Figure 1.--This page offering a range of boys' hosiery appeared in Sears 1942-43 Fall and Winter catalog. Note the weide variety of styles offered.
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Figure 1.--This page offering a range of boys' hosiery appeared in Sears 1942-43 Fall and Winter catalog. Note the weide variety of styles offered. |
Sears offered a range of hosiery for boys in 1942. They highlighted their Boyville store brand. Note the variety of boys' socks shown here--both ankle length and knee length (the latter to be worn with both knickers and short pants) These are referred to as "dress socks" and were obviously an alternative to long stockings which were also featured prominently in the same catalog. This is the Sears Fall and Winter Catalog for 1942-43, p. 296.
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.
Sears offered a range of hosiery for boys in 1942. They highlighted their Boyville store brand. Note the variety of boys' socks shown here--both ankle length and knee length (the latter to be worn with both knickers and short pants). This page is interesting because it is at a point that American conventions toward short, knicker, and long pants were changing and this affected the popularity of different hosiery types. As a general matter, we think Sears catalogs are a good reflection of popular tastes. Also the relative prominence and number of style selection is also a useful indicator.
Several syles are referred to as "dress socks" and were obviously an alternative to long stockings which were also featured prominently in the same catalog. This is the Sears Fall and Winter Catalog for 1942-43, p. 296. The ad copy read, "Boyville Dress Socks in the styles and patterns that boys prefer." The increasing prominance of ankle socks is notable and reflects in art the decling popularity of knickers in the early 1940s. The sizes are hosiery sizes 8-11.
The Sears ad copy read, "Low priced . . .gay cotton blazers 15 c. Pr.; 3 prs. 43 c. Unusual value in bright colored short socks. Good quality cotton yarns that will give both comfort and wear. Neat ribbed knit effect from top to toe. Snug-fitting ribbed top. Shpg wt., pair, 3 oz. Predominating colors: blue, brown. Sizes: 8, 9, 10, 11. State size wanted.
43 D 6816--Pr. 15 c.; 3 prs. 43 c."
The Sears ad copy read, "Smart crew sock . . . it's longer. 20 c. Pr.; 3 prs. 58 c. Here's a good-looking plain color sock with a deep snug-fitting rib knit top. Made of firm cotton yarns, with reinforced cotten heels and toes. Flat knit foot gives more comfort. Shipping weight, pair, 3 oz. Colors: blue, brown, green. Sizes: 8, 9, 10, 11. State size wanted.
43 D 6815--Pr. 20 c.; 3 prs. 58 c."
The Sears ad copy, "Sporty short Argyles. 4-ply cotton yarns. 29 c. Pr.
Let your slacks creep up and show these snappy socks. A big favorite of high-schoolers. The colors are clear and long-lasting. Rib tops. 4-ply mercerized cotton heels, toes. Shpg wt., pair, 4 oz. Colors: brown, maroon, navy. Sizes: 8, 8 1/2, 9, 9 1/2, 10, 10 1/2, 11. State size and color.
43 D 6811--Pr. 29 c.' 3 prs. 85 c.
The Sears ad copy read, "Bright blazer-top . . . all soft cotton. 22 c. Pr.; 3 pars. 64 c. A sure pleaser with boys who like 'em loud. Clear, sharp colors that pep up slacks or sports togs. Firmly knit of combed cotton . . . the kind that's softer and stronger than ordinary cotton. Rib knit blazer top, plain foot. Shipping weight pair, 3 ounces. Colors: blue, brown, green. Sizes: 8, 9, 10, 11. State size and color wanted on your order. 43 D 6814 -- Pair 22 c.; 3 pairs 64 c."
I am not familiar with boot socks. I do not recall them as a boy in the lte 1940s. I assume that these are special socks to be worn with boots. They look longer than ankle socks, but shorter than kneesocks. I'm not sure if there were any other specific features to a boot sock. One difference apparently is that since these socks were to be covered by a boot, it was not considered necessary to do them in patterns. Quite a few boys probably wore boots, especially in the northern states during the Winter. The sizes are hosiery sizes 9-11 and not done in half sizes like the rest of the hosiery offered here.
The Sears ad copy read, "35% wool . . . ribbed legs. 37 c. Pr.; 3 prs. $1.09. 15% reprocessed wool, 20% reused wool, 35% cotton. Length, 14 inches. Shipping weight, pair, 5 oz. Colors: blue, gray. Sizes 9, 10. State size and color. 43 D 6955--Pr. 24 c.; 3 prs 70 c."
Sears offered three styles of kneesocks. Note that Sears offered three styles of kneesocks and four styles of abkle socks. This suggests to us that both were widely worn, but ankle socks were becoming more popular. This was, however, the Fall and Winter catalog when kneesocks would presumably be most in demand. Note that all the kneesocks are the turn-over-top style and done in patterns. There are no solid colored kneesocks offered. The sizes are hosiery sizes 8-11.
Here is more on Sears knee socks--referred to in the title
as "Children's below-knee stockings". These are for both boys and girls and appear in a different part of the Sears 1942-43 Fall and Winter catalog (p. 282B). The models photographed appear to be all girls, but the drawing at the right of the advertisement shows two boys (in short pants) and a girl wearing the socks. One interesting feature here is the three ways in which one style of these socks could be worn--(1) with the top turned down; (2) with the top turned down halfway; and (3) with the top worn straight up. The boys in the drawing wear their socks either turned completely down or straight up while the girl in the middle adopts the compromise (the top turned halfway down).
Seas offered some styles especially for younger boys. The Sears ad copy read, "Junior size Socks for the little fellows ... knit smaller throughout." These junior socks were for a somewhat different size range, hosiery sizes 7-9 or 9½. That youd be a full size lower and not the larger sizes. While the sizes are different, the styles seem quite similar to those made for the older boys.
The analysis of long stockings is complicated by the fact that the sizes specified in catalogs and advertisements have no relationship to the age of the child. We are no even sure that there were standard sizes among manufacturers. Some retailers provide customers corresponding shoe sizes. Others provide heighth information. This is further complicated because sizing standards have changed and are differnt from modern standards. Another complication is that there was a numbering system for smaller and larger children which appears to mean younger and older children. We have collected some of these size charts so that readers can assess the ages for which the stockings were made.
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