American Mail Order Catalogs with Boys Clothings: 1916


Figure 1.--Here we see some of the shoes that Wards offered in 1916. Most were high-top. They were also mostly black shoes, but we see some colored shoes and two tone shoes as well. The colored shoes are not apparent in the black and white photography of the day. Note that button-on shoes were still common.

American mail order catalogs offer a very useful time line on changing fashion trends. American mail order catalogs in 1916 featured increasingly simple casual styles for younger children. They styles were also increasingly gender specific. American children in 1916 still commonly wore long stockings. The Good Housekeeping Magazine had an ad for Black Cat reinforced stockings which the entire family wears. September was obviously the month when mothers would be buying stockings for their young children getting ready for school. The boy in the photograph wears a Norfolk style knee pants suit with elbow-length sleeves and two (white?) ornamental buttons on his trousers, black long stockings, and low cut, slipper-like shoes. He wears a large white collar resembling an Eton collar in some respects and some sort of string tie. He points to the hosiery of his parents, surprisedly noting that they too wear "Black Cat" stockings. We also notice an advertisement for Hickory garters. We also notice an advertisement for Kazoo suspender waists. The major catalog companies offer a wide range of shoes. High-top styles are still dominant. We notice the Central Shoe and Rubber Company offering rubber shoe and sandal lasts. We note a Sears saddle shoes. This is the earliest advertisement for saddle shoes that we have found to date. Pajamas were the dominant sleepwear, but nightshirts were still available.

Headwear


Toddler Clothes

A variety of toddler styles with simple casual styles appear. The button-on style appears to have been very popular for boys.

Sailor Suits


Shirts


Coats


Suits


Accessories


Pants


Hosiery

American children both boys and girls for several decades had been wearing long stockings. Younger children might wear socks, but long stockings were the primary hosiery for school age children. Black long stockings were especially common. This was beginning to change in the 1910s. As far as we can tell, long stockings were still the dominant hosiery, but we begin to see knee socks and other socks worn to a greater extent than earlier, especially during the Summer. This trend would become much more prounounced in the 1920s.

Black Cat reinforced stockings

The Good Housekeeping Magazine had an ad for Black Cat reinforced stockings which the entire family wears. September was obviously the month when mothers would be buying stockings for their young children getting ready for school. The boy in the photograph wears a Norfolk style knee pants suit with elbow-length sleeves and two (white?) ornamental buttons on his trousers, black long stockings, and low cut, slipper-like shoes. He wears a large white collar resembling an Eton collar in some respects and some sort of string tie. He points to the hosiery of his parents, surprisedly noting that they too wear "Black Cat" stockings.

Support Garments

We note quite a range of different support garments offered for children in 1916. The primary purpose was to hold up long stockings, but they also held up pants and skirts as well. Some even mentioned health considerations and posture benefits. These garments were commonly worn by children because long stockings were so widely worn.

Sears support garments

The Sears Fall and Winter catalog for 1916 had an ad on p. 571 for support garments. There were two styles. One was a suspender waist, the "Progress Suspender and Hose Supporter for Boys". Many support garments could be worn for both boys and guirls, but this one was specifically for boys. There was also a garter waist, a "Combination Belt and Hose Supporters".

Hickory garters

Hickory Garters were an important brand of childrens garters. Hickory garters were a brand name for garters made by A. Stein & Co. in Chicago. The rubber button on the garter clasp was considered an improvement because it prevented tearing at the top of the stocking where the hose supporter was attached. Earlier models had used metal buttons which tended to tear stockings. This amusing ad for Hickory Garters appeared in Good Housekeeping Magazine (October, 1916, p. 106). The ad was just in time for school children who would be changing from summer ankle socks to long stockings although of course, for dress occasions, older boys wore long stockings at all seasons of the year. The purpose of the garters was of course to hold up the long tockings widely worn by American children in the 1910s.

