Figure 1.--Pettigrew & Stephens offered a range of boys' suits, including short pants, long pants, and knicker (plus-fours) suits in a January 1933 advertisement. The short pants suits were made in school sizes, age 5/6-14. The long pants suits were made for boys 13-18 years of age. The cut off from short to long pants seems rather sharp, 13-14 years. Note that these were not school uniforms, although the boy in shorts is shown wearing school socks. Knicker suits were made for boys 13-17 years, but as best we can tell were not very widely worn.

A Scottish reader tells us, "Pettigrew & Stephens was a large department store situated in Glasgow which was 25 miles from Falkirk where I grew up. Even in the 1950s it was common for families to take the train to Glasgow to shop on local holidays. I was outfitted several times at this store and at the large Fraser store in Buchanan Street. Here is an advert with a variety of garments from 1933." We notice different types of school suits, overcoats, pajamas, school stockings, and underwear.

Headwear

Toddler Clothes

Sailor Suits

Shirts

Pettigrew & Stephens offered tennis shirts. The ad copy read, "bOYS' 'Winciwova' Tennis Shirts, medium weight, collar and pockets attached. In lovat shades including grey and fawn mixtures. To fit 4to 16 years of age. Regular values 7/7 to 8/6. All sizes one Sale Price 3/6." We are not sure what Winciwova meant, perhaps a manufactuer. We are also somewhat surprises that tennis shirts were not white.

Sweaters

Pettigrew & Stephens offered pullover sweaters. The ad copy read, "Boys' All-Wool Scotch Made Pullovers in a variety of new designs , (travelers' samples and oddments), Regular values 8/6 to 12/6. To fit ages 5 to 14. All sizes one Sale Price 5/.

Coats

We note a variety of coats. As boys commonly wore sits or blazers to scgool, overcoats were more common than jackets. Pettigrew & Stephens offered both heavy winter overcoats and trench coats that could be worn as raincoats.

Suits

Pettigrew & Stephens offered a range of boys' suits, including short pants, long pants, and knicker (plus-fours) suits in a January 1933 advertisement. The short pants suits were made in school sizes, age 5/6-14. The long pants suits were made for boys 13-18 years of age. The cut off from short to long pants seems rather sharp, 13-14 years. Note that these were not school uniforms, although the boy in shorts is shown wearing school socks. Knicker suits were made for boys 13-17 years, but as best we can tell were not very widely worn.

Pants

Kilts

Hosiery

Pettigrew & Stephens offered school knee socks which they referred to as school stockings. They were turn-over top socks with the school colors in bands at the top. The ad copy read, "School Stockings with regulation school colors on turnover tops, for all schools. All wool abd Scotch made. To fit 5 to 14 years. Regular value 3/6. All sizes one Sale Price 2/6."

Sleepwear

We think by the 1930s that pajamas had generally replace night shirts for boys, although we can not yet conform this. Pettigrew & Stephens offered a variety of striped pajamas for boys 5 to 18 years. The ad copy read, "Boys' Winter Pajamas in strong winceyette; white grounds with bold stripes of blue, pink, and helio. Regular value 8/6. Sale Price to fit 5 to 11 years. 3/11. Sale Price to fit 12 to 18 yrs. 4/6."

Underwear

We do not know a lot about underwear in the 1930s. Pettigrew & Stephens offered all-wool underwear. The ad copy read, "Boys' All-wool Underwear, Winter weight. The vests [undershirts] have half sleeves, trunks knee length. To fit 6 to 17 years of age. Regular value 5/6. All Sizes one sales price 3/9."

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Created: 3:20 PM 3/23/2008
Last updated: 3:20 PM 3/23/2008