Figure 1.--We note a striped middy blouse, referred to as a sailor blouse, offered by Best & Co. The ad appeared in The Youth's Companion (September 5, 1901, p. 435). Note the striping of everything--the blouse, the collar, the middy, and even the scarf. This was rather unusual. |
We note a striped middy blouse, referred to as a sailor blouse, offered by Best & Co. The ad appeared in The Youth's Companion (September 5, 1901, p. 435). Note the striping of everything--the blouse, the collar, the middy, and even the scarf. This was rather unusual.
The Best & Company appaers to have been an important New York City department store that went natioanl. The built a large store at 645 5th Avenue at East 51st Street, NE Corner (Wing on 52nd Street). It was located in Midtown Manhattan. The building was replaced by the Olympic Tower of Aristotle Onassis. I am not sure when the comapny was founded, but note that they were active in the 1950s and 60s. They varried an extensive line of fashionanle clothes. We know that Best & Company was a major U.S. depattment store chain, bit have little information on the company at this time.
The ad appeared in The Youth's Companion (September 5, 1901, p. 435). The magazine described itself as "An Illustrated Weekly Paper For Young People and the Family." It was established in 1827. The magazine was published in Boston, Massachusetts, by the Perry Mason Company, 201 Columbus Avenue. It appeared under this title until 1929. It was in the late 19th century one of the most popular weekly periodicals in America and known for the quality of the writing. The magazine catered to teen-age boys and girls especially, containing articles on sports, on hobbies, and on various literary and cultural interests. But it was really a family magazine and had many advertisements for clothing, both adult and children's. The magagazine had a very strict policy about the advertising carried because its readers were mostly children.
Many boys wore blouses in the 1900s. One of the most popular style was the middy blouses. Other blouses had had sailor styling, but were not middly blouses. These blouses with sailor styling were among the most popular. A blouse is a top shirt-like garment meant to be worn alone (as versus the chemise), or as a layer. As the name implies, the sleeves are loose, can be short or long, and the overall cut is usually generous, perfectly suited for a small child. Blouses can have various neckline styles, with or without collars. The materials are commonly cottons, linens, synthetics, satins, and silks. Fancier blouses can be made of velvets, velveteen, and valure--essentially, anything of a middleweight material. A bouse can be tightly fitted or drape loose from the body. The blouse has become the essential staple article of women's dresswear, but in past years was also worn by boys.
The best known type of plain blouses were the middy blouse with traditional styling.Less fancy middy blouses were used with sailor suits. The blouses were called middy blouses and were modeled on the uniform of the British Navy. Authentic middy blouses had three white stripes at the cuff and neck to honor Nelson's three great victories. They were first worn by boys, but gradually middy blouses were also made for girls. This in part expllains the gradual shift to younger and younger boys wearing them. Now only the youngest of boys will be seen wearing a middy blouse, but they are still used as girls' school uniforms in countries like Japan and Korea.
The garment here was a middy blouse, but Best referred to it as a sailor blouse. The ad copy read, ""Best & Co. Liliputian Bazaar. Sailor blouse of fancy percale, various patterns and colorings, light and covered grounds with tie to match. 50 c. By mail, postage paid, 8 c. extra. Our Catalogue, in new form, listing nearly 2,000 Articles for Children, more than half of them illustrated, sent on
receipt of this advertisement and 4 c. postage. We Have No Agents. Our Goods Sold Only at this One Store. Address Dept.15, 60-62 W. 23d St., New York."
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