Figure 1.--Here is the selection of Ucanttear junior suits offerered in the Fall and Winter 1912-13 catalog. Ucantteat was the Sears store brand. There were both tunic suits and the sack suit styles worn by older boys.
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Figure 1.--Here is the selection of Ucanttear junior suits offerered in the Fall and Winter 1912-13 catalog. Ucantteat was the Sears store brand. There were both tunic suits and the sack suit styles worn by older boys. |
Sears offered a range of suits for younger boys 2 1/2 to 9 years of age. Ucanttear was a Sears store brand. The suits were done as both tunic suits as well as in the sack suit style worn by older boys. The tunic suits were referred to as Russian blouse suits. Curiously some were even called Russian Eton suits, although I had no idea what that meant. Interesting the length of the the tunics and suit coats were similar. The suits were done with knickers. Sears called the pants for the tunic suits bloomer knickers.
The Sears, Roebuck and Co., huge merchandising firm centered in Chicago was founded by Richard W. Sears (1863-1914) and A.C. Roebuck (1864-1948). Sears had begun a career in mail-order business in Minnesota 1886. In Chicago he and Roebuck joined resources and formed a corporation in 1893 as a mail-order business under title Sears, Roebuck and Company. Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) in 1895 bought Roebuck's interest in firm and became president on Sears's retirement 1908. A retail-store system was added 1925. The first foreign store added in Havana, Cuba during 1945 and becane te first expropriated store in 1960. The Sears-Roebuck brought the production of industry to the fartherest corner of rural America, opening the cornucopia of the consumer age to rural America. All the new things that were changing American life danced across their pages. Through it, a huge Chicago warehouse offers to modernize the farms and small towns of the Midwest.
Ucanttear was a Sears store brand. Sears had a number of store brands which changed over time. Notice Ucanttear was a made up term to stress that the suits were very stury. Our foreign readers may not get the meaning: U (you) can't tear. I'm not sure how long Sears used this as a store brand.
The suits were done as both tunic suits as well as in the sack suit style worn by older boys. The tunic suits were referred to as Russian blouse suits. Sears also uses Russian suit. As far as I can tell this meant the same as Russian blouse suit, but was just a shorter way of saing it. Curiously some were even called Russian Eton suits, although I had no idea what that meant. Interesting the length of the the tunics and suit coats were similar. The suits were done with knickers. Sears called the pants for the tunic suits bloomer knickers.
Sears offered a range of suits for younger boys 2 1/2 to 9 years of age. Basically the tunic suits were for the younger boys and and the sack suit styles for the older boys. We do not understand the age appropriatness for some of the tunic uits which were made in different sizes.
Sears offered quite a number of choices in this section of the catalog.
This suit looks rther like a tunic suit, but I notice Sears does not call this one a Russian blouse suit. The ad copy read, "$3.25 FANCY NAVY BLUE SUIT. ..."
This tunic suit is picture with a hat which I don't think came with the suit.
The ad copy read, "$2.95. Beautiful Fancy Gray and Brown Mixture Suit of good weight cheviot (not all wool). Coat buttons to the nexk with collar trimmed with brown tape. Slash pockets leathr lined belt and fancy cuff effect . Bloomer pants with side pockets, one hip pocket and elastic bottoms. Sizes --4 to 8 years. State boy's age."
This is a dark navy blue almost black double-breasted suit for school-age boys. The ad copy reads, "DARK NAVY BLUE ALL WOOL WORSTED SERGE SUIT. Double breasted effect with yoke, fancy plaits and derby back. {Note: I'm not sure what a derby back is.] English twill lining. Full lined knickerbocker pants with side pockets, hip pocket and strap and buckle at the knee. SIZES--5 to 9 years. Mention boy's age."
Here we have a double-breasted sack suit. The lapels are done a bit differently than those for older boys. The age range here was, however, slightly older than the range for the tunic suits. The ad copy read, "$3.35 PRETTY BROWN AND GRAY MIXTURE SUIT of good weight all wool cassimere. Coat has yoke effect, plaits trimmed with tape, slash pockets, derby back, bottim facingsand English twill lining. Kinckerbocker pants with side pockets, one hip pocketand strap and buckle at the knee. SIZES--5 to 9 years. State boy's age."
