Figure 1.--Stern Brothers offered a wide range of boys clothing in its 1890 catalog. Stein's was an important men and boys outfitter in New York City. Here we see kilkt suits for younger boys and kneepants for older boys. |
|
Mail order catalogs in the 1890s provide a valuable record of the sshions worn as the age of the boys wearing them as well as other details such as finishing and materials. Mail order catalogs offered a variety of clothes for boys in the 1890s, including dresses, kilt suits, Fauntleroy suits and blouses, sailor suits, and knee pants and long pants suits as well as a wide range of accessories. Nost children wore long stockings and thus tocking supporters were needed.
HBC has acquired some catalog pages that are undated. We have archived the pages that we believe to fate to the 1890s here, as we can not identify the specific year. Hopefully we may be eventually able to date these pages.
Stern Brothers offered a wide range of boys clothing in its 1890 catalog. Stein's was an important men and boys outfitter in New York City. Here we see kilt suits for younger boys and kneepants for older boys (figure 1). There are a variety of suits iffered for boys, showing how common suits were. Younger boys still wore dresses in the 1890s, but Stern's did not offer any--only kilt suits. Perhaps boy drresses were purchased in mother's milliary shops. HBC is not sure about this. Appropriate headwear is picture with many of the outfits. We also see a variety of winter coats.
Here we have another patent for what was referred to as a "garment supporter". It was a suspender waist that combines features that laterappeared separately in two different products, the Kazoo SuspenderWaist and the Wilson Garter. Notice that in this design, we have
features from both.
Sailor suits were a popular outfit for boys and we see many different styles. Nany mothers sewed the clothes for their children at home. We note a sewing pattern for a kneepants sailor suit. We notice the Double Ve Waist being offered for infants, boys and girls, young ladies, and women.
Boys commonly wore suits. The Work Brothers in 1893 offered a wide selection of boys suits in sizes 11 to 18 years. The company also offered kneepants which were standard for boys at the time.
We note rubbers and overshoes offered by Montgomery Ward in their 1894-95 catalog. One is rather curiously called a "safety strap sandals". Along with these shoes are what Wards calls "Alaskas" and "Arctics".
American boys primarily wore kneepants in the 1890s. Most suits came with kneepants. Sailor suits were also very popular. A Montgomery Ward's catalog provides a great deal of useful information on popular clothing styles in 1895. Two of the pages have boys' clothes--the first with a variety of knee pants suits as well as blouses for other boys and other fashions. Illustrations were still relatively limited and largely buried in pages primarily full of ad copy. Another page offers children's garter waists and shoulder hose supporters.
We do not yet have much information on 1896. Most American children wore long stockings. And thus stocking supporters were needed. We note an ad for H & W Underwaists in a local newspaper.
Catalogs in 1897 offered kilt suits for younger boys. After breeching boys might wear Fautleroy suits or sailor suits. Older boys wore knee pants and long pants suits.
Most American boys wore knee pants in 1899. And they were generally woirn with long stockings. Both boys and girls commonly wire long stockings. American children at the turn of the 20th century, both boys and girls, almost universally wore underwaists to hold up outer clothing and long stockings. We notice an ad for the EZ Easy Waist for boys and girls. Another early advertisement for boys' and girls' skeleton waists appeared in the Nebraska State Journal (Lincoln, Nebraska) on ASpril 22, 1899. These waists were on sale at Miller and Paine's department store in Lincoln (the Notions department).
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing catalog/magazine pages:
[Return to the Main American mail order chronology page]
[Main photo/publishing page]
[Store catalogs]
[Fashion magazines]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Cloth and textiles]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Topics]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Sailor suits]
[Sailor hats]
[Dresses]
[Kilts]
[Buster Brown suits]
[Eton suits]
[Rompers]
[Tunics]
[Smocks]
[Pinafores]
[Coats]