|
We are not sure when corduroy became popular for boys' clothes. During the 1920s and 30s they were widely used for boys' school knickers in America and Canada. These suits are obviously dressy and offered as a Christmas specialty but at the same time suitable for school and play. Notice that the suits are made in Norfolk styling and have above-the-knee knickers. You can tell this by the way the blousing comes only to the knee and not below. The black long stockings also suggest above-the-knee style knickers. These suits are shown being worn with dress shirts and ties. The ad in the Ladies Home Journal was from a manufacturer of corduroy rather than suits. There is a suggestion that cprduroy was a new fabric in 1926. That was not the case, but corduroy did grow greatly in populsrity in America during the 1910s/20.
We still know relatively little about corduroy in America. We believe it was worn in the late 18th century, as the term corduroy was in use. Log roads were called corduroy roads because the logs looke like the ridges or ribbing (wales) in corduroy fabric. [Clyne] We have little information, however, about the actual use of corduroy fabric in America during the 18thb abd 19th centuries. Presumably the first corduroy material in America was imported from England. We do not note many children wearing corduroy clothes in the late 19th century in the many period photographic images we have examined. This may be because that corduroy was considered a fabric suitable for work clothes. Thus it was not a popualar fabric for children's clothes and not the dressy clothes that people would often wear for a formal portrait. The image of corduroy changed in the eealy 20th century. We know that corduroy was worn in the early 20th century. We are not sure just when corduroy became popular for boys' clothes. During the 1920s and 30s, corduroy was widely used for boys' school knickers. Corduroy was a popular fabric for children's clothes in America, especially boys' clothes, throuhout the first half of the 20th century. Quite a variety of children's' clothes were made in corduroy. We even note a cord sailor suit. The most common item was corduroy knickers that many boys wore to school in the 1920s and 30s. After World War II, hoswever, corduroy has generally lost out to competition with denim. In the early 21st century, it has vecome difficult to find boys pants in corduroy, except for toddler clothes. We do note women's pants made in cord. We also note that cord shirts comtinue to be popular.
As the oldest still publishing, most respected women's service magazine in the country, The Ladies' Home Journal has always focused on issues of crucial importance to millions of women. Since its first issue in December 1883. This long history make The Ladies Home Journal and invaluable source of information on American fashion trends. Its covered an incredibly wide range of topics beyond just fashion, from the latest medical research and consumer news to parenting know-how, workplace survival, good skincare, nutrition facts and much, much more. It was The Ladies Home Journal who sucessfully merged the elements and produced the right formula, becoming the top ladies magazine in America. The Ladies' Home Journal both empowered women and applauded their growing power. We also notice patterns offered in the magazine.
We note boys wearing corduroy suits in the late-19th century. Corduroy is a little easier to identify in old photograsphs than many other fabrics. Corduroy suits might have been worn earlier because the fabric was first made in the 18th century. Just when it became popular in America we are less sure. We have not yet found exampls from mid-century. Well made corduroy is very durable garment. We believe it was prinary seen as a fabric for working-class Americans. That certainly was the case in Europe. We suspect the same was true for America, although we do not have much documentation. This changed in the 20th century. Corduroy knickers were a standard school garment. We know cord knicker suits, some with Norfolk styling were being made in the 1910s. They were very popular for schoolwear. Corduroy knickers were almost universal in the 1910s-30s. We are not entirely sure about the colors. We know brown was popular. We are less sure about other colors. I think many were part of corduroy suits. Corduroy was popular for school because it was so hard wearing. We do not yet have a complete chronology. We note cord sport jackerts in the 1950s-70s. Here we note colors like brown and burgundy. A reader writes, "I remember wearing a maroon corduroy jacket about 1950. I believe I wore it with gray pants. As to corduroy knickers, I wish I had them instead of the coarse, itchy wool that I had to wear." Germany imported corduroy from England and called in Manchester Cloth. We are not sure to what extent corduroy was produced domestically in the United Stastes.
The Crompton Mill was located in Crompton, Rhode Island. Crompton is located in West Warwick. Large numbers of Irish immmigrants settled in Crompton during the mid-19th century. As a result the city is the location of the first Catholic Church in Rhode Island--St. Mary's Church. The Irish were drawn by jobs in the mill. After the Civil War the Irish were followed in the late-19th century by many Poles and smaller numbers of Swedes. The most important business in Crompton was Crompton Mill. It was part of the early industrial developnment of the United Staes. The Crompton Mill was built in 1807. The Crompton Mill was a substantial granite building. It is notable as the first mill to produce both velvet and corduroy in the United States, althoough we are not sure whe production began. As a result, Crompton for a time was called the Velvet Village. Crompton is located in West Warwick. The Crompton Mill was awarded a golden medal at the Pan American Expedition in Buffalo, New York for making the best velvet and corduroy (1901). Atvthe time more than 50 people worked in the mill. The mill was highly mechanized. There were 30-35 machines on each floor and 3-5 floors. The Crompton Mill was called the Stone Jug Mill, a name related to an ealier historical period. The Crompton Mill was the first textile plant in the United States to make the cordury and velvet. [Lauren, Katelyn, Debra, and Brian] We are noit sure when Crompton began advertising. We note ads in the 1910s. The ad here was placed in 1926 (figure 1). We note Crompton placing corduroy ads into the 1940s.
These suits are obviously dressy and offered as a Christmas specialty but at the same time suitable for school and play. They are a generic depiction. Crompton made the corduroy, not the suits. The idea here was to promote the use of corduroy. Notice that the suits are made in Norfolk styling and have above-the-knee knickers. You can tell this by the way the blousing comes only to the knee and not below. The black long stockings also suggest above-the-knee style knickers. These suits are shown being worn with dress shirts and ties. The ad stresses the
durability of corduroy for school and for play.
This ad for boys' corduroy suits appeared in the Ladies Home Journal (December, 1926).
Here's the text, "Dress your Boy in Corduroy. New Christmas Suits for Both the Boys [about 14 and 11 years?]. They're double-duty suits--just the thing for school, and yet so strong and durable that they can coast and skate,
slide and play to their heart's content. They're made of Crompton "All-Weather" Corduroy, the corduroy that's soft and comfortable, yet strong and--best of all--protected against water damage. Even after severe wetting, Crompton 'All-Weather" Corduroy will not stiffen, shrink, lose its shape or lose its color. Leading boys' clothing
stores now feature suits of Crompton 'All-Weather" Corduroy. Look for this trademark in the label--it means highest quality in boy suit cloth. Crompton-Richmond Company, Inc., 31 East 31st St., New York, N.Y."
Clyne, Patricia Edwards. The Corduroy Road.
Lauren, Katelyn, Debra, and Brian. "Crompton". This was a school research project by children in Crompton.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing catalog/magazine pages:
[Return to the Main American 1926 mail order]
[Return to the Main American 1920s mail order]
[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:
[Sailor suits]
[Sailor hats]
[Buster Brown suits]
[Eton suits]
[Rompers]
[Knickers]
[Short pants]
[Smocks]
[Pinafores]
[Long stockings]
[Knee socks]
[Underwear]