This tunic suit had a high button collar and buttoned at the side. The ad copy read, "$1.75 LITTLE FELLOWS' MILITARY COLLAR RUSSIAN SUIT of good weight soft finish wool and cotton mixed Union cassimere. Coat is trimmed with black tape and silk embroidered emblem. Silk handkerchief effect in breast pocket, and belt of same material. Bloomer pants with elastic bottom, full lining and taped seams. SIZES--2 1/2 to 6 years.
This tunic suit was done in the popular sailor style. The model is depicted with a wide-brimmed hat. The ad copy read, "$1.90 BLUE RUSSIAN BLOUSE SUIT of good weight soft finish wool and cotton mixed Union cassimere. Sailor collar trimmed with soutache. Detachable shield, silk handkerchief effect in breast pocket, silk tie, and belt of same material. Bloomer pants with elastic bottoms; double stitched and taped seams. SIZES--2 1/2 to 6 years. State boy's age.
This tunic suit was described as an Eton Russian blouse term. We understand the term Russian blouse, but we have no idea what is mean here with the Eton descriptor. The ad copy read, "$2.50 ETON RUSSIAN BLOUSE SUIT in bluish gray all wool material. Coat buttons on the side and has and has silk embroidered emblem, silk hanfkerchief effect in breast pocket, black tie, and belt of same material. Bloomer pants have side pockets, and one hip pocket and elastic bottoms. SIZES--2 1/2 to 6 years. State boy's age.
This tunic suit was also done in the Eton Russian style that we have no idea what Sears meant. Note that this was done in sizes up to age 8 years. Most of the other tunic suits were done up to age 6 years. We are unsure what it is about this tunic suit that made it more suitable for older boys. It was slightly more expensive. The ad copy read, "$2.50 LITTLE FELLOW'S SUIT Eton Russian style. Made of excellent quality cotton worsted. Coat collar trimmed with brown tape, leather lined belt, cuff effect and ivory buttons. Bloomer pants with double stitched and taped seems, side pockets, one hip pocket and elastic bottoms. SIZES--4 to 8 years. State boy's age."
This is another tunic suit done in the sailor style. Sears calls it "very" dressy, but I am not sure why it is considered more dressy. It seems to be more elaborately detailed. Perhaps it is the material or tailoring. The ad copy read, "VERY DRESSY SUIT of medium weight all wool cassimere, in gray mixture with light blue trimmings. Coat has gray silk tie, silk embroidered emblemon left sleeve, leather beltand fancy trimmed cuffs made to button. Bloomer pants with elastic bottoms. Finely tailored. SIZES--2 1/2 to 6 years. Mention boy's age.
This was a sailor-styled tunic suit. The ad copy read, "$4.50. Fancy Russian Style Suit with sailor collar.. Strictly all wool worsted material in pretty brown mixture. Detachable silk embroidered shield in cream color, leather belt , black silk tie and plaited cuffs made to button . Full lined bloomer pants . Sizes --2 1/2 to 6 years. Mention boy's age."
Here we have another sailor tunic suit. The ad copy reads, "STRICTLY PURE WOOL WORSTED NAVY BLUE SERGE SUIT. Fancy sailor collartrimmed with silk soutache and silk braid, detacable silk embroidered white shield, breast pocket with silk handkerchief effect, and leather belt. Full lined bloomer pants with elastic bottoms. Sizes --2 1/2 to 6 years. State boy's age." Note the term "shield" that meany the decorated dickey in the opening between the "V" collar.
We know very little about the bloomer pants worn with the tinic suits. They have elastic leg openings instead of the strap and buckle closures of the knickers. Notice that the ad copy describes the pockets that came with the knickes. Because no mention is made of pockets with most of the blommer knickers, we wonder if they did not have pockets. One entry does mention side pockets and one hip pocket.
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