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Filenes, a Boston area department store, offered a range of underwear for younger children. William Filene was a German Jewish immigrant from Posen, Prussia. He was one of a number of German Jewish immigrants that played a major role in American retailing. The primary method of advertising for city department stores was the local newspapers. This provides a wealth of information on popular styles. Major stores also issued catalogs. This page is from the summer 1940 catalog. Filene's offered a variety of undershirts (vests) and pants (panties) as well as union suits. Also included were light-weight summer pajamas. The page is headed, "Cute undies for cute youngsters". World War II had begun in Europe, but during 1940, American manufscturers were still using strategic materials for consumer goods.
William Filene was a German Jewish immigrant from Posen, Prussia. He was one of a number of German Jewish immigrants that played a major role in American retailing. Filene came to America during an era of revolution in Europe (1848). Although the revolutions were liberal revolutions as part of the complicated political turmoil was the stirring up of hostility toward Jews who stringly supported the liberal revolutionaries. We do not know precisely why Filene decided to emigrate. Filene after reaching Ameruca slowly opened a number of small retail shops in many different Boston locations. He founded Filene’s sons and Co. (1881). The company he founded was based on these different shops. The first headquarters and flagship store was located at Downtown Crossing, Boston. William's sons, Edward and Lincoln, are generally creditef with creating one of America's iconic department stores. It became not only Boston's largest department stores, but one of the largest in the country. The two sons assumed management of the store as their father became older (1891). They inherited the store upon their father’s died (1901).
Edward opened the automatic bargain annex or Filene's Basement (1908). This was a strategy to sell unsold full-price merchandise from the upstairs department store. He also created an inovative automatic mark-down schedule to reduce the price of merchandise that was not selling. This helped created Filene's image as a customer oriented store. A new flagship store was opened at the Corner of Washington and Summer Streets (1912).
The primary method of advertising for city department stores was the local newspapers. This provides a wealth of information on popular styles. Major stores also issued catalogs. This page is from the summer 1940 catalog.
Filene's offered a variety of undershirts (vests) and pants (panties) as well as union suits. Also included were light-weight summer pajamas. The page is headed, "Cute undies for cute youngsters". World War II had begun in Europe, but during 1940, American manufscturers were still using strategic materials for consumer goods.
The ad copy read, "Children's knit cotton Panties, yoke front, reinforced crotch; white 2, 4, 6, 8. 40c." Note the use of the term children which means for both boys and girls. We suspect, however, that by school age, mothers bought specifically boys' styles for their boys.
The ad copy read, "Children's knit cotton Vests, fine gauge 100% cotton; white only; sizes 2, 4, 6, 8. 40c." The term vest was commonly used to mean undershirt, especially the singlet style. We are not sure about the 19th century, but it was very commonly used in the early-20th century. Usage declined in popularity after Wotld War II when "T"-shirts became more popular, especially for boys.
The ad copy read, "ME-DO Union Suit, 100% combed cotton; also air-mesh knit; button shoulder, French leg; white; sizes 2 to 12. 79." ME-DO was a brand name. Gender is no indicated n the ad copy, but this union suit was for boys.
The ad copy read, "Girls' ME-DO Hr. Inion Suit; 100% combed cotton; for the little girl who still need pantie changes during the day; White only; sizes 2, 4, 6. 79c Separate Panties, 50c"
The ad copy read, "Girls' cotton Slip; lace-trimmed gathered ruffle; white only; sizes 2 to 6 years. 50c."
The ad copy read, "Girls' Pantie (to match 3359\05); yoke front, gathered lace-trimmed ruffle; sizes 2o 6, 39c."
The ad copy read, "ME-DO Summer Pajamas of cool, combed cotton air-mesh; splendid warm-weather pajama with famous patented ME-DO latex drop seat; pink, trimmed with blue; white, trimmed with pink or blue; sizes 2, 4, 6, 8. $1."
The ad copy read, "Girls' NE-DO Union Suit, lightweight, fine knit 100% combed cotton, or air mesh; sizes 2 to 12, 79c; 14 and 16, $1."
The ad copy read, "Boys' NE-DO Hr.: 100% combed cotton, for the little boy who still need (sic) pantie chnges during the day; white only; sizes 2, 3, 4, 6, , 79c. Separate Panties, 50c." Note that that they had Medo juniors which were button bottom to a vest under clothing to age 6 'for children who still need panty changes during the day'. This speaks to the issue concerning buttons and clothing making younger children more prone to wetting their clothes. Even by 1940 this was still an issue.
The ad copy read, "Girls' Pantie, rayon and silkcrepe; yoke front, lace trim; pink or white; sizes 2 to n6. 75c." Note the use of silk and rayon. Rayon was also known as "viscose rayon" and "art silk" in the textile industry because it has a high lustre quality and as a result could be substituted for silk. World War II in 1940 was underway in Europe, but America was not yet involved. Japan was still exporting silk to the United States. Both fabrics became strategic materials, although the Army finally settled on nylon for its parachutes. Germany in its Western offensive (May-June 1940) and introduced parachuttests to warfare. America when it enered the War (December 1941) rushed to organize parachute units who would play a major role in the War.
The ad copy read, "Rayon and silk Slip, gathered lace-trimmed ruffle; pink or white; sizes 2, 4, 6, $1.15."
The ad copy read, "Cotton Pantie for very little girls, yoke front, trimmed with dainty lace abd insertion; white only; sizes 1, 2, 3. 39c."
The ad copy read, "Toddlers' Cotton Slip, gathered ruffle trimmed with lace and insertion; white only; sizes 1, 2, 3. 60c."
Some of the items are the ME-DO" brand, but we have been unavke to find any information about the manufacturwr. It sounds like a manufacturer specializing in clothing for younger children.
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