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Lane Bryant really existed. She was a Lthuanian immigrnt who worked in a sweatshop. At the time Lithunia was part of Russia. (Many Balts and Poles were classified as Russian immigrants. The stores were different in the 1930s than the modern stores, it was a store for women inclding maternity clothing and clothing for younger children. Her company had retail outlets as well as an important catalog trade. Here is a page from the 1936 catalog offering There are sailor outfits for boys 2-10 years old. The short pants styles were only available in two of the different styles. We are not entirely sure why. None of the styles were offered with knickers. The sailor suit was originated by the Royal family in Britain as a ratings (enlisted) uniform for boys. It was a way of conncting the Royal family with the Britsh public. (This and the Royal family stying in London during the Blitz are two resons Britain is still a monarchy.) Notice here we have what are called admiral suits, a different image from the enlisted image of the early sailor suits. There are quite a few styles offered here, but only the two sailor blouse styles do we find to any extent in the photographic record.
Lane Bryant tody is a chain store focusing on fashion for larger size women. The store began with a focus on maternity clothes. The founder was Lena Himmelstein Bryant Malsin (1879?-1951), a Jewish n immigrant from Lithuania--at the time a Tsarist Russian province. Lane Bryant is the accidental Americanized version of her name which was used for the chain of stores she founded. was an U.S. clothing designer and retailer who founded the maternity clothing chain Lane Bryant. She was born in Lithuania, but raised by her grandparents. She immigrated to America at age 16, the cheapest way possible--in steerage. It was planned that she marry a distant relative, but instead found a job in a swearshop like many immigrant girls at the time. She earned $1 a week at a sweat shop on Lispenard Street. She married a jeweler, David Bryant,about 1899. She worked with him in his modest Brooklyn store. Their first child Raphael was born soonafter (1900). Tragically her husband died 6 months after Raphael arrived. She was left with nothing. She was taken in by her sister Anna who had a small apartment on West 112th Street. Rather than return to the sweatshops, she decided to use her talents to make high-end garments. She began making negligees and tea gowns using delicate laces and fine silks to well-to-do customers. From that simple beginning grew one of the major American retail clothing chains. The company trned to catalogs in part because newspapers would not accept adds for maternity clothes. The catalogs offered women's clothing along with clothing for younger children.
Lane Bryant offered eight differnt sailor suits and two cap styles. There are quite a few styles offered here, but only the two sailor blouse styles do we find to any extent in the photographic record. The ad copy read, "A twenty-one gun salute to the good ship Lane Bryant! We've met the cry for sailor suits by launching our Sailor, Jr. Department. Here you ill find every kind of uniform from gob's [enlisted sailor] to Admirals -- each one so relaistic that even an "old salt" would be hard put to tell the difference! Practical suits for any occassion -- from everyday romping to "Sunday best." Of sturdy, Fast color materials, easy to wash -- and hard to wear out!". Here is a page from the 1936 catalog offering There are sailor outfits for boys 2-10 years old. Only two of the different outfits were done with short pants. None of the styles were offered with knickers. The sailor suit was originated by the Royal family in Britain as a ratings (enlisted) uniform for boys. It was a way of conncting the Royal family with the Britsh public. (This and the Royal family stying in London during the Blitz are two resons Britain is still a monarchy.) Notice here we have what are called admiral suits, a different image from the enlisted image of the early sailor suits. There are quite a few styles offered here, but only the two sailor blouse styles do we find to any extent in the photographic record.
9 K 240 -- We would desribe this suit was alouse suit, but Lane Bryant just calls it a sailor suit. It is the style cloest to an enlisted saiolor. Notice it isorn with an enlisted sailor cap. Lane Bryant calls it a gob cap, a term that disappeared during World war II. They are better known today as a Swabbie cap. The ad copy read, "Two-pieve Sailor Suit: the long drop-front Pants button onto Blouse, which has white band trim and removable dickey. Emblem embroidered on the breast pocket. Whistle on cord. Sizes: 3 ton8 years. State color. Larger view: Off fast-color Linene. [Linene is probanly a low cost linn-like fabric made from cotton.] Color: Navy with white. Small vuew: Fast-color Cotton Jean Cloth. olor: White ith Copen blue (showm. Our price $1.39. Postage 5 cents extra."
