Figure 1.--Here I am in front of our home in 1941. I am wearing a pull-over shirt with decortive embroidery mother made for me. The boy in the background is ???. My father had a similar garment when he was a little boy.

Much of the clothing we wore was hand-made and when there was a hole in our stockings our Mother mended them promptly. The clothing we had was simple and functional relative to the surroundings we were in. I do not recall the clothing worn by my older siblings. I recall that when I was a small boy I wore Shorts, Knee-socks a shirt and when needed a sweater, during the summer. I had a pull-over shirt with fancy embroidery. The shirt that I am wearing here was made and embroidered by my mother (figure 1). My mother was very artistic, did a lot of weeveng, embroidery, knitting and tailoring. I recall, I wore this shirt on Sundays and holidays. This was just for special occasions. Much of the shirts and sweaters and for that matter undersear, such as stockings, tights and waists, were made by my mother. Also much of my clothing was "hand-me-downs" from my two older brothers. Underneath I wore a "combinaison" which today is called a union-suit with short or no sleeves and short legs. I did not like these suits, because I had always difficulty in keeping them open when I had to go to the bathroom. Once it would get cold, I was made to wear long stockings und a waist to hold them up. For outside, we had knickers-type pants that reached down to the ankles and were tied together there. The "combinaisons" were exchanged to the same garments with long sleeves and legs. Back inside the knickers came off, so that they could be dried and we ran around in our stockings or we put on short pants. I think I wore baby-tights when I was a baby. Baby-tights were not made commercially. They where knit by mothers and grand-mothers. Some of these family-members also knit tights for bigger children. For that reason they were mostly woolen tights. Then until I was about 12 years old. [A German reader tells us that these were probably "Gamaschen" which were a little different than modern tights.] I usually wore long stockings, although I also had kneesocks. I remember the long stockings very well. That is why I know that I am in stockings in the picture where we play at the irrigation canals. By my age of 12, tights for boys became very popular and that was what I wore mostly in wintertime at the boarding-school besides regular longjohns. Fortunately I was spared the trouble of unionsuits once I got to the boarding-school. Commercially tights were not available until the 50s. But then became widely available and I recall, at the boarding-school, the majority of boys wore them.

Practicality

Much of the clothing we wore was hand-made and when there was a hole in our stockings our Mother mended them promptly. The clothing we had was simple and functional relative to the surroundings we were in. I do not recall the clothing worn by my older siblings. I recall that when I was a small boy I wore Shorts, Knee-socks a shirt and when needed a sweater, during the summer.

Home Made and Hand-me-downs

Much of the shirts and sweaters and for that matter undersear, such as stockings, tights and waists, were made by my mother. Also much of my clothing was "hand-me-downs" from my two older brothers. As the youngest brother, I had a lot of hand-me-downs.

Garments

Caps

Shirts

I had a pull-over shirt with fancy embroidery. The shirt that I am wearing here was made and embroidered by my mother (figure 1). My mother was very artistic, did a lot of weeveng, embroidery, knitting and tailoring. I recall, I wore this shirt on Sundays and holidays. This was just for special occasions.

Pants

During the summer I commonly wore short pants. For outside, we had knickers-type pants that reached down to the ankles and were tied together there. I also had long pants.

Hosiery

Once it would get cold, I was made to wear long stockings und a waist to hold them up. Back inside during the Winter, the knickers came off, so that they could be dried and we ran around in our stockings or we put on short pants. I think I wore baby-tights when I was a baby. Baby-tights were not made commercially. They where knit by mothers and grand-mothers. Some of these family-members also knit tights for bigger children. For that reason they were mostly woolen tights. Then until I was about 12 years old, I usually wore long stockings, although I also had kneesocks. I remember the long stockings very well. That is why I know that I am in stockings in the picture where we play at the irrigation canals. By my age of 12, tights for boys became very popular and that was what I wore mostly in wintertime at the boarding-school besides regular longjohns. Commercially tights were not available until the 50s. But then became widely available and I recall, at the boarding-school, the majority of boys wore them.

Underwear

Underneath I wore a "combinaison" which today is called a union-suit with short or no sleeves and short legs. I did not like these suits, because I had always difficulty in keeping them open when I had to go to the bathroom. The "combinaisons" were exchanged to the same garments with long sleeves and legs. Fortunately I was spared the trouble of unionsuits once I got to the boarding-school.

Sources

Voute, Tom. E-mail message, May 19, 2006.

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Created: 9:40 PM 5/16/2006
Last updated: 6:08 AM 8/9/2007