Figure 1.--The Best 1892-93 fall and Winter catalog offered some 20 different shirt-like tops for younger boys on 3 pages. The main heading is shirt waists, a basic shirt like garment for detachable collars. The first two first two illustrations such as 102 here, however, show a top with a collar. We might call it a blouse today, but Best seems to only use the term 'blouse' for tops that actually blouced. None of these tops has shirt tails. The ad copy has a lot of informatioin, but unfortunately not the major types like shirt waist, blouse, and shirt. The illustrations are still basic because of the still developing lithographic technology.

Modern terms for shirts, blouses, an shirt waists were not well eatablished. We see shirt waists with collars and blouses were only the type that actually bloused. Most of the shirt-like tops for boys that we have found are done without shirt tails. We have found material from the Best & Co, an important New York City Department Store in their 1892-93 Fall and Winrer catalog. They called their children's section, Liliputian Bazaar and the heading is 'Shirt Waists'. We see blouses and shirts as well as shirt waists, but no shirts with tails. The 102 item here is an example (figure 1). Note that it has an attched collar, although under the shirt-waist heading. Blouses at the time were not just for girls, but widely worn by boys. Some were quite fancy Fauntleroy blouses, others were rather plain and could be worn with detachable collars. Boys commonly wore blouses in the 1890s, but Best reserves the terms for tops that actually blousded out. It became accepted for boys to wear blouses and othev shirt-like tops without suit jackets during the summer. Thus the phrase, 'shirt-waist youngsters'.

Best Department Store

The Best & Company appaers to have been an important New York City department store that went natioanl. The built a large store at 645 5th Avenue at East 51st Street, NE Corner (Wing on 52nd Street). It was located in Midtown Manhattan. The building was replaced by the Olympic Tower of Aristotle Onassis. I am not sure when the company was founded, but it must have been in the mid-19th century. We note the company handling Little Lord Fauntleroy suits, probably in the 1890s. We note a catalog with rompers from 1912. We note that the company was active in the 1950s and 60s. They varried an extensive line of fashionanle clothes. One fashion writer in 1957 noted that Kays Thompson, author of Eloise autographed at Best & Company in New York where various Eloise products were available. We know that Best & Company was a major U.S. depattment store chain, but have little information on the company at this time. A reader tells us, "There was a branch store in Scarsdale in the Lord & Taylor shopping center at least through part of the 60's. Every coat of my childhood was purchased there and I was born in 1954." Our reader goes on to describe the local department stores and where Best & Company fitted in to the trade. "Better than high end as L&T (the local vernacular) was/is a large store where one could browse "invisibly" if one was not quite comfortable. But, the Best & Co., in Scarsdale, was a small store where what you wore & bought , how you spoke & whether or not you were a regular was definitely noticed. L&T like Saks had 90 percent fine merchandise. Once in a while you'd find something some silly buyer snuck in that was trendy but had crooked seams or other imperfections. There was never anything trendy at Best & Co. Never anything that wasn't made perfectly with French seams everywhere! The only bargain there was the quality, nothing would ever go out of style as everything there was a classic & everything was made well enough to last forever. It purchased a Best & Co. vintage Eton suit for my then 3 yr old son to wear to a wedding . The garment must have been 50 years old. It was in perfect condition & survived my son dancing, crawling under tables , etc."

Figure 2.--Here we see another top with a collar. It was Best item 109. We would call mit a blouse, but Best seems to only use the term 'blouse' for tops that actually blouced. None of these tops has shirt tails. The ad copy has a lot of information, but unfortunately not the major types like shirt waist, blouse, and shirt. This one looks to have a pleated front.

Liliputian Baazar: Shirt Waists

Modern terms for shirts, blouses, an shirt waists were not well eatablished. We see shirt waists with collars and blouses were only the type that actually bloused. Most of the shirt-like tops for boys that we have found are done without shirt tails. We have found material from the Best & Co, an important New York City Department Store in their 1892-93 Fall and Winrer catalog. They called their children's section, Liliputian Bazaar and the heading is 'Shirt Waists'. We see blouses and shirts as well as shirt waists, but no shirts with tails. The 102 item here is an example (figure 1). Note that it has an attched collar, although under the shirt-waist heading. Blouses at the time were not just for girls, but widely worn by boys. Some were quite fancy Fauntleroy blouses, others were rather plain and could be worn with detachable collars. Boys commonly wore blouses in the 1890s, but Best reserves the terms for tops that actually blousded out. It became accepted for boys to wear blouses and othev shirt-like tops without suit jackets during the summer. Thus the phrase, 'shirt-waist youngsters'.

Figure 3.--Best describes this item as a 'full-dress bosom' with a shirt effect. We would call it a formal shirt waisr. The Best 1892-93 fall and Winter catalog offered some 20 different shirt-like tops for younger boys on 3 pages. The main heading is shirt waists, a basic shirt like garment for detachable collars. .

Lithography

The lithographic process that enabled images to be printed without an expesive engrving was still fairly basic at the beginning of the 1890s decade. Thus the illustrations here are still rather basic and only forovided for a few of the items offered. And there are not very many of them. This was not uncommon in 19th century bcatalogs. There are only six illustrartions for the various items. We rather wonder how mothers could make a selection of the items not illistrated and thus had no way of knowing what they looked like. As you might realise. Items with very similar descriptions here look very different basedx on the illustratiins provided. Huge progress was made during the 1890s in the field of lithography and by the end of the decade we begin to see beautiful full color prints in commercial packaging and catalogs. We also begin to see not only many more drawings in catalogs and magazines, but half-tone reporoductions of photographs. This was at first expensive, but the cost rapidly declined, meaning that the number and quality of images rapidly increased after the turn-of-the 20th century.

