Figure 1.--We notice a magazine advertisement for Top Flight Corduroy from the Crompton-Richmond Company. We do not know the nmagazine in which the ad appeared, only that it was some time in 1944. Given the school imagery, you might guess it was a September issue. It is a rather unusual ad in that it was promoting the company's fabric and not actual clothing. The company does not seem to be very up with fashion trends, curious because they are stressing hiow boys want to be dressed like their friends. In fact the clothing depicted seems rather dated and even more curious, instead of a mass market appeal they seem to have chosen to depict a private school.

We have not been able to find many clothing items from 1944. We get the impression that there was less advertising during the War and 1944 was the peak of the war-effort for the United States. We do notice a magazine advertisement for Top Flight Corduroy from the Crompton-Richmond Company. We do not know the nmagazine in which the ad appeared, only that it was some time in 1944. Given the school imagery, you might guess it was a September issue. It is a rather unusual ad in that it was promoting the company's fabric and not actual clothing. The company does not seem to be very up with fashion trends, curious because they are stressing hiow boys want to be dressed like their friends. In fact the clothing depicted seems rather dated and even more curious, instead of a mass market appeal they seem to have chosen to depict a private school. The ad was headed, ".. is your son ready for school?" The ad copy is difficult to read, but says something like, "Start your boy in school with the poise and assurance he needs for a normal happy life. Psychologists say a great factor in a boy's relations with his friends is his confidence that he looks like other boy, that he is dressed as well as they are. Corduroy heads the list as the favorite fabric for boys' knickers, slacks and jackets. When you buy corduroy, be sure to get the best. ... TOP FLIGHT* Corduroy by Crompton. It's made especially for hard hitting youngsters, woven with a fast anchored pile that can stand plenty of wear and tear. At it is smartly patterned to give your son the feeling that he is well dressed, that he's 'in' with his friends." Corduroy was one of the mot popular fabrics for school children diring the inter-War period, especially boys, because of its hard wearing charateristics. This was the period before jeans and denim were so commion. What is curious here is that it was not an expensive fabric worn by upper-class boys. We doubt if very many private schools had unifiorms made with corduroy. And by 1944 we no longer see trendy boys wearing knickers. We do not know if an actual school is depicted here, it rathger looks like one. Notice the school uniform peaked caps. Also notice the hosiery. One of these boys seem to be long stockings rather than knee socks and both the boys wearing knickers have plain hose rather than the patterened knee socks more commonly worn with knickers during the 1930s and early-40s. A reader writes, "Yes, I agree, the boys seem to be wearing normal tan full length stockings rather than knee socks. Most American knee socks at the time had bold patterning or at least colored bands around the top that would show on top of where the knickers buckled or closed. I remember that many mothers preferred the more formal look of plain tan stockings which required garter waists, although I never wore long stockings with knickers--only shorts. But we know that this practice continued. Long stockings were still being sold (tan, beige, "champagne," fawn, and other such colors) in 1944 and were available at both Sears and Montgomery Ward's." A school with a uniform might want the plain knee sicks/stockings rther than all kinds of bold patterns, but we can not dtermine if an actial pattern is being depicted here. We think it night be because other wise the ad coimpany would have had to pay for four models and outfit them in matching suits.

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Created: 11:16 PM 9/28/2011
Last updated: 8:19 PM 9/29/2011