Figure 1.--"Parents Magazine" in he 1920s had a regular department for patterns of children's clothes. Various types of clothing were illustrated in drawings, and the reader could order the appropriate pattern by number by writing to the magazine editor. The magazine offered this reefer coat and Eton suit in 1927 |
Parents Magazine in he 1920s had a regular department for patterns of children's clothes. Various types of clothing were illustrated in drawings, and the reader could order the appropriate pattern by number by writing to the magazine editor. In the 1920s many mothers were expert seamstresses and could make their children's clothing at home on a sewing machine. Here are two
interesting styles for which patterns were available.
Nazareth often advertized in magazines like Parents magazine. This was a popular, wide circulation magazine. The adveruzements in the magazine were targetted to parents with
young children. There were a lot of advertisements for children's clothing, especially underwear. These illustrations for patterns appeared in Parents Magazine, October, 1927, p. 38, and show what puport to have been popular styles at the time.
Here are two suits styles offered as patterns by Parents Magazine.
Parent's Magazine offered a pattern for a boy's double-breasted Reefer Coat; convertible collar. Designed for ages 8, 10, 12, and 14 years. Notice the Norfolk styling and the neat collar and tie worn underneath. The boy wears a cap with a bill, above-the-knee knickers, patterned knee socks with cuffs, and oxford shoes."
Parent's Magazine pffered a pattern for a boy's single-breasted two-piece suit; side-closing short trousers.
Designed for ages 4, 6, 8, and 10 years. Notice the matching peaked cap and the interestingly patterned knee socks--also the shoes with rather extravagant bow laces.
Presumably these were popular styles--or perhaps styles that the pattern designers hoped would become popular in 1927. The actual Parent's patterns were for the reefer coat and Eton suit. The illustration, however, depicted many other styles, some of which seem rather unreasonable. The older boy's flat cap was quite common in the 1920s. The Norfolk-style was still popular, but declining. We noted boys wearing above-the-knee knickers with kneesocks in the early 1920s, but no longer see them to any extent after the mid-1920s. The younger boy's peaked cap was worn in the 1920s as were Eton suits, but they were conservative styles more common for well-to-do families. I wonder how many mothers from such conservative families sewed. We do note note boys wearing Eton suits with patterened kneesocks. They usually wore solid collored kneesocks. Especially unrealistic for the 1920s was a boy wearing bows on his shoes.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing catalog/magazine pages:
[Return to the Main American mail order 1927 page]
[Main photo/publishing page]
[Store catalogs]
[Fashion magazines]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Girls]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossary]
[Satellite sites]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Sailor hats]
[Flat caps]
[Sailor suits]
[Buster Brown suits]
[Eton suits]
[Rompers]
[Knickers]
[Tunics]
[Smocks]
[Pinafores]
[Long stockings]
[Underwear]
[Sleepwear]