Figure 1.-- This is an advertisement from 'The Trenton Evening Times' (April 24, 1907), page 4, for Boys' furnishings, some of which are illustrated provide a useful look at boys' clothing in 1907. Since the ad appeared in late April, it is probable that the store had in mind mothers shopping for their sons' Easter clothes. The store in question was R.A. Donnelly's, 12 South Broad St. in Trenton, N.J. It is referred to as "R. A. Donnelly's, the Well-Known Shop." They are advertising their spring line in the Children's Department.

This is advertisement from The Trenton Evening Times (April 24, 1907), page 4, for Boys' furnishings, some of which are illustrated provide a useful look at boys' clothing in 1907. Since the ad appeared in late April, it is probable that the store had in mind mothers shopping for their sons' Easter clothes. The store in question was R.A. Donnelly's, 12 South Broad St. in Trenton, N.J. It is referred to as "R. A. Donnelly's, the Well-Known Shop." They are advertising their spring line in the "Children's Department". Interestingly, the hose supporters identified as waists were prominately displayed in the ad. Donnelly offered three different undewaists, two of which were illustrated. This emphasizes just how important these items were at thge time. The ad stresses that they were 'the kind that appeal to boys'. In the code of advertisers this suggests thst boys did not like them. The sizes were not specified.

Newpaper Advertizing

Newspapers were a major adveruzing conduit thrtoughout the 20th century. An advertisement from The Trenton Evening Times (April 24, 1907), page 4, for Boys' furnishings, some of which are illustrated provide a useful look at boys' clothing in 1907. Since the ad appeared in late April, it is probable that the store had in mind mothers shopping for their sons' Easter clothes.

Little Beauty Waists

Little Beauty is the brand name of the waists pictured here. The term waist as used here means underwaists. An underwaist was a type of stocking supporter, but had other purposes as well. Little Beauty was a well-known brand of children's underwaists, and we see many mentions of this brand in newspaper advertisements during the 1900s and 1910s. The brand seems to have died out by the late 1920s. The suspender waist is very much like the Dr. Parker Waist, although the Dr. Parker waist came with the supporters already attached. This brand had waists for both boys and girls, but the models shown are those specifically for boys. The girls' models are not shown or even mentioned.

R.A. Donnelly: Children's Department

The store in question was R.A. Donnelly's, 12 South Broad St. in Trenton, N.J. It is referred to as "R. A. Donnelly's, the Well-Known Shop." They are advertising their spring line in the "Children's Department". We believe it wa a clothing store rather than a general department store. We are not sure that Donnelly's sold boys's suits or shoes. It looks as though they went in for haberdashery--shirts, blouses, suspenders, underwear, collars, belts, hosiery, and the like. The items featured in this advertisement only items for boys. In the upper left hand corner we see a boy playing with his little dog and wearing a patterned shirt (or waist) with detachable white collar and floppy bow tie. In the upper right hand corner we see an older boy reading in a chair and apparently wearing a dark shirt with wing collar and bow tie and also wearing long trousers. He may have on a dark suit, although neither suits or trousers are mentioned in the ad. Perhaps this is merely to illustrate the wing collar.

Underwaists

Underwaists were another type of support garment. 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.

Underwaists Offered by Donnelly

Interestingly, the underwaists were prominately displayed in the ad. You would think that items like caps, shirts, and pants would be more prominately displayed. Donnelly offered three different undewaists, two of which were illustrated. The primary butb not exclisive purpose of underwaists was to serve as stocking supporters. As the illustrations are torso views we can not be sure as to how they were being used. Our guess is that the use as stocking supporters was so common, it was not deemed necessary to show the stockings. The use of two out of four illustrations to show underwaists emphasizes just how important these items were. The brand name is "Little Beauty" and the store insists that they were 'the kind that appeal to boys'. In the code of advertisers this suggests that boys did not like them. (Adverytisers often denied the obvious.) The sizes were not specified. Two are illustrated in the lower left and right corners of the Donnelly ad. we see two different models of "Little Beauty" waists for boys--one is an underwaist with adjustable shoulder straps, reinforced straps down chest and back with taped-on buttons for trousers and eyelet tabs at the sides for attaching supporters for long stockings; the other is a "suspender waist" (a waist band held up by suspenders with buttons for knee trousers and tabs at the sides for supporters). Both waists are worn over long-sleeved and long-legged union suits. Little Beauty was a well-known brand of children's underwaists, and we see many mentions of this brand in newspaper advertisements during the 1900s and 1910s. The brand seems to have died out by the late 1920s. The suspender waist is very much like the Dr. Parker Waist, although the Dr. Parker waist came with the supporters already attached. Donnelly's doesn't mention boys' supporters, but since both styles of waist have the tabs for attaching them, I suspect that mothers could buy the supporters at the same counter as the waists. The shop also sold long stockings for boys (probably black, since no colors are mentioned).

