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Sears had long underwear in its Fall-Winter