Figure 1.--The Maxon Shirt Company in Greenvill, South Carolina place an ad in April 1959 issue of Parents' Magazine Carnegie "Hi" Society sets, short-slleved checked shirts and walk shorts. The shorts had a belt that matched the shirt (figure 1). The ad showed a boy calling home from camp, "Hi mom ...." Notice the stylish crewcut. |
American mail order catalogs offer a very useful time line on changing fashion trends. American mail order catalogs in 1959 featured plaid shirts for school. Boys were wearing mostly slacks and jeans. Some boys wore short pants as dress wear, but it was increasingly less commonn, except for younger boys. Shorts were beginning to become popular as casual wear, even for older boys. Parents' Magazine and orher similar publications ran ads showed nicely tailored and designed clothes The Maxon Shirt Company in Greenvill, South Carolina place an ad in April 1959 issue of Parents' Magazine Carnegie "Hi" Society sets, short-slleved checked shirts and walk shorts.
Flannel shirts were popular for elementary school. Both checks and plaids were worn.
The Maxon Shirt Company in Greenvill, South Carolina place an ad in April 1959 issue of Parents' Magazine Carnegie "Hi" Society sets, short-slleved checked shirts and walk shorts. The shorts had a belt that matched the shirt (figure 1). The ad showed a boy calling home from camp, "Hi mom ...." The ad copy read, "Join America's fashionable young moderns. No inituation ... no membership card ... All you need is a hankering to beca well-dressed boy. And that's what you will be evet time you don a CARNEGIE 'HI" SOCIETY outfit of coordinated shrt and walking shorts. Tailored from finest Wash and Wear cottons. At better Boys Shops and Departments." Of course few boys at camp were all that interested in veing a "fashionable young modern". It is interesting that this outfit was pictured as being worn by a teen-ager, but at camp and not at home.
Coats hung down further than jackets, the length depending on the style of coat. Parkas were also available.
Short jackets were popular for school. Elementary boys might have fake fur on the collar, but this was less popular with high school boys. Letter jackets were especilly popular for high school.
Jeans were worn by most elementary school boys, although many high schools did not permit them. They were worn cowboy style with big cuffs, so that had to be bought long. Older boys wore slacks to school. Khaki slacks were common. Younger boys might wear boxer or camp short pants. Older boys would wear longer cut "walk" or "walking shorts" shorts.
The Maxon Shirt Company in Greenvill, South Carolina place an ad in April 1959 issue of Parents' Magazine Carnegie "Hi" Society sets, short-slleved checked shirts and walk shorts. The shorts had a belt that matched the shirt (figure 1). The ad showed a boy calling home from camp, "Hi mom ...." The ad copy read, "Join America's fashionable young moderns. No inituation ... no membership card ... All you need is a hankering to beca well-dressed boy. And that's what you will be evet time you don a CARNEGIE 'HI" SOCIETY outfit of coordinated shrt and walking shorts. Tailored from finest Wash and Wear cottons. At better Boys Shops and Departments." Of course few boys at camp were all that interested in veing a "fashionable young modern". It is interesting that this outfit was pictured as being worn by a teen-ager, but at camp and not at home.
Some outfits for younger boys and girls are described as playwear.
Moys most wore ankle socks. White socks were not yet as as common as they were to become for boys. Kneesocks had not yet totally disappeared, but they were by 1955 not commonly worn by boys.
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