Figure 1.--These fashions were from the early 1920s, we believe 1922. The two sailor suits were for boys up to 8-10 yeas of age. The two short pants suits were for boys up to 14 years. |
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English mail order catalogs, fashion magazines, and sweing publications offer a very useful time line on changing fashion trends. English mail order catalogs and newspaper ads provide great detail on fashion trends. The available information suggest that most boys wore short pants, even during the winter. Sailor suits popular, but not nearly as much as in France and Germany. Younger boys might wear rompers. Patterns were commonly ordered by mail. I'm not sure if there were any actual clothing mail order operations yet.
Normally we archive undated material in this general section for the decade. Here we have made an exception for the "Weldon's Boys' Wear" issue as we are farirly comfortable with our estimated date of 1922.
We believe that the "Weldon's Boys' Wear" issue (N°324) was issued in 1922. While undated we believe that the presence of above the knees knickers, and tunic suits suggests strongly that it would have been issued very early in the 1920s. We do not think we are will be off more than a year pr so. As aresult we are treating these as 1922 fashions.
We have so far found very little information on English 1925 ctalogs. We knlow that there were sevral publihed, but our English sources are not as good as our American sources and we think that there wrre more American catalogs as well as more pubications with adveryisements. So far all we have from 1925 is a book published by Rowe of Bond Street. The book itself is not dated, but we believe was published in 1925. This was a high-end London retailer and some of the fashions were only worn by well-to-do children. The book includes information on smocks and creepers, blouses and tops, party suits, school suits, and other items. In addition to the sales offering, the illustrations picture other items as well. We hope to eventually obtain information more main-stream retailers as well.
A French reader tells us, "It is interesting to see the English fashio for boys during the 1920s. Note the strap shoes which was also very popular in France and called " Chaussures Charles IX " or " Souliers Charles IX " or simply " des Charles IX ". These names are no longer commonly used in France.
Note also in France during the 1920s that already boys' fashion was begining to be more juvenil than England . In fact this started at the end of World Wr I in 1918.
Many old photos show boys with a touch of baby clothes. This look lasted utill the early 1960s. Gradually esnctive juvenile styles declined in popularity and boys clothing began to more and more resemble adult styles as was the practice in the 18th century.
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