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This is from a Canadian French language catalog issued by Eaton's for fall and winter, 1939-40. The blue cheviot suits for boys displayed here are for boys from 6 to 10 years old. The
suits are double-breasted and have a belted back. The suit was available in two styles--with both short trousers and knickers. Some retailers in the 1930s offered suits with two pairs of pants, commonly both knickers and long pants. Here Eaton's offers mother a choice. Tey can purchase the suit with shorts and knickers or with knickers only. The short pants version is shown as being worn with ribbed grey long stockings. The knickers version could be worn with either long stockings or knee socks, the illistration ending at the knee hem.
The suits were available in two different options.
The ad copy read, "Suit with both golf-style knickers and short
trousers, Price, delivered $4.75."
The Eaton's ad copy read, "Suit with knickers only. Price, delivered, $3.65.
Sizes 24 to 28 chest sizes (For 6 6o 10 years of age). In blue cheviot
wool and cotton mixture, belted back, double lined. The golf-style
knickers are lined with cotton with an elastically knitted wool band at
the knee. The short trousers are tailored straight in normal style."
I am not entirely sure why a mother would want both short pants and knickers. Note that there is no option with just shorts. Presumably most boys would prefer to wear knickers to shorts as they would have been seen as more grown up. A HBC comtributor writes, "The buyer who choses the shorts/knickers option get two pairs of trousers--presumably the sportier style knickers for more informal occasions (school, perhaps) and the short trousers for dressier affairs such as church services." Perhaps seasonality was another factor with the shorts used for the summer and knickers for winter.
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