Waist Union Suits/Waist Suits


Figure 1.-- With the increasing popularity of short pants after world war I, new styles of underwear had to be developed. This advertisement for Nazareth Children's Underwear advised parents, "While Nazareth undergarments retain the old-fashioned comfort which only knitted fabrics can give, Nazareth styles are thoroughly modern. Necks, sleeves and legs are cut to harmonize ith junior styles in outer garments. This ad appeared in "Parents Magazine" (October 1929)."

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.

Terminology

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.

Chronology

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.

Gender

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.

Ages

Waist union suits were made for children (both boys and girls) in sizes from about 2 to 16 years of age. This varied some wehat over time, although waist union suits were sold for a rather nsrrow window of time. The most common sizes seem to be about 3-13 years of age, but we are still assessing this. We alkso notice sizes 14-16 years. We have found several examples of waist union suits for older children. One example is the Trenton, New Jersey Evening Times (April 14, 1922, p. 32) which read, "Children's fine ribbed cotton body waist union suits, athletic style, trunk knee, drop seat, sizes 4 to 16 years. Limited quantity. Extra special at 69c." Another advertisement in the same newspaper (May 8, 1922, p. 18) read, "Boys' fine quality Nainsook waist union suits, sizes 2 to 16 years, 65c suit.". Most children who wore them were probably under the age of 14 years, but this is virtually impossible to determine. What is clear is that they were made up to size 16 years. It is possibe a few were made in larger sizes, but we cannot yet confirm this. It is likely that the older children wearing them were mostly girls, but we note teenage boys wearing long stockings which these garments as well as other support garments were used to hold up. And note that one of the Evening Times ads specifies boys rather than children. The main brands (E-Z and Nazareth) went up to age 14, but some waist union suits were sold for children (even boys) as old as 16 years as we note above. We suspect that older boys wearing long stockings would have worn either these waist union suits or suspender waists. We mostly see teenage boy wearing long stockings in the 1900s and 10s. By the 1920s when these waist union suits were most common, we begin to see fewer teenagers, especially older teenager boys, wearing long stockings and virtually none by the 30s. By the mid-1930s the age limit drops in most cases to 12 years.

Construction

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.

Purpose

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.

Supporting Long Stockings

Waist union suits were designed to support long stockings. But to support the stockings, garters designed to grip the stockings had to be attached. Many mothers used safty pins, but this was not very satisfactory because it led to wear and tear on the shirt/blouse or other garments as well as the stockings. Not only was the regular material not strong enough to stand stress, but there was no elasticity in the arrangement. So gradually companies began to desiign more efficient garments to support the long stockings. This was a huge potential market as virtually all American children wore long stovkings. Quite a number of individuals and companies designed a variety of items and refinements to address this problem. These garments became more and more important as long stockings became increasingly important for both boys and girls. One of the garments created was the undewaist. This provided a sturdy garment for supporting hosiery and other garments. Another step was creating the garters designed to grip the stockings with out tearing them. And finally it was necessary to design a way of attaching the garters to the waist. They were also used on waist union suits. Several methods were invented for this: 1) pin tubes, 2) eyelets, 3) and tape loops. So we are speaking here of various styles of garter tabs, i.e., ways of attaching the supporter to an underwaist or waist union suit. One of the most important methods was the pin tunbes. We note they were also called "metal garter tabs".

Seasonality

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.

Country

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.

Examples

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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Created: 6:00 PM 10/19/2004
Last updated: 12:40 AM 9/26/2011