Figure 1.--This newspaper ad for boys' Sexton summer underwear appeared in the Lima Ohio News (June 6, 1921, p. 10 at the point in the year when boys would be shifting to cooler kinds of underwear. The boy illustrated in the ad (probably about 11 years old) is wearing a light-weight cotton union suit (of "dimity" material, similar in weight to nainsook but of a smoother texture) material) with adjustable shoulder straps, waist buttons for trousers that button on, and reinforcement straps over the shoulders to provide greater strength to the tabs at the sides for fastening hose supporters.

This newspaper ad for boys' Sexton sleeveless summer underwear appeared in the Lima Ohio News (June 6, 1921) at the point in the year when children would be shifting to cooler kinds of underwear. The boy illustrated in the ad (probably about 11 years old) is wearing a light-weight cotton union suit (of "dimity" material, similar in weight to nainsook but of a smoother texture) material) with adjustable shoulder straps, waist buttons for trousers that button on, and reinforcement straps over the shoulders to provide greater strength to the tabs at the sides for fastening hose supporters. Most schoolboys in 1921 wore long stockings even in the summer time. The suit has loose short legs. There is an alternative style for both boys and girls, but different legs for each gender. The boys had loose knees and the girls elasticized bloomer knees. The manufacturer is a firm called Sexton that made underwear and nightwear for children in the 1920s.

Sexton Manufacturing Co.

Sexton Manufacturing Co was a major manufacture of underwear in the United States. The company was locted in Fairfield, Illinois. The Sexton Manufacturing Co. was locted in Fairfield, Illinois. The company was founded by George C. Sexton from St. Louis who took over the Woolen Mills in Fairfield, Illinois, in 1907. The remodled mill made blue shirts and overalls, i.e., men's and boys' work clothes. In 1909 the company was in financial trouble, but was saved from ruin by Mr. Sexton's brother-in-law, H. G. Ferguson. At this point the Sexton Company began making men's athletic underwear. By 1917 the business was booming. In one week during World War I the company produced 150,000 pairs of underwear for the War Department. The Sexton boys' waist suits, advertised in 1921, were a boys' version of men's athletic nainsook union suits widely sold by the Sexton Co., but the boys' version featured reinforcement straps, waist buttons for fastening on short trousers, and special tabs for supporters that allowed the garters to be worn either inside or outside the underwear (a feature similar to that of Alheneeds made by Sprague). Almost universally, boys in 1921 needed provision for long stockings. In 1935 Mr. Ferguson sold stock to workers and local people in Fairfield, Illinois. Then the factory went out of business and most of the investors lost their money. The Sexton company provided employment and company-built housing for many people in Fairfield, Illinois, and was a major factor in the growth of the town. Sexton summer underwear (mostly union suits and waist union suits) was widely worn by men and boys throughout the United States for about 25 years (1910-35). Sexton often advertized in Goodhousekeeping Magazine. A good example is an 1921 advertosement.

Local Newspapers

Sexton extensively advertised its products durung the 1920s. We see ads in national mass-market magazines like Good Housekeeping. These ads are fairly easy to find because mny libraries have periodical collections. Sexton also advertised in local newspapers, but these are more difficult to find. We notice ads A newspaper ad for boys' Sexton sleeveless summer underwear appeared in the Lima Ohio News (June 6, 1921, p. 10).

Seasonality

Underwear was still very seasonal in 1921. Sexton placed this ad at the point in the year when boys would be shifting to cooler kinds of underwear. The fact that many families did not have centrally heated homes we believe is why seasonal underwear was still quite common.

Dimity

Dimity was first made in silk or wool, but beginning in the 18th century it became an essentially cotton fabric. This was the result of the Industrial Revolution which significantly reduced the cost of cotton fabric. Dimity tends to be sheer and the fabric characteristically has at least two warp threads thrown into relief creating thin cords. Dimity has been used for bed upholstery and curtains. It is normally white, sometimes with a printed colored pattern. It is madein different weughts, depending on the purpose. A fairly stout texture can be used for draperies. A softer texture dimity has been used for underwear or women's bustles. The material for the light-weight cotton union suit is dimity material, similar in weight to nainsook but of a smoother texture.

Union Suit

The union suit is a close-fitting underwear garment. The term union refers to the fact that a union suit involves the combination of both a shirt and pants (drawers) in a one piece suit. The garment commonly included a drop seat. This term began to be used in the 1890s. The term union suit was commonly used for adults. The children's version was a waist suit or a waist-union suit. Women also wore union suits. So did girls. But they were associated mainly with men because more men than women wore them. With boys and girls, I'm not sure. I think waist union suits were equally popular for boys and girls because of the waist feature. Union suits for children were essentially combination suits. But union suits without the reinforcement straps were mainly a boy's garment.

Age Conventions

The boy illustrated in the ad (probably about 11 years old). Sexton offered these union suits in sizes 2 to 12 years for boys and girls. There were also girls union suits for teenagers (sizes 14 and 16 years).

Construction

These union suits were sleeveless. Both union suits offered had adjustable shoulder straps. The second suit had waist buttons for trousers and skirts that button on, and reinforcement straps over the shoulders to provide greater strength to the tabs at the sides for fastening hose supporters.

Clothing

American boys commonly wore knickers in the 1920s. Some boys wire short pants, but knickers were more common. Older boys might wear long pants. Most school children wore lonstockings. While somewhat less common in the summer, many children also wore long stockings in the summer. This was still especially common in the early 20s, years like 1921. The suit has loose short legs as was made to be worn by boys with either knickrs or short pants.

Gender

These union suits were made for boys and girls. They were even made in larger sizes (14-16) for guirls. There was an alternative style for girls that has bloomer knees. In 1921 boys generally wore waists only up until age 12 or 13, so the boys' waist suits have basically the same age spread as the separate underwaists of the period. Boys who continued to wear long stockings after the age of 12 or 13 (as some boys did) would have worn ordinary untaped union suits and either garter waists or suspender waists for their stockings. Underwaists and waist union suits were considred too juvenile for boys after the age of 12, usually. But girls continued to wear underwaists as late as 16, and therefore waist union suits were made in larger sizes for them--up to the age of 16. The age distinction, however, is not hard and fast. We occasionally see waist suits for boys as old as 16 also, but this was exceptional.

Summer Underwear Ad Copy

Here is the full ad copy text for two summer union suits. The heading is "Summer underwear for girls and boys". The difference in the two suits seems gto be the grade of dimity and the fact that the secind union suit has buttons and tabs for supporting pants and skirts.

Summer union suit for boys

This union suit was less expensive and for boys only. The Sexton ad copy read, "Good, durable, dimity union suits for boys. The athletic type that gives plenty of freedom of action. No sleeves, short legs; has buttons for pants and tabs for supporters. Sizes 2 to 12. 50 cents." We think this is the suit pictured in the illustration (figure 1).

Summer union suit for boys and girls

This suit were fot both boys and girls, but the pants were done differently. The Sexton ad copy read, "Sexton union suits for girls and boys, sizes 2 to 12 years, are of fine dimity with buttons for skirt or pants and tabs for supporters. They are sleeveless and the girls suits have bloomer knees while the boys' suits are loose knee. 79 cents. For Girls, sizes 14 and 16 are priced at 95 cents." The boys suits had loose or open legs while the girls had estasticized bloomer leg closures.

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Created: 5:10 AM 8/31/2008
Last updated: 2:38 PM 8/31/2008