9 K 2185 -- Notice the term 'Admiral Suit." We do not understand why this was called an admiral suit. Bitice wgat is called a 'mess jacket'. No admiral wore a suit anything like this. Notice the paked cap rather than the gob/swabbie cap. The only reason we can see for this being called an admiral syuit isthe boy is not waring a traditional styled V-front blouse like Suit A. The ad copy read, " An honest-to-goodness Three-piece Admiral Suit {with the extra pants making four pieces). Mess Jacket and Pants are of Fast-color, Blue. Imported Linen; sleeveless Blouse and extrapants are of fine White Cotton Jean Cloth. White, emblem-emboidered lapels on jacket; detchvl dickey on blouse. SIZES: 2, 3. 4. 5,6, 7, 8 yers. Three-piece Suit with extra pnts. Postage 6 cents extra. $2.98.
9 K 282 -- The ad copy red, "A dressy Three-piece Admiral suit! White Cotton Jean Pants button to short-sleeved Broadcloth Blouse. The Jacket trimmed wih gold-color braid has two deep pockets. Navy tie. SIZES: 3 to 9 years. State color. Large view: Navy blue Gabardine Jacket. Fast-color open blue Briloth Blouse; Pants of White Cotton Jean. Small view: All-White Cotton Jean Cloth with White Broadcloth Blouse. Postage 6 cents extra, Our price $.98."
9 K 236 -- The ad copy read, "Any youthful advnturer will be thrilled by this Three-piece Admiral Suit of Cotton Jean Cloth. Mess Jacket had fast-color braid and shiny brass buttons. Pants button onto sleeveless Blouse (small view) which has emblem on removable dickey. Color: White with blue trim (as shown). SIZES: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 yrs. Postage 6 cents extra. $1.59."
9 K 280 -- This suit is similar to Suit A only with short pants. Their is a self-belt. This an Suit A or the only ones in keeping with the original concept of an emlisted (ratings) sailor outfit for boys. The ad copy read, "Two-piece Sailor Suit of Fast-color Linene. [We do not think this was linen, in part because of the price. More likely it is linen-like cotton frabic.] Collar, sleeveless and removable dickey of Blouse have white banding; emblem is embroudered on breast pocket. Button-on short pants have self-fabric belt buckle. Whistle on cord. COLOR: Navy with white (shown). SIZES: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. 10years. Postage 4 cents extra. $1.29.
9 K 281 -- The ad copy read, "Let him "play sailor" in this Three-piece Sailor Suit. Fast-color Poplin Pants and Mess Jacket. Jacket has a loop closing with two brass buttons. Pants button to the sleeveless, front buttoned, Broadcloth Blouse which has red-and-white brad on collar. COLOR: White with navy (shown). Sizes: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, yrs. Postage 4 cents extra. $1.29."
9 K 2222 -- The ad copy read, "Aye aye, Sir! This Three-piece Sailor Suit of Fast-color Lin ene is the thing! The pants are solid color, as is the short-sleeved, button-trimmed Mess Jacket, which has white banding on its colar. Striped sleeveless Blouse band trimmed in solid color (smll view). COLOR: Blue with white (shown). SIZES: 2 to 6 yrs. Postage 5 cents extra. $1.79."
9 K 4010 -- Lane Bryant calls this a gob hat, it became known as the swabbiie cap. The ad copies read, "Popular 'Gob' Hat of a washable White Piqué, Lined. A turned up, stitched brimand a sectional crown. So attractive Sister will want one, too. HEADSIZES: 18 to 21 inches. Postage 2 cents extra. Price ... $0.25."
9 K 490 -- Lane Bryant calls this an admiral cap. In HBC we have referred to them as a commodore caps. The ad copy read, " An Admiral Cap of washable White Cotton Jean Cloth -- with gold colored braid, netal byttons and emblem, and a black visor. Sizes: 6 1/18, 6 1/4, 6 1/2, 6 3/4, 67/8, 7. Posage 2 cents extra. Our low prce .. $0.49."
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