No band around the waist, insuring perfect ease around the abdomen. Stocking Supporters are non-elastic, holding stockings smoothly, and are indestructible. Shoulder Straps of extra quality elastic. 3. All metal parts absolutely rust-proof. No exposed metal on inner surface. 4.Six flexible buttons, are easy to button, and to provide complete support for trousers. Suspenders need not be unbuttoned when undressing. They simply slip from the shoulders. We have never risked our reputation on anything but a winner: Pioneer Suspenders, Brighton Garters and Pioneer Belts. We will send to any responsible dealer a sample pair of Pioneer Junior. Write us, specifying size wanted. [Normal sizes for boys' suspender waists were from about 4 years old to 16 years, although Kazoo came in sizes up to 18 and even 20.] This offer will be good only for a limited time. Pioneer Suspender Company, Philadelphia, Makers of Pioneer Suspenders, Pioneers Belts and Pioneer Brighton Garters."








HBC






Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing catalog/magazine pages:
[Return to the 1919 suspension garment ads]
[Return to the Main American 1919 catalog page]
[Return to the Main American mail order 1910s 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] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]



Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Flat caps] [Sailor hats] [Buster Brown suits] [Sailor suits] [Eton suits]
[Rompers] [Tunics] [Smocks] [Pinafores] [Knee pants] [Knickers] [Long stockings] [Support garments] [Underwear]





Created: 9:48 PM 2/2/2013
Last updated: 6:55 PM 2/3/2013