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Sears offered Polo shirts in its Spring-Summer 1931 catalogs. The design is little different from the modern Polo shirt, especially the collar. The shirt here looks more like a regular shirt with Rugby styling. Note the absence of the logo. These were the only short-sleeved shirts in the Spring-Summer catalog. These Polos were
also made for men in adult sizes.
The Sears, Roebuck and Co., huge merchandising firm centered in Chicago was founded by Richard W. Sears (1863-1914) and A.C. Roebuck (1864-1948). Sears had begun a career in mail-order business in Minnesota 1886. In Chicago he and Roebuck joined resources and formed a corporation in 1893 as a mail-order business under title Sears, Roebuck and Company. In 1895 Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) bought Roebuck's interest in firm and became president on Sears's retirement 1908. A retail-store system was added 1925. The first foreign store
added in Havana, Cuba during 1945 and becane the first expropriated store in 1960. The Sears-Roebuck brought the production of industry to the fartherest corner of rural America, opening the cornucopia of the consumer age to rural America. All the new things that were changing
American life danced across their pages. Through it, a huge
Chicago warehouse offers to modernize the farms and small towns of the Midwest.
These shirts were offered in the Sears Spring and Summer, 1931 catalog, p. 308.
Sears offered a boy's polo shirt, which is the identical style made for men. It was available in both cotton and rayon and in three colors (white, blue, and tan). The ad copy read, "Your Choice of 3 Smart Colors. Boys' Polo Shirt 69 c. and up Postpaid.
Cotton 69 c.
33E1761 White
33E1762 Blue
33E1763 Tan
Rayon 79 c.
33E1766 White
33E1767 Blue
33E1768 Tan
Even sizes only, 26 to 36. Order 2 inches larger than actual chest measure. Be sure to state size wanted. The most popular shirt for the outdoor American boy. These are of the same quality as the men's. Your choice of fine rayon jersey cloth or fine quality
cotton jersey cloth. Both have the short sleeve and regular shirt style collar. Expertly tailored.
A reader writes, "These are the only short-sleeved shirts available for boys in 1931. All the other shirts have long sleeves."
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