Figure 1.--Here we have two short pants suit and a short pants sailor suit. The fact that only two of the Sears suits offered in this catalog were short pants suits suggests to us that boys more commonly wore long pants suits. The suits were made in sizes 3/4-8/9 years. |
Here we have two short pants suit and a short pants sailor suit. The fact that only two of the Sears suits offered in this catalog were short pants suits suggests to us that boys more commonly wore long pants suits. These were also suits offered offered by Sears for 1941 in the Boston catalog edition. Both suits were single-breasted suits and available in blue and green. The sailor suit was a blue double breasted. The age range was a little different than the other Sears suits. The suits were done in sizes 3/4-8/9 years. The sailor suit was done in sizes 3-8. The jackets were all done with cinched waists. The shorts are not cuffed. The prices ranged from $1.98-$2.98. The suits are called Rugby suits, I believe because they are short pants suits. The coonection is that short pants are worn for Rugby.
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.
Here we have two short pants suit and a short pants sailor suit. The fact that only two of the Sears suits offered in this catalog were short pants suits suggests to us that boys more commonly wore long pants suits. These were also suits offered offered by Sears for 1941 in the Boston catalog edition. Both suits were single-breasted suits and available in blue and green. The sailor suit was a blue double breasted. The age range was a little different than the other Sears suits. The suits were done in sizes 3/4-8/9 years. The sailor suit was done in sizes 3-8. The jackets were all done with cinched waists. The shorts are not cuffed. The prices ranged from $1.98-$2.98. The suits are called Rugby suits, I believe because they are short pants suits. The coonection is that short pants are worn for Rugby.
This Rugby short pant suit came with a tie and button-on shirt. The ad copy read, "Stylish greenish blue in rich Cassimere--or ever becoming Navy Blue Cheviot. Single breasted coat has 2 patch pockets, half belt back with pinches. Shorts are full lined for added comfort. White cotton broadcloth button-on blouse. Harmonizing tie." The suit was done in sizes 3-8 years. The Greenish-blue Herringbone was ?/5 wool, the rest real cotton came with a green tie. The Navy Blue Cheviot 1/2 wool the rest real cotton came with a scarlet tie. The suit cost $1.98.
Here Sears offered a dressy blue sailor suit. This is a suit younger boys might have worn to school. The styling traditional, but in fact is essential a double-breasted Eton jacket worn with a blouse that has a sailor styled collar. The Sears ad copy read, "A favorite style suit--in a new color that's taking the country by storm. Rich Teal Blue! [HBC note: Apparently teal was all the rage in 1941.] Fine quality all wool flannel coat and shorts. Dressy double-breasted colarless coat has zip chest pocket. Shorts are full lined. Button-on blouse of white cotton broadcloth--green sports collar has rows of white braid trim for vivid contrast." The sizes were 3-8 years. The price was $2.98.
Here is another short pants suit. This one for some reason was done in size 9 while the suit above only went to size 8. I'm not sure why the difference n sizing was made. The Sears ad copy reads, "Good quality flannel--1/2 wool, rel cotton. Dressy single breasted coat has 3 pockets, lined front facings, sports back with hlf-belt. Full lined shorts have fly front, 3 pockets, Lastes [HBC note: We are not sure what this means] waistband inserts for snug fit. Self belt. Button-on shirt of white cotton broadcloth. Harmonizing color tie." The suit was made in sizes 4-9 years in two colors, teal green and navy blue. We're not sure what the fifth piece was.
HBC speculated that Rugy suits might have been an American style, in much the same way that colarless Eton suits for small boys became. HBC has noted, however, references to Rugby suits in other countries. I have inquired with my English contributors and they have not heard of Rugby suits made for English boys. This requires some further investigation, however, as Rugby suits were being metioned in Australian advertisements at the turn of the 20th century. Based on the fact that the suits here are called Rugby suits meaning that they were short pants suits, Rugby being a sport played with short pants uniforms. Also the term helped to destinguish them as having regular suit jackets rather than lapelless Eton suits.
Rugby is another form of football. It is named after the English public (exclusive private) school) where some of the modern rules were developed. American football has evolved from Rugby. In many ways it is an anomaly. It became along with
cricket, the principal sports (games) played at public schools and of interest to upperclass English. This appears a contradiction in that the sport requires enormous physical strength, extensive physical contact, and played in the English autumn is an often muddy, filthy slog. The public schools in turn rejected football (soccer), an elegant game requiring more finess and with less physical contact. Football proceeded to become the game of choice of the working class and virtually the entire rest of the world, except America.
We believe that on the whole that Sears is a good reflection of what American chikldren were wearing. There are, however, social class conventions. Sears was a mass-market retailer and their cliemntel was largely middle-class and budget conscious blue-collar consumers. The fact that only a few short pnts suits were offered and only for boys up to age 8/9 years is prbably a good indication that by the early 1940s most boys were wearing long pants suits. We believe the situation was a little different for more affluent Americans. Boys from affluent families were pribably more likely to wear short pantscsuits and to an older age.
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