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Sailor suits were still worn by American boys in the 1920s. They were most popular for younger boys. We notice Ward's sailor suits offered in the Fall and Winter catalog (1924-25), p. 293. They were button-on short pants suits for boys 3 to 8 years old.
Although the word "consumerism" has a modern ring, it was personal concern for an early consumer movement, the "National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry," That inspired a young traveling salesman named Aaron Montgomery Ward to start the world's first general merchandise mail-order company in 1872. Aaron Montgomery Ward was born on February 17, 1844, in Chatham, New Jersey, to a family whose forebears had served as officers in the French and Indian Wars as well as in the American Revolution. Looking for something more compatible, Monty left home and followed the river to Lake Michigan and the town of St. Joseph, county seat and market for outlying fruit orchards. Chicago was the center of the wholesale dry goods trade and in the 1860s Ward joined the leading dry goods house, Field Palmer & Leiter. As a retailer, Potter Palmer had previously built a reputation for fair dealing. Ward absorbed these principles while working as a clerk for $5. The Chicago City Directories for 1868 through 1870 listed Ward as a salesman for Wills, Greg & Co. and later for Stetthauers & Wineman, both dry goods houses. In 1870, after canvassing territory in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Ward was again footloose. The plan shaping in Ward's mind was to buy goods at low cost for cash. By eliminating intermediaries, with their markups and commissions, and cutting selling costs to the bone, he could offer goods to people, however remote, at appealing prices - for cash.
This advertisement for boys' sailor suits was from Ward's Fall and Winter catalog (1924-25), p. 293. This is a button-on short pants outfit for boys from 3 to 8 years old. It is in a checked pattern. Notice the chevron on the left sleeve, also the striped dickey which matches the striped collar. There is a patch breast pocket also. The ad refers to this suit as a "Balkan style Oliver Twist suit." Oliver Twist suits were suits usually done in the button-on tyle for younger boys. Actually Balkan style used with Oliver Twist sounds rather strange, like saying Cowboy syle David Cooperfield suits. In this connection, we have no idea what Balkan-style means. In fact the sailor suit looks to us to have very traditional styling. We wonder why Balkan-styling had consumer appeal in 1924. A reader writes, "I think 'Balkan-style' refers to how the blouse buttons to the trousers with the wide hem."
The ad copy read, "All Wool and Silk Cassimere. $2.95. Unusual Boy's Suit Bargain. We worked for months to be able to offer you the best possible Balkan style Oliver Twist
suit at this low price. Made of Blue firmly woven All Wool and silk cassimere. The model is very dressy with fancy silk emblem on sleeve and all wool jersey collar and cuffs with silk braid trimming. If you could only see these fine suits you would buy one of each color. Excellent workmanship.
Full lined pants.
SIZES 3 to 8 years. State size wanted
40 N 3617 Medium Checked Brown
40 N 3641 Bluish Gray with Tan Check
Price $2.95. Postage 8 c extra."
The boy model apparently wears ribbed tan long stockings (rather than black), and high over-the-ankle shoes.
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