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The year 1885 was a major turning point in Amerivan boys' fashion. It was the year Mrs. Burnett published her book, Little Lord Fauntleroy. The outfits do not begin to show up in the catalogs, however, until the following year. The shift to knee pants is becoming increasingly apparent in both the phorographic record and catalog offerings. American boys in the 1880s begin to commonly wear knee pants, although older boys still mostly wear long pants. The N.J. Schloss & Co catalog shows a range of knee pants and long pants outfits. Sailor suits seem popular. Boys commonly wore knee pants suits with long stockings. Notice the trim fitting cut. Only the very youngest boys wear short socks. Thus we begin to see garments to hold up the stockings. We notice an L. Stein ad for stocking supporters (1885). Strawbridge and Clothier (a Philadelphia department store) published a quarterly magazine, the "Strawbridge and Clothier Quarterly" which was essentially a catalogue of clothing with emphasis on women's and children's wear. One example of their advertising is an illustration of two types of early stocking supporters for girls and boys (they would later be called garter waists) for children from 3-12 years old. Strawbridge and Clothiers Quarterly (Winter issue, 1885-86), p. 419.
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