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In the early 1920s the waist union suit was developed and remained popular until the 1940s. This garment (for both boys and girls up until about the age of 13) combined the basic one-piece union suit, the standard form of children's underwear, with the underwaist (with reinforcement straps, waist buttons, and garter tabs) so that a single garment could do duty for two. Wearing one layer rather than two made getting dressed easier, and mothers saved money by not having to buy both a union suit and an underwaist or garter waist. These suits were sometimes referred to as "combination suits." Waist union suits came in both summer and winter styles. The summer style was usually made of nainsook and was like a junior version of adult BVDs. It had short legs and was usually sleeveless so as to be cool. Usually
the girl's summer style was a bit different from the boy's summer style, the latter having front buttons from the neck to the crotch. The winter style was knitted like ordinary union suits and could be had with short sleeves and knee-length legs or with long sleeves and ankle-length legs. All these garments, whether winter or summer, or whether for boys or girls, were equipped with waist buttons for outer clothing and tabs for hose supporters. Waist union suits normally had all the features of an underwaist plus the usual features of a summer or winter union suit. These went out of style in the mid-1940s when long stockings ceased to be widely worn and when garter tabs on underwear were no longer necessary.
Another type of waist is the “waist suits” or “waist union suits”. Waist union suits are a sub-category of union suits. Waist union suits are like other union suits, but, in addition, they have the features of an underwaist (reinforcement straps, waist buttons, and garter tabs). Waist union suits were often referred to as just waist suits for short. These suits were sometimes referred to as "combination suits." The term"waist suit" can be confusing as waists and underwaists were a different garment.
Waist union suits became popular during the early 1920s although a few models had existed before this. They went out of fashion in the mid-1940s after boys and girls had ceased to wear long stockings (for boys, with short pants or knickers) to school and after the wearing of long pants became more common for younger boys. In the early 1920s the “waist union suit” for children was invented, which combined the functions of the adult-style underwear with those of the “waist” so that only one undergarment was necessary. I'm not sure what company first produced this innovation. Waist union suits were widely worn in the 1920s and 30s. They rapidly declined in popularity in the 1940s. These went out of style during the 1940s when long stockings ceased to be widely worn . Boys for the most part ceased wearing either short pants or knickers into their teen-age years and began to wear long trousers at earlier age. Girls continued to wear long stockings a little longer. With the disappearance of long stockings, garter tabs on underwear were no longer necessary.
Waist union suits were worn by both boys and girls. Some suits were worn byboth boys and girls. There were some waist union suits with gender-specific detailing.
Waist union suits were made for children (both boys and girls) in sizes from about 2 to 13 years of age. Occassional we note them in sizes up to 14 years. Most children who wore them were under the age of 13. This was especially true for boys, but some older children wore them.
Waist union suits combined the basic one-piece union suit, the standard form of children's underwear, with the underwaist (with reinforcement straps, waist buttons, and garter tabs). All these garments, whether winter or summer, or whether for boys or girls, were equipped with waist buttons for outer clothing and tabs for hose supporters. Waist union suits normally had all the features of an underwaist plus the usual features of a summer or winter union suit. They differed from ordinary union suits in having built into their construction the additional functions of a waist—that is, they had reinforcing straps over the shoulders to which extra waist buttons were sewn for the support of other clothing such as bloomers, short pants, skirts, etc. They also were equipped with garter tabs at the sides for the attachment of pin-on hose supporters so that long stockings could be worn without a separate garter waist. The waist union suit combined the function of the waist or hose supporter with that of traditional one-piece underwear.
Combining a unon suit with straps, buttons, and tabs meant that a single garment could do duty for two. Wearing one layer rather than two made getting dressed easier, and mothers saved money by not having to buy both a union suit and an underwaist or garter waist.
Waist union suits came in both summer and winter styles. The summer style was usually made of nainsook and was like a junior version of adult BVDs. It had short legs and was usually sleeveless so as to be cool. Usually the girl's summer style was a bit different from the boy's summer style, the latter having front buttons from the neck to the crotch. The winter style was knitted like ordinary union suits and could be had with short sleeves and knee-length legs or with long sleeves and ankle-length legs.
The waist union suit seems to have primarily been an Amercan garment. They were prbably worn in Canada, but we have not yet noticed them in Canada.
Good examples are the different styles of waist suits offered by Sexton in 1921, Nazareth in 1929, and Haines in 1933. Another example is the Sears 1938-39 Fall and Winter catalog Also see the HBC pages on Nazareth and Hanes waist suits (advertised in Parents Magazine). We also have an actual example, a vintage waist union suit. This one was the Acorn brand.
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