American Mail Order Catalogs with Boys Clothings: Sears Pilgrim Long Stockings (1943-45)


Figure 1.--This Sears ad appeared in the Fall-Winter 1943-44 catalog. Note tbe boy wears an Eton collar, I would have thought this was a 1930s ad. Besides the date on the Sears catalog, the air plane the boy hold help to date the photograph to the 1940s as does the use of Rayon. This image is Sears Fall and Winter Catalog, p. 301B. The same unchanged image (boy with Eton collar and girl) is repeated without any change in the 1944-45 Sears Fall and Winter catalog, p. 221. This is the last time Sears shows a boy model wearing long stockings.

We notice a boy wearing an Eton collar in a Sears catalog offering Pilgrim long stockings. Both garments were rapidly going out of fashion in 1943. I'm not sure if Sears was still offering Eton collars. This was another garment that we notice in the 1930s before the War, but much less common after the War. The only long stockings we notice to any extent by 1945 were those worn by small boys and to a greater extent girls. We believe that they were worn in thelate 1940s by children in the northern states as part f winterwear. We know girls wore them, we are less sure about boys as they were mostly wearing long pants.

Sears

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. In 1895 Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) 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.

Chronology

We notice ads in Sears for long stockings throught the 1940s. This one appeared in the 1943-44 Fall-Winter catalog. This advertisement appeared again in the 1944-45 catalog which offers an extensive choice of long stockings for both boys and girls. After 1945, however, the ads become increasingly less prominent, reflecting the declining popularity of long stockings.

Popularity

We are not sure to what extent that long stockings were worn by boys in the early 1940s. The Sears catalog ads for long stockings in the 1942-43 and 1943-44 catalogs offer long stockings for boys and girls in no fewer than six different grades with varying prices. The extent of the choices on offer would seem to be good evidence for the popularity of long stockings during this period. But tastes changed very quickly. By 1946-47 almost no choice was available. The only long stockings we notice to any extent in the photographic redord by 1943 were those worn by small boys and to a greater extent girls. We believe that they were worn in the late 1940s by children in the northern states as part f winterwear. We know girls wore them, we are less sure about boys as they were mostly wearing long pants. Sears commonly shows boys wearing long stockings with short pants, as with the image here (figure 1). I do not think that this is a good reflection of boys clothing conventions. Rather it was the only way that Sears could use boy models. If the boys wore long pants you could not see the stockings.

A HBC reader writes, "Your commentary says (in the first paragraph): "the only long stockings we notice to any extent by 1945 were those worn by small boys ..." This statement seems untrue to me because, according to the Sears catalog for 1944-45, the popularity of long stockings was almost exactly the same as that for the previous year. I wouldn't regard the boy in the illustration wearing an Eton collar as exactly a "small boy". He looks to me to be about 9 or 10 years old. If you changed the date to "1946" in this statement, it would be much truer to the evidence, I believe. You obviously disagree with my earlier comment analyzing these Sears ads added to the 1930s long stocking chronology that there seems to have been a brief revival of interest in the style of boys wearing long stockings with short pants between about 1937 and 1944-45. I base this conclusion on the sudden proliferation of ads in both Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs for long stockings and the garter waists that were needed as an accompaniment. There was a new prominence for these products during this period that hadn't appeared earlier and that almost immediately ceased in 1946. Your disagreement is fine, of course. Reasonable people can certainly differ. But would you be willing to include my opinion on this as a minority report or comment from an HBC reader who has studied the catalog evidence pretty thoroughly? Just a suggestion." HBC's concern here is that we are not sure to what extent the long stockings shown here were worn by boys, especially older boys. The boy show here in the advertisement is certainly not a little boy. Our problem is that we do not see boys wearing long stockings, at lest with short pants in the photographic record that HBC has archived. The only place we see these images in the mail order catalogs which leads us to questioin he accuracy of the depictions. As an aside. I was born in 1943 and never wore long stockings or recall seeing anyone else wearing them.

Ad Copy

Sears on the page with the illustration here offered a variety of stockings. A general comment covers all the stockings on this page: "Children's full-length Stockings. The extra coverage of full length stockings gives your child extra warmth and protection. Long wear Pilgrim quality, choice of millions for over 31 years. These features prove their popularity. Neater fit ... legs are finely rib knit. More comfort . . .feet are flat knit, seamless. Less knee strain ... knit longer than average so garters won't show under short pants and skirts. No weak spots ... toes, heels are reinforced."

