Figure 1.--The advertisements for Hickory Garments took several different tacts. Often they showed the children in underwear so the garter could be seen and stressed the ease of dressing and the strength of the garters. Here the illustration stresses how long stockings are worn for formality and an elegant look. The problem though is that if drawn correctly you can't see either the waist or the garter clasps. So the illustrator has drawn one girl with a rather high hem and unusually shot long stockings. It is very unlikely than any girl or boy would come to a party dressed like that, they would have been embarassed. But it was necessary to show off the Hickory products. This advertisement for Hickory Waists is from the the 'Galveston Daily News' for March 19, 1924, p. 5.

As long stockings were still commonly worn, we coninue to see advertisements for a range of support garmebts in 1924. Support garments were not only for long stockings, but this was the primry purpose. One particularly important item was the basic garter. This was an item to hold up long stockings which were still very commonly worn by both boys and girls. We also see other support garments like gater waists and underwaists. Several companies offered these garments. One of the most prominant brand was Hickory. We see Hickory support garments very heavily advertised in both national magazines and local newspapers. A good example is a Hickory garter waist which the company just refers to as a waist in a South Carolina newspaper. We see another Hickory waist ad in a Texas newspaper. We note elastic being sold for various garments, but the purpose was always support. A Nufashond elastic advertisement appeared in the Ladies Home Journal (July 1924). Elastic was more used in girls than boys clothing, but we find it in both. Elastic sold by itself was for home sewers. We note EZ Waists summer union suits. We also see a boy's "M" waist union suit manufactured by the Minneapolis Knitting Works, a major manufcturer of underwear. It appeared in Child Life. Support garnents were widely advertised in magazines. The style was especially popular during the earlier 1920s.

Hickory Garter Waist

We notice advertisements for a range of support garmebts in 1924. One particularly important item was the garter waistThis was an item to hold up pants and long stockings which were still very commonly worn by both boys and girls. One if the most popular brand was Hickory which also offered garters and other support garments. We see these Hickory support garments heavily advertised in both national magazines and local newspapers. In the advertisement for Hickory Waists (printed in the Charleston Gazette for April 10, 1924, p. 4). We suspect that the company placed this same ad in many newspapers around the country at this time. The Hickory Garter Waist is made of sturdy sateen material with enough body to support bloomers, underpants, shorts, or skirts. It has a bone button closure at the chest strap, two buttons in front for closure, and waist buttons at both sides and in the back. we have the image of a boy of about 8 or 9 years old blowing soap bubbles with his younger sister or brother (who is wearing bloomers with the Hickory waist). Both children are in their underwear, so we can see the boy wearing his white Hickory garter waist over his grey summer underwear (a sleeveless nainsook union suit). The appeal here is to the comfortable athletic design of the Hickory waist ("no uncomfortable poking up at the neck to show, when children wear this Hickory waist"). The approachere here is what advertisers often do is to deny the obvious.

Hickory Waist

The advertisements for Hickory Garments took several different tacts. Often they showed the children in underwear so the garter could be seen and stressed the ease of dressing and the strength of the garters. Somewhowlong stockings had gto be wirked into the ad and illustration. There were various reasons for wearing long stockings. Warmth was an important one, but long stockings were also wirn for firmality. Here the illustration stresses how long stockings are worn for formality and an elegant look. The problem though is that if drawn correctly you can't see either the waist or the garter clasps. The illustrator here has drawn one girl with a rather high hem and unusually shot long stockings (figure 1). Curiously the ad text and illustration have nothing to do wuth each other. It is very unlikely than any girl or boy would come to a parrt dressed like that. But it was necessary to show off the Hickory products. This advertisement for Hickory Waists is from the the Galveston Daily News for 19 March 1924, p. 5.

Nufashond Elastic

A Nufashond elastic advertisement appeared in the Ladies Home Journal (July 1924). Elastic was more used in girls than boys clothing, but we find it in both. Elastic sold by itself was for home sewers.

EZ Waists Summer Union Suits

This is a good illustration of summer waist union suits popularly advertised during the 1920s. These are summer waist suits made of light weight nainsook material. We see the boys' model at the top and the girls' at the bottom--the only difference being bloomers for the girls and straight legs for the boys. Both models have waist buttons for attachment of trousers, knickers, skirts. And both have reinforcement straps over the shoulder to support the tape loops at the sides (the garter tabs for attachment of hose supporters for long stockings). In 1924 children of both genders often wore long stockings, even in the summer months. This advertisement appeared in the Ladies Home Journal (July 1924).

"M" Waist Union Suit

We also see a boy's "M" waist union suit manufactured by the Minneapolis Knitting Works, a major manufcturer of underwear. It appeared in Child Life. Support garnents were widely advertised in magazines and this included mass circulatioon magazines, not jyst magazunes for parents. The style was especially popular during the earlier 1920s. The date on the back of the clipping is 1924, which seems exactly correct. Unfortunately there is no text, but I understand the main features of the M waist suit from studyiing other ads from the same period that have texts but no very detailed illustrations. The well-known "M" union suits and waists were a familiar brand. The manufacturer in Minneapolis played a kind of punning game with the logo M, which was not only the initial of the company but also described the pattern of reinforcement straps on these garments in a shape similar to the letter M. If you put the two sets of double straps on the boy's union suit a little closer together you get the image of an M.

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Created: 3:12 AM 2/28/2013
Last updated: 3:12 AM 2/28/2013