Donnelly Ad Copy

Here is the ad copy text: "R. A. Donnelly's, the Well-Known Shop. Offerings From Our Children's Department. Spring Line Now Ready.
Boys' Underwaists, the kinds that appeal to boys, 25 c, 47 c and 50 c. [Note: underwaists here are a type of hose supporters. The illustrations picture two of these items, but there was three prices, presumably there was a third underwaust.]
Boys' Suspenders, 25 c and 50 c.
Boys' Hose [Note: This was probably primarily long stockings, butvthey might hsve had socks for younger children.] 9 c, 12 1/2 c, 25 c and 35 c.
Boys' Waists and Blouses, 25 c, 50 c, 75 c and $1.00 [Note: The waist referred to here is a shirt-like garment.]
Boys' Shirts, at 50 c, 85 c and $1.00
Boys' Belts, 25 c and 50 c.
Boys' Night Robes [Note: bath robes, dressing gowns], at 50 c and 75 c.
Boys' Pajamas, 75 c and $1.00.
Boys' Underwear, commencing at 25 c a garment [Note: probably union suits but also perhaps separate undershirts and drawers]
Boys' "Dressy" Gloves, $1.00 a pair.
Boys' Overalls, 25 ce and 50 c a pair.
Boys; Collars, 13 c and 15 c (to be worn with neckband shirts or waists and attached by collar buttons].
Boys' Cuffs, 12 1/2 c and 25 c a pair [Note: separate cuffs to be attached to shirt sleeves; like collars, cuffs got soiled more quickly than the body of the shirt or waist.]

A Large Assortment of the Above-Mentioned Articles. R. A. Donnelly's, 12 South Broad Street. Bell Phone 157. Inter-State Phone 1906 The two waists are labeled "Little Beauty Boys' Waist" and "Little Beauty Suspender Waist". Sizes are not given, but judging from other waist advertisements of the 1900s sizes usually ran in even sizes from 2 to 14 years of age. After the age of 14 many boys began to wear long trousers (although not all boys). Kazoo suspender waists were made for boys up to the age of 18 and 20, but boys older than 14 wouldn't have worn underwaists. Girls continued to wear underwaists up until the time they began wearing corsets (usually until about 18).

Terminology

There is still a bit of confusion about terms like waists, underwaists, and stocking/hose supporters. Little Beauty waists or other brands are not as synonymous with hose supporters. But notice that no hose supporters are attached in the two illustrations. Underwaists certainly had the function of supporting long stockings (if supporters were attached to them), but they were also used for other purposes such as buttoning on trousers and skirts, and (in the case of girls) additional underwear such as bloomers. We have usually distinguished underwaists from hose supporters on HBC although there is some overlap. ADvertisements refer to waists sometimes as garter waists, but children often wore waists without long stockings because they have other functions as well. So, since the pictures don't show hose supporters attached (although we know they could be attached), I think we are safer to refer to these garments simply as "underwaists" (left) and "suspender waists" (right). I realize we've had this confusion before, but if readers look at these pictures called "hose supporters" and see no attachment for long stockings, they will wonder what we are talking about. Does this help you at all? Remember that underwaists were most commonly sold without the hose supporters attached. These had to be purchased separately. Sometimes, of course, stores did attach the supporters and included both items in a single price to appeal to a mother's sense of economy.

Underwaist Prominance

It is interesting that the waists are so prominently featured. But we have read a lot of period newspaper ads for boys' clothes, and waists are always rather prominently mentioned and often illustrated. It may be true that boys didn't like wearing waists, although practically no boy grew up during the 1890s, 1900s. and 1910s without having to wear them since they were really essential for middle-class respectability. Also they got very hard use, so mothers were constantly having to replace them. The suspender waists were a bit more masculine in design and apparently preferred by boys to ordinary underwaists (which, remember, were also called panty waists, which became a term of ridicule for sissies). But unless you lived on a farm and wore only overalls, you would have to wear knee pants, and knee pants were almost always worn with long stockings. So you couldn't do without a waist unless you wore round garters, and this was discouraged. We don't see ads for boys' round garters. I have never seen these advertised in early newspapers and magazines as appropriate for boys.

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Created: 7:24 AM 6/29/2010
Last updated: 5:44 PM 6/29/2010