Offerings

The main heading for these boys tops were 'Shirt Waists'. We are not entirely sure just how Best is using the term or how the industry used the term in the 1890s. As period usage varied over time as wella s from stoire to country. Wehave adopted stamndard termomologu for HBC ans we use shoirt waust to mean a shiort-like harment without ba collar on which detacjhable collars were used. The caption read, "'Best & Co.' Shirt Waists are without question the most Perfect Firring Waists made, and of superior wormanship. Our sections include the very latest novelties in foreign and donestic fabrics, and comprise in their entirety the most comprehensive assortment ever shown. The Best Department Store 1892-93 fall and Winter catalog offered some 30 different shirt-like tops for younger boys on 3 pages. The main heading is shirt waists, a basic shirt like garment for detachable collars. The first two first two illustrations such as 102 here, however, show a top with a collar. We might call it a blouse today, but Best seems to only use the term 'blouse' for tops that actually blouced. The modern usage does not require bloucing, but basically is ahirt-like garment without tails. None of these tops has shirt tails. The ad copy has a lot of information, but unfortunately not the major types like shirt waist, blouse, and shirt. The first two pages here fall unfer the Shirt Waist heasing. The thiord page is the Nainsook and Silk Blouse heading. The ages are not detailed with most of the items, but they were mostly forbboys 3-8 years old.

Figure 4.--No doubt about what item 117 was, it is a fancy Fauntleroy tpo. We woukd call it a fauntleriy blouse. besr put in the shairt waist category because it does not blouxe at the waist.

Shirt Waists (page 4)

The various offerings are interestinf. Notice all the colors and patterns. We see some in the photographic record, but despite all the different selectuins, plain white seems the most common. The images are shown (figires 1 and 2). The items derailed included:

102: "Best quqality Garner's [we think a manufacturer] cambric, in small, medium and large figures; also plaids, and narrow , medium and wide strios in handsome collorings and effects. Laundered ..... $0.90." Cambric was a shirting fabric, lightweight, closely woven white linen or cotton fabric. We see the blouse here as figure 1.
104: Best quality seersucker, of fancy colorings in stripes making a very prettuy and wrarresistant waist. laundered ..... $0.90."
105: "Best quality cammbric, in dark, anvy and mnedium blue (indigo) grounds with white figures and stripes, and red dots with white stripes. Laundered. ..... $0.98."
107: "Best quality French percale, handsome effects in fancy combunations of stripes and small and medium figures. Laundered. $1.35.
108: "White, all linnen. Laundered. ..... $1.34."
109: "White cambric, with linnen collars and cuffs. Laundered. ..... $0.90." This is the blouse illustrated here(figure 2).
110: "White, pure Irish linnen (extra heavy) ..... $2.00." This was an especially expensive blouse.

Figure 5.--Best puts item 121 here in the blouse section becaise it blouses at the waist. It is a very fancy Fautnleroy blouse. Best describes the fancy work as 'feather banding'. We are not sure what this means in term of decorative clothing.

Uncaptioned (page 5)

This page is uncaptioned. We think that means it is a continuation of the shirt waist section beginning on page 4. The illustraing images show a plain front blouse and a fancy Fauntleroy blouse (images 3 and 4).

112: "White cambric, made without collars and cuffs, to be worn with detachable collars and cuffs, style of 115, plaited front. Laundered. ..... $0.84." This is what we would call a shirt waist.
113: "White cambric, with linnen stanmding pointed end collar. Laundered. ..... $0.95."
115: "White cambric, linnen bosom (full dress) shirt effect, with open bosom spiral holes for two studs. Laundered. ..... $1.35." This formal shiet waist can be can be seen here in figure 3.
117: "White cambric, with linnen collars and cuffs, embroidered edge on collar and cuffs. Cuffs to turn back. Sizes 3 to 8 years. Laundered. ..... $1.65." There is no doubt about what this one is (figur e4). It is a fancy Fauntleroy blouse. Best puts in the shirt waist category because it does not blouse at the waust.
118: "White cambric, linnen collar and cuffs, gluted edge on collar and cuffs. Cuffs turned back. Laundered. ..... $1.90."
119: "Fine white, solid embroidered front, with fine enbroidered edge on linen collars and cuffs. Cuffs to turm back. Sizes 3 to 6 years. Laundered. ..... $3.50.|

Nainsook and Silk Blouses (page 6)

The two illustrations here are both blouses with collars and draw-string waist bloucing. These are all bouces with waist draw string blouses. We are no sure why 'laundered' is not mentioned like the other items. The images are shown here (figures 5 and 6). It may be due to the different fabrics used. The heading here does seem to relect the the type of items. They aee all bouses and blouses that reflect the Best defiition of tops that blouced out at the waist. The sizes were 3 to 8 years of age. Best also tells clients, "Larger sizes to order", meaning that they could be made for older children. Best also advises that they were "Suitable for boys and girls."

Figure 6.--Best item 124 here is a plainer blose with a Peter Pan collar. The price, however, was just the same as the fancy 121 blouse. We are not sure why that was. .

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