Kazoo suspender waists

The Ladies Home Journal in 1916 had an advertisement for Kazoo Suspender Waists. The advertisement stressed the fact that they were both for boys and girls. The ad copy read, "Mothers have found from experience that the Kazoo is a most satisfactory combined Suspender Waist and Hose Supporter for girls as well as for boys." Unfortunately our imge here is not clear enough to fully transcribe the ad copy text. The Kazoo Suspender Waist was made by the Harris Suspender Co., New York. The purpose of a suspender waist was to hold up long stockings

Underwear

Dressing in the early 20th century was more complicated than is the case today. Nothing shows this more than the underwear that was worn. Quite a range of underwear styles were available for children in 1915. There were shirts, drawers, and combination or "union" suits with the shirts and pants combined. There were also waist suits designed to hold up long stockings and other articles of clothing.

Footwear

It is sometimes difficult to detinguish between a shoe and a sandal. A reader writes, "I note from the early 1900 catlogs that anything with a single, double, or multiple strap was called a sandal at the time. Button or lace versions were called shoes or boots." The major catalog companies offer a wide range of shoes. High-top styles are still dominant.

Wards shoes

High-top styles are still dominant and Wards offered many different styles and colors. We also note two twin bar t-strap closed toe sandals which appear to be identical except for quality of leather and price. They were both available in men's, women's and children's sizes. The one at the right also did not come in half sizes. Not much ad copy, just "flexible Stitch-DownSoles". The ankle strap shoe at the bottom right corner of the page is of interest sincce it is called a "Mary Jane". In 1914, I noted ankle straps called "Baby Doll" shoes, not Mary Janes. There was a women's single strap shoe called "Mary Jane" in 1914. The year before, 1913, I didn't see any single strap shoes at all. There were two double bar women's shoes referred to as "sandals", no baby doll or Mary Jane shoes. There are also a variety of shoes for younger children. We don't see this variety from black and white photos of the time.

Sears saddle shoes

A HBC reader has an old Sears catalog. It is No. 134 but has no date. From the number sequence and an order form, it appears to be 1915 or 1916. Of interest is the first image of a saddle shoe I have seen. Sears referred to the shoes as "tennis shoes". At the time tennis was not played in what we now called sneakers and tennis shoes did not mean canvas shoes. This ad is consistent with what I have read about te origin of saddle shoes in that it is an early athletic shoe with a "saddle reinforcement" across the top for support. They were relatively expensive and made in adult sizes.

Shoe and sandal lasts

A 1916 catalog issued by the Central Shoe and Rubber Company had information on the shoe lasts offered. The company was was located at 251-253 West Fayette Street, Syracuse, New York. The company offered Hood and Old Colony rubber boots and shoes. These were apparrantely subsidiries. Hood offered first quality items while Old Colony offered second quality goods. On page 8 of the catalog is a listing of "Misses' and Children's Lasts". A last is a metal or wooden form on which shoes are made. The term is also used for the shape of a shoe. The company here appears to be using the term to show the shape of the bottom of the shoe, te part made in rubber. Unfortunately, only the bottoms of the "rubbers" are shown. Of interest, however, is the first item listed as "COMFORT--An extremely wide right and left last, with large heel seat, designed to fit Skuffer and Barefoot Sandal Shoes

Sleepwear

Nightshirts were the dominant sleepwear in the 19th century. This changed, we think, about the turn of the 20th century. Pajamas were the dominant sleepwear for boys by the 1910s, but nightshirts were still available. We note Best & Company, offerings in their 1916 Spring and Summer catalog. There are night shirts, night drawers, and pajamas. The nightgowns were for boys till age 10 and night shirts were for older boys. They had 1 piece pajamas till age 10 or so. There were girl and boy pajamas, but the gender differences wee not at all pronounced. The pajamas were done without collars and with oriental detailing.






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Created: 5:31 AM 9/25/2005
Last updated: 4:35 PM 7/22/2008