Fine quality, smooth combed cotton

The stockings displayed here with the boy with the Eton collar and the girl (figure 1) are described as follows: "The boy wears "Fine quality, smooth combed cotton. Pair 31 c 4 prs. $1.19. Softer stronger and smoother than ordinary cotton . . . gives this stocking a fine appearance. Knit in a narrow rib so they'll cling to the leg without unsightly bagging or wrinkling. Reinforced in the heels and toes to resist wear. Seamless flat knit feet add comfort active youngers need. Shpg. wt. pair, 3 oz. Colors: medium tan, dark tan, brownstone. Sizes: 6, 6 1/2, 7, 7 1/2, 8, 8 1/2, 9, 9 1/2, 10. 86 F 2613--State size and color." The girl wears " Rayon outside . . .soft cotton inside. Pair 38 c 3 prs. $1.10. Dressier than the stocking at left because the outer side has a lustrous, silk-like finish; inside is soft, smooth cotton for comfrot and warmth. Knit in extra fine guage for trim fit, good looks. Heavier mercerized cotton reinforces the heels and toes to give long wear. Seamless, flat knit feet for comfort. Shipping weight, pair, 3 oz. Colors: suntan, medium tan, white. Sizes: 6 1/2, 7, 7 1/2, 8, 8 1/2, 9, 9 1/2, 10. 86 F 2635--State size and color. Be sure of your size . . . see scale [keyed to shoe sizes] on opposite page."

Less expensive stockings

The stockings here are described from left to right--from the least expensive to the most expensive (figure 2).
Old favorite everydays: The ad copy read, "Old favorite `Everdays' of good quality cotton. Pair 24c Three pairs 70c. Good practical stockings; at such a low price you can afford all you want. Sturdy cotton that will give you satisfactory service. Legs are ribbed for neat fit and appearance. Flat knit feet insure comfort. Shpg. wt., pair, 3 oz. Colors: tan, brown. Sizes: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 in half sizes. 86 F 4509--State size and color."
Good looking: The ad copy read, "Good looking rayon and cotton Stockings. Pair 34c 3 Pairs $1.00. Mixture of rayon and cotton yarns gives this stocking a flattering, silky finish, adds to the warmth and wear. Fine ribbed for snug fit. Flat knit soles. Reinforced heels and toes increase wear. Shipping wt., pair, 3 oz. Colors: camel tan, tanbark (dark tan). Sizes: 6, 6 1/2, 7, 7 1/2, 8, 8 1/2, 9, 9 1/2. 86 F 2626--State size and color."
Fancy pattern: The ad copy read."Fancy pattern stitch . . . fine mercerized cotton. Pair 39c 2 Pairs 75c. Carbon copies of big sister's campus `longies' All over pattern is knit right in; stocking keeps its shape after many wearings. Knit longer to reduce knee strain. Flat knit sole. Reinforced heel, toe. Shpg. wt., pair, 4 oz. Color: suntones only. Sizes: 8, 8 1/2, 9, 9 1/2, 10, 10 1/2. 86 F 3640--State size wanted." [HBC note: Although this stocking could be worn by boys and perhaps was, it is obviously designed with girls, especially older girls, in mind.]
Extra fine grade: The ad copy read, "15% wool, 75% cotton. Extra fine guage. Pair 54c 2 Pairs $1.05 The wool adds comforting warmth in coldest weather; the cotton adds firmness and wear. Extra fine guage and smooth texture, better fit. Reinforced heel and toe. Flat knit sole for foot comfort. Shipping weight 4 oz. Colors: medium tan, nugrain (rich beige). Sizes 6 1/2, 7, 7 1/2, 8, 8 1/2, 9, 9 1/2."

Sizes

In the paragraph headed "Age" on this HBC page, the text says that we "assume the sizes [of stockings in these ads] refer to the child's age." We now know that this statement is false. The sizes of the stockings are correlated to the sizes of the childrens' shoes. On a different stocking page [a link here would be helpful--I'll try to find the URL for you] HBC actually shows a chart keying the stocking sizes to shoe sizes. And the sizing is further complicated because the size range for younger childrens' shoes is a different scale from that used for older childrens' shoes. According to this chart the larger size stockings (9, 9 1/2, and 10) would probably fit children from about 11 or 12 years to about 14 or even 15 years.

Eton Collars

We notice a boy wearing an Eton collar in a Sears catalog offering Pilgrim long stockings. Both garments were rapidly going out of fashion in 1943. I'm not sure if Sears was still offering Eton collars. This was another garment that we notice in the 1930s before the War, but much less common after the War. A reader writes, "Apparently Eton collars were worn throughout the 1940s by some boys. Isn't this one of your later images for Eton collars? When did they go out of style in America? I'm a bit unclear about that. A personal note: I believe that I wore Eton collars with some dress-up clothes in about 1940-41 with short pants and long stockings--rather like the boy in this Sears advertisement."







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Created: March 21, 2004
Last updated: 4:59 AM 12/6/2004