Figure 1.-- We notice an ad for De Pinna boys' suits. DePinna was one of the classier outfitters in New York City and patronized by eastern affluent families. The ad appeared in Parents' Magazine for October, 1926, p. 51. You can see the British influence here. Most American boys wore knicker suits. |
We notice an ad for De Pinna boys' suits. DePinna was one of the classier outfitters in New York City and patronized by eastern affluent families. The ad appeared in Parents' Magazine for October, 1926, p. 51. You can see the British influence on American boys' clothes quite distinctly. Note the dressy pocket
handkerchief, the peaked school cap carried in the boy's hand, the ribbed and cuffed knee socks, and the white shirt and neat tie. The hightop shoes are interesting also.
DePinna was one of the classier outfitters in New York City and patronized by eastern affluent families. The 1917 De Pinna Co. catalog wa issued in hard over. De Pinna was an important New York retailer. It was located on 5th Avenue with other exclusive retailers and was the New York branch of an English boys clothing store that was founded in London, 1880, so I presume that the text was written by them.) The catalog advises, "The manly appearance of an English lad is always noticeable. Over there, the dressing of boys and young men has been standardized for years. There is
lacking in their dress that suggestion of feminine intervention which has crept at times into the dress of American boys. There is no reason why any good healthy American boy should be decked in ribbons, frills, and laces. There is every reason why he should wear--according to his station in life--clothing and accessories that closely resemble those of men ..." The text runs on another few pages to tout the importance of "manly" attire... It is interesting that this word is no longer used in children's fashion ads It certainly was used a lot around the early 1900s! One wonders why the term fell out of favor. Sometimes the changing rhetoric of fashion is just as mysterious as fashion trends themselves. Also note the phrase "good, healthy". There is a psychological implication here. Did men innately regard a boy who is ill or a invalid as more the property of his mother than a "good, healthy" boy? One factor that needs to be considered is that De Pinna was a menswear retailer.
Boys were likly to be brought there by their fathers and thus frilly clothes would werelily to hve little clothes. Fancier outfits were more likekly to be found at dress shops which commonly offered clothes for young boys nd department stores. In both these, it would be more likely that boy woul be likely to be bought by their
mothers.
The ad appeared in Parents' Magazine for October, 1926, p. 51. Parents Magazine is the leading family magazine in the United States for parents. It provides practical advise, tips, techniques and advice from America's foremost childcare experts. As originally conceived it was primarily pitched to mothers. This is probably still the case, although men are playing an increasing role in raising children. The magazine was founded in 1925. The magazine is still being published. Besides the articles with advise on child raising, there were many advertisements of products for children. This included clothing and patterns for making children's clothing. A HBC reader notes that there were many ads in the magazine for underwear--apparently a major shopping concern for mothers of the period. Or at least the advertisers who used PM thought so.
You can see the British influence on American boys' clothes quite distinctly. Note the dressy pocket
handkerchief, the peaked school cap carried in the boy's hand, the ribbed and cuffed knee socks, and the white shirt and neat tie. The hightop shoes are interesting also. The ad copy read, ""De Pinna Model. English Sack Suit. Individuality. The individualism of
children encourages individuality of dress. For nearly half a century we have clothed the children of the best known families in America. At the leading city schools and preparatory schools for young gentlemen, and the select schools for girls and young ladies, our productions and importations from the famous makers and outfitters of London and Paris are accepted without question
as authoritative and correct. The success and prestige what we enjoy have come as a natural tribute to our early recognition of the importance of individuality in children's clothing. If you wish to consult us as to the correct apparel for your children, we shall be glad to have you confer with our Advisory Section B. If it is not conveneint for you to call in person, samples and suggestins will be sent upon request. De Pinna. Advisory Section B Fifth Avenue at 50th Street, New York."
A HBC reader tells us, "This is a very elegant suit--the kind I remember wearing at dress-up affairs during my boyhood in the 1930s. I wore this kind of suit in the summer time with knee socks (as shown in the illustration) and with tan long stockings during the chillier months.) You can see from the text of the ad that this sort of clothing was aimed very much at the carriage trade in
America--those who sent their sons to private boarding schools, for instance, and who were influenced by European, particularly English, styles of boys' dress. This is the sort of boys' clothing my mother thought appropriate for dressy occasions. I think by the 1930s boys had changed to oxford style shoes but this basic style persisted throughout my boyhood up until the time I changed into long trousers.
"
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