Figure 1.-- Waists suits in 1941 were still commonly worn by American children. Some styles were worn by both boys and girls while othber styles were gender specific. Here are some of the waist suits offered by Wards.

Sears and Wards catalogs offered detailed information on on popular underwear styles. This is very helpful in understanding period dress and an impotant compliment to available portraits and snapshots showung outer clothes. Both Sears and Wards underwear included several different styles of short- and long-leg waist suits. We see both older and more modern looking styles. Waists suits were still commonly worn by American children. Some styles were worn by both boys and girls while othber styles were gender specific.

Sears Short-leg Waist Suits

As late as the early and mid-1940s, Sears was still advertising a wide variety of children's waist suits, worn by both boys and girls (sometims in different models for the two genders but not always). These suits were mostly union suits with both long and short legs (some also having short sleeves) that were designed not only as winter underwear but also with buttons for attaching outer clothing such as short pants and skirts and with garter tabs for attaching hose supporters so that long stockings could be worn without the use of a separate garter waist. (This is why they were called waist suits.) Most of these suits were meant for children between the ages of 2 and 12, but one model of waist union suit was advertised for boys and girls as old as 16, which shows that at least in a few cases boys as old as 16 still wore long stockings.

Sears Long-leg Waist Suits

As late as the early and mid-1940s, Sears was still advertising a wide variety of children's waist suits, worn by both boys and girls (sometims in different models for the two genders but not always). These suits were mostly union suits with both long and short legs (some also having short sleeves) that were designed not only as winter underwear but also with buttons for attaching outer clothing such as short pants and skirts and with garter tabs for attaching hose supporters so that long stockings could be worn without the use of a separate garter waist. (This is why they were called waist suits.) Most of these suits were meant for children between the ages of 2 and 12, but one model of waist union suit was advertised for boys and girls as old as 16, which suggests that at least in a few cases boys as old as 16 still wore long stockings.

Wards Waist Suits

Wards offered waist suits in their Fall and Winter, 1941-42 catalog. Waist union suits were still very widely sold for boys and girls from ages 2 to 12 because they functioned both as winter underwear (in short leg and ankle length models) and as waists to hold up long stockings and other outer clothing. Some obvious simplifications in the style and construction of this underwear are notable. One style, for instance, was made with a "Snap fronts" in lieu of the usual button fronts. This made it easier for children to close and open the suits. The snap closure apparently became popular on boys' underwear in the 1940s. We note an ad for "Gripper Fasteners" on boys' union suits about the same time.

Created: 12:32 AM 3/30/2006
Last updated: 12:32 AM 3/30/2006