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One company specializing in children's clothing during the 1920s was Kaynee. We do not yet know much about the company. It was located in Cleveland, Ohio. We do not know when the company was founded. We notice an advertisement for boys' school clothes in Good Housekeeping Magazine (September, 1927, p. 234) (figure 1). Interestingly the younger boy wears shorts with knee socks while the older boy wears knickers with what look like black long stockings. The ad copy here read, "Let Themn Grow Up in Kaynee. A Bull's Eye! School wear is the acid test of boys' clothes. To look nice in the class room and withstand pulling and twisting of school yard games, both fabric and tailoring must hit the mark. Kaynee shirts, blouses, suits are "approved by the boys" everywhere. That is because the styles are smart and boyish--never foppish. Your boy will like Kaynee--so will his dad. Sold at better sores--prices are reasonable. Gratis--"Boy-Types and How to Dress them." Write for copy now. Address Department G-S. The Kaynee Company, Cleveland, Ohio. Approved by the boys--Kaynee Blouses, Shirts, Suits." Notice the reference to foppish clothes. Presumanly this is a reaction to fancy clothes like Lottle Lord Fauntleroy suits. Noctice the booklet offered by the company. This would provide all sorts of interesting information about 1920s clothing. Unfortunately, we do not have a copy.
We notice another ad in 1928.
At the time few American children wore school uniforms. Parochial schools were the first to begi adopting school uniforms in the 1950s. Beginning about the 1970s some public elementary (promary ) schools adopted school uniforms, many inner-city schools.
The company tells us, "Kaynee is still an active American company. It is now an important manufacturer of school uniforms. I am proud to tell you KAYNEE is alive and well thriving in the School Uniform market. Our tag line is----"We haven't missed a day of school in over 118 years"
The Kaynee company was located in Cleveland, Ohio. We do not yet know when Kaynee was founded, but the earliest adverisements we have found date from the 1920s. It was founded and operated by the Hays family. A family menber provides some basic history about the company. "My father, Robert L. Hays, worked at Kaynee from 1924 to 1954. It was a Hays family company at the time. I do to know when it was founded; my father sold it in 1952, but stayed on for two more years during the transition. In the early 1930s, it was run by his two uncles, who were killed in an automobile accident. My father became president and owner at about that time. The Cleveland factory was located on Aetna Road; the company also had a factory in Pawhuska, OK. The company provided a free, staffed day care center for the workers until they unionized; as I recall my father's account, wages increased enough to require some cost-cutting, so the day care center was closed. My father was elected a (lifetime? honorary?) member of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America." [Hays]
One company specializing in children's clothing during the 1920s was Kaynee. We do not yet know much about the company. We do not know when the company was founded. A reader informs us,
The company advertised in important national magaazines. We notice an advertisement for boys' school clothes in Good Housekeeping Magazine (September, 1927, p. 234) (figure 1). Interestingly the younger boy wears shorts with knee socks while the older boy wears knickers with what look like black long stockings. The ad copy here read, "Let Themn Grow Up in Kaynee. A Bull's Eye! School wear is the acid test of boys' clothes. To look nice in the class room and withstand pulling and twisting of school yard games, both fabric and tailoring must hit the mark. Kaynee shirts, blouses, suits are "approved by the boys" everywhere. That is because the styles are smart and boyish--never foppish. Your boy will like Kaynee--so will his dad. Sold at better sores--prices are reasonable. Gratis--"Boy-Types and How to Dress them." Write for copy now. Address Department G-S. The Kaynee Company, Cleveland, Ohio. Approved by the boys--Kaynee Blouses, Shirts, Suits." Notice the reference to foppish clothes. Presumanly this is a reaction to fancy clothes like Lottle Lord Fauntleroy suits. Noctice the booklet offered by the company. This would provide all sorts of interesting information about 1920s clothing. Unfortunately, we do not have a copy.
We notice another ad in 1928.
At the time few American children wore school uniforms. Parochial schools were the first to begi adopting school uniforms in the 1950s. Beginning about the 1970s some public elementary (promary ) schools adopted school uniforms, many inner-city schools.
The company tells us, "Kaynee is still an active American company. It is now an important manufacturer of school uniforms. I am proud to tell you KAYNEE is alive and well thriving in the School Uniform market. Our tag line is----"We haven't missed a day of school in over 118 years"
Comins, Charles. VP National Sales, E-mail message, June 26, 2006.
Hays, Michael L. E-mail message, June 3, 2012.
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