Figure 1.-- This advertisement is for boys' summer underwear. It was placed by the Eisfeld Clthig Co. A retail establoshment fojunded by a German immigrant, E.M. Eisfeld. The manufctuer is not indicated. The ad appeared in the 'Burlington Hawk Eye', an Iowa newspaper. The illustration shows a boy getting dressed in the morning in the bathroom. This union suit is sleeveless and has reinforcement straps over the shoulders and under the arms for trouser buttons and garter tabs.

This advertisement is for boys' summer underwear. It was placed by the Eisfeld Clthig Co. A retail establoshment fojunded by a German immigrant, E.M. Eisfeld. The manufctuer is not indicated. The ad appeared in the Burlington Hawk Eye, an Iowa newspaper, on June 20, 1922, p. 10. In the 1920s during the warmer months most boys up to about age 16 wore nainsook union suits similar in design to those their fathers wore but, in most cases, with additional waist features added, i.e., bone buttons taped on for attaching short trousers and garter tabs for attaching hose supporters since many boys wore long stockings even during the summer for formal occasions. The waist buttons and garter tabs (most likely pin tubes to hold the safety-pin tops of supporters) were anchored to reinforcement straps that ran over the shoulders and under the arms to relieve the strain of garters and trousers. The illustration shows a boy getting dressed in the morning in the bathroom. This union suit is sleeveless and has reinforcement straps over the shoulders and under the arms for trouser buttons and garter tabs. The text reads: "The Right Way to Start the Day is in cool, comfortable underwear, It makes all the difference in the world. Underwear, to be comfortable, must fit. That's the kind we sell and we fit boys from 4 to 16 years old. Athletic garments, knit and nainsook union suits with taped buttons and garter tabs. 75 cents and 90 cents. Eisfeld Clothing Co." This was not a manufacturer, but a leading clothing store in Burlington, Iowa. Although knit waist union suits for boys up to 16 are also sold at the same store and mentioned in the text, only the nainsook summer model is shown,of course because it was a June ad.

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Created: 8:16 PM 7/8/2015
Last updated: 8:16 PM 7/8/2015