Figure 1.--Sears in a section marked "Our Finest" offered two double-breasted suits and a sports jacket and sklacks referred to as a sports suit. The two double-breasted jackets were cut similarly with wide lapels. These suits were all done in blue which is clearl the dominant color for boys. The long pants which look to have cuffs are full cut with a kind of baggy look. The suits were done in sizes 4-10 years. Note the illustrations with garment details. |
Sears in a section marked "Our Finest" offered two double-breasted suits and a sports jacket and sklacks referred to as a sports suit. The two double-breasted jackets were cut similarly with wide lapels. These suits were all done in blue which is clearl the dominant color for boys. The long pants which look to have cuffs are full cut with a kind of baggy look. The suits were done in sizes 4-10 years.
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 te 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.
We have noted Sears seasonal catalogs, usually Spring-Summer and Fall-Winter catalogs. This was a Boston regional catalog. We are unsure how common these regional catalogs wee and to what extent it affected the merchandise offered.
Sears in a section marked "Our Finest" offered two double-breasted suits and a sports jacket and sklacks referred to as a sports suit. The two double-breasted jackets were cut similarly with wide lapels. These suits were all done in blue which is clearl the dominant color for boys. The long pants which look to have cuffs are full cut with a kind of baggy look. It is difficult to tell, but the pants seem to have cuffs. The suits were done in sizes 4-10 years.
This suit was a classic blue suit. Before 1940 American boys wore a variety of suit colors and patterns. We note that by the 1940s that by the 1940s that blue had become increasingly popular for boys' suits and this continued throughout the rest of the 20th century. The Sears ad copy read, "Dress him in the best--our famous "DeLarse Boyville Jr." Finest in fabric--a firm textured all wool==Cassimere diagonal weave with colorful overplaid in Medium Dr Blue, a High quality tailoring details as shown at right, above (figure 1). Double breasted coat has 3 pockets. Tailored longies as sescribed above, right. Self-belt with buckle." Sizes were 4-10 years. The price was $5.95.
This suit had a very lous plaid. The cut seems comparavle to the suit at left. The Sears ad copy read, "Handsome Herringbone weave with overplaid in long wearing Cassimere, 2/5 wool , balance rayon and cotton "Boyville Jr. quality--woith all tailoring features shown above (figure 1). Double breasted coat has 3 pockets. Longies as described aboce. Self-belt, buckle." Sizes were 4-10 years. The price was $4.98.
Here rather we suit we see a sports jacket and slacks. It is the only sports jacket offered. The other outfits were all suits. The Seaes ad copy read, "'De Luxe Boyville Jr.' quality .. all tailoring features above (figure 1). Three-button sports coat--in a sporty teal blue herringbone weave Cassimere, 1/2 wool, real cotton. Longies are described above, in plain teal blue flannel, rayon. Self belt, buckle." Sizes were 4-10 years. The price was $5.45.
We are not sure about just when boys began to wear sports coats or jackets with slacks. Sears calls it a "sports suit". Cearly Sears was offering the style in 1941. Sears calls it "New!". We are not sure this style was not wrn to some extent in the 1930s. We have noted it being widely worn in the 1940s and was a standard in the 1950s.
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