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Here is an advertisement for a "warm-weather" underwaist for boys, advertised in the Kansas City Star for 19 May, 1896 Ads like this were very common in local newspapers at the time. H & W was a brand name for underwaists. The actual manufacturer appeas to be the De Bevoise Waist Company. We also see it referred to as the Charleds R. De Bevoise Company. The company was an important manufacturer of women's corsets and bras. Many such companies also made children's waists. Underwaists were another type of support garment for children. They were primarily used to hold up long stockings which were very widely worn at the time.
H & W was a brand name for underwaists. The actual manufacturer appeas to be the De Bevoise Waist Company. We also see it referred to as the Charleds R. De Bevoise Company. The De Bevoise family was not French, but Dutch. They descended from French Huguenots who fled religious persecution in France during the 17th century. They found refuge in Protestant Netherlands and England. [Farrell-Beck and Gau, p. 18.] Some emigrated to America. They may have manufactured the Lindsay Garters as well. We know very little about the De Bevoise Company. We do not know when they were founded. We do note the companiy selling women's brassieres. This seems to have been their most important product line. In fact, it was Charles de Bevoise himself who invented a form fitting corset cover with built-in shoulders. He was the first to call these garments a brassiere--presumably to give it a fashionable image. This was a French word, but at the time in France describe an infant’s under bodice or harness. The French at the time called a bra 'souitien gorge’ (literally throat support. We notice the company still making bras in 1915. Many waist companies had similar product lines.
Here is an advertisement for a "warm-weather" underwaist for boys, advertised in the Kansas City Star for 19 May, 1896, page 10. Ads like this were very common in local newspapers at the time. The ad is quite prominent and takes up about a quarter of the newspaper page. We are not sure how ads like this which were very common were paid for. Sometimes they mentioned specific stores. This one indicated that the H & W Underwaist were available in all Kansas City stores.
One would think that by May a boy would have shed his long underwear, but in the late 19th century long underwear was often worn by boys and men the year round. The underwear shown seems to be heavy cotton or wool in a grey textured knit. Notice that the boy seems to be wearing an undershirt with chest buttons and separate drawers (not a union suit).
Underwaists were another type of support garment for children. Underwaists (sometimes called panty-waists) were worn by younger boys and girls to support additional underwear (such as bloomers or panties) or outer clothing (such as trousers or skirts). These bodices tended to be worn by boys only until about age 10, although some models came in ages for boys as old as 12. Some models were specifically for girls and others for boys, but the great majority of styles could be worn by both boys and girls. They tended to be made of elastic knitted fabric (and therefore rather form-fitting) or of cambric material and a bit looser. They nearly always were equipped with reinforcement straps, waist buttons, and garter tabs for attaching hose supporters. The popularity of underwaists declined in the later 1930s and early 1940s although they were still available, usually in the preferred knitted style, up until about 1945. When long stockings stopped being worn by school children, the main function of the underwaist ceased to exist.
The waist is designed to be as cool as possible with low-cut chest and back and very large arm holes so as not to bind the
boy's movements.
The underwaist here serves as both a means of holding up knee pants and long stockings. This was done by attaching elastic suspender garters.
Notice the "suspender attachment" (shown in the back view). There are two elastic extensions attached to the shoulder straps in the rear which attach to buttons on the boy's knee trousers in back. There are also buttons on the waist for attaching the knee pants in front. The supporters have a different brand name--Lindsay. They could be purchased separately. They are detachable, although it is not entirely clear how they fasten to the waist. They may be buckled on or buttoned on. Some may have been sewed on. This was before the safety-pin attachment for garters had become standard.
Of course the boy is shown wearing black long stockings, the almost invariable color for boys in 1896 and girls commonly wore them as well.
No age sizes or prices are given. Most underwaists were made in sizes from 2 to 12 (age sizes) and often also for children of age 14. The boy in the illustration looks as though he were about 10 or 11.
The prices at this time were usually between 12 cents and 25 cents with the supporters costing extra. The reason no price is cited is because the ad says that that the waist can be purchased "at all stores in Kansas City" and prices probably varied slightly from store to store.
the text of the ad copy read, "H. & W. Underwaist. The right Kind for Warm Weather. Style No. 25.
Open Front for Boys. Cut Low, Suspender Attachment on the Back.
Lindsay Hose Supporters at the Sides. No harness, childen can dress
themselves. Other styles for girls and babies. At All Stores in
Kansas City. Send Postal for Illustrated Booklet to De Bevoise Waist
Company, Flushing, N. Y."
Farrell-Beck, Jane and Colleen Gau. Uplift.
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