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American mail order catalogs offer a very useful time line on changing fashion trends. We have some undated material which appears to have been offerd in the 1950s, but we can not date it to any specific years. We often are able to date these ctalog items and advertisements, but we have fojund some undated items. We will archive those items here. One item was a pattern for toddlers that could be made into a girl's sailor dress or a boys' sailor suit. We also notice a newspaper advertisement for boys and girls shoes. Leather shoes were still the norm in the 1950s.
Sailor suits were out of style for school-age boys by the 1950s, but some younger boys still wore them. We have noted a simplicity pattern for todlers that could be used for both a girl's sailor dress and a boy's sailor suit in different styles.
This Simplicty child's sailor suit pattern was in a size 3. I'm not sure to just what size it was made. It includes pieces for middy, skirt, pants, vestee and tie. The pants pictured on the pattern jacket was for two boys' outfits with long pants. Perhaps Simplicity thought they might sell better. Often the cover illustrations on such patterns would show one with long and the other in short pants. In this case both boys' illustrations are for long pants in a rather formal blue suit and an informal red suit. Presumably the pattern had instructions for making both long and short pants. These garments could make sailor outfits for boys and girls. There are matching girl's skirted outfits. The pattern was complete with instructions and pattern pieces.
McCalls had patterns for boys' shirts. We note one such pattern No. 4138 depicting both short and long-sleeved shirts done in colorful patterns, meaning casual shirts. They were worn both tucked and not tucked into the waistband of the pants. The pattern is not dated, but looks like the 1950s to us.
McCalls offered patterns for boys suits which could also be done as sports jackets and slacks. The pants could be done as either short pants or long pants. The pattern is not dated. It looks like the late-1950s to us, but could easily be the early-60s. We also note short pants suit patterns offered by Advance. They were available in both the standard lapel jackets and Eton jacket styles. They are not dated, but we would guess the late-2950s. These are size 3 years, but we are not sure about the age range. Making a suit was quite an undertaking, one reason why girls' clothing was more popular with home sewers. A dress was much less complicated.
McCalls had patterns for boys' pants. We note one such pattern No. 4138 depicting both short and long pants. They were done in bright colors and what looks like a searsucker stried set. They were done with elasticized boxer waistss, meaning casual pants. The illustration shows the younger boy weafing the shirts, a common convention in the 1950s. The pattern is not dated, but looks like the 1950s to us.
Here we see a newspaper advertisement for boys' and girls' shoes from a Nashville, Tennessee newspaper. The girls shoes is a variant of the popular Mary Jane strap shoe, here apparently done in a color like blue or red. This was a dress style which was also worn to school. Girls also wore more practical lace-ups more like boys' styles. The boy's shoes is a standard low-cut oxford. The company was Acrobat, a company we do not know much about. This and similar styles were commonly worn to school. At the time leather shoes were still the norm, although sneakers were popular for play and casual nwear after school.
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