Figure 1.--The Sears Spring and Summer catalog also offered many knickers both as individual pants and as suits. There was one short pants and a few long pants suits offered, but most of the suits were knicker suits. |
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Sears offered one short pants suits in the Spring-Summer catalog. It was for a boy from 4-9 years of age. On the page a knickers suits were also offered for this age group. There were many other knickers suits offered in large sizes. The rest of the page was devoted to invidiual pairs of shorts, some called "English shorts" and a button-on short for boys up to 10 years. It is interesting that only three suits were offered for younger children. This is an indication of the increasingly popular convention of dressing younger boys in casual styles.
The Sears, Roebuck and Co., huge merchandising firm centered in Chicago was founded by Richard W. Sears (1863-1914) and A.C. Roebuck (1864-1948). Sears had begun a career in mail-order business in Minnesota 1886. In Chicago he and Roebuck joined resources and formed a corporation in 1893 as a mail-order business under title Sears, Roebuck and Company. In 1895 Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932) bought Roebuck's interest in firm and became president on Sears's retirement 1908. A retail-store system was added 1925. The first foreign store added in Havana, Cuba during 1945 and becane te first expropriated store in 1960. The Sears-Roebuck brought the production of industry to the fartherest corner of rural America, opening the cornucopia of the consumer age to rural America. All the
new things that were changing American life danced across their pages. Through it, a huge Chicago warehouse offers to modernize the farms and small towns of the
Midwest.
These suits were offered in the 1930 Sears catalog (Spring and Summer), p. 286.
Sears offered one short pants suits in the Spring-Summer catalog. It was for a boy from 4-9 years of age. A suit-like outfit was also offered, but this was an overcoat worn with shorts. On the page a knickers suits were also offered for this age group. There were many other knickers suits offered in large sizes. The rest of the page was devoted to invidiual pairs of shorts, some called "English shorts" and a button-on short for boys up to 10 years. It is interesting that only three suits were offered for younger children. This is an indication of the increasingly popular convention of dressing younger boys in casual styles. Sears' focus on knickers appers to reflect that most boys wore knickers and that short pants were seen as primarily suitable for boys yonger 8-9 years of age. Some readers have asked how reflective catalogs are of actual trends. While there are no perfect sources, we believe that major catalogs in America such as Sears and ards were a relatively reflection of actual conventions. We are less sure about European catalogs where mail order sales were less common. It is interesting that Sears obly offered three suits for younger boys. This appears to reflect the trend to dress younger boys with increasingly cassual clothes.
Here is the ad copy for the short pants and knicker suits for younger boys.
This was the only short pants suit comes with a single breasted jacket and second pair of shorts. The ad copy read, "A medium brown all wool and silk cassimere in a neat diamond weave with
Rayon decorations. Coat is a two-button model with notched lapels.
Lined with fancy durable lining. English shorts style pants are full
lined and have self belt with buckle. SIZES--4 to 9 years. State age
size. 40 V 3319--Brown All Wool and Silk Cassimere Suit With Extra Pants.
Postpaid $5.45. 40 V 3323--Suit as above, with only one pair of shorts.
Postpaid $3.95."
This was not a suit, but short pants with a a kind of double-breasted overcoat. Note how much longer the coat is compared to the suit jacket to the left (figure 1). Interestingly the coat and shorts are done in the same material, rather like a suit. The ad copy read, " A very attractive suit consisting of English short style pants which
button to a figured madras waist. Harmonizing mercerized tie. The full
lined pants have self-belt with buckle. Coat listed separately. SIZES--3
to 8 years. State age size. 40 V 3326--Suit consisting of Bluish gray, all
wool and silk cassimere pants with Rayon decorations. Figured Waist and
Tie. Postpaid $1.79. 40 V 3837--Reefer Coat to Match Suit above. Fully
Lined. Sizes 3 to 8 years. State age size. Postpaid $3.50."
The ad copy read, " A new and stylish outfit the boys will like. Mothers, too, will like it
because it is really surprisingly low priced. The pants are the popular
straight style with self belt and buckle. They are full lined and have
two manly side pockets. The pants are made of a medium tan all wool and
silk cassimere with attractive and stylish Rayon stripes. The sweater is
rib knit of two-ply all wool worsted yarn in a Jacquard weave of tan and
blue. SIZES 3 to 9 years. State age size. 40 V 3338--Sweater and Pants.
Postpaid $2.98."
On the page with the short pants suit, Sears also offered two knickers suit foir the same age group, begiining at age 4. Younger children would normally wear a variety of juvile outfits including rompers and bif-front suits. One of the knickers suits was washable.
On the same page with the short pants suits were short pants that could be purchased separately. These included both dress and play shorts. The play shorts were called wash shorts as they were made of cotton and could be easily washed. Short pants in 1930 were still seen as an English style and were called English shorts. By this I do not believe that a prticular cut of shorts was meant, but rather short pants cut above the knee were seen as an Englush styl. The term "short pants" in America was used variously during the early 20th century. Kneepants werecommonly referred to as short pants. Like wise in Britain terminologu was often inprecise with knivckers sometimes bring used for short trousers.
We believe that short pants suits were somewhat more common in Americ than suggested by te Sears catlog. This is because the Sears catalog primarily appealed to rural, middle-class, and bargain concious consumers. Affluent Americans especially those in the upper-middle class and upper class would not normally buy from sears. Especially for a suit, they woukld go to a men's wear store. We believe that such families were more likely to buy short pants suits than the average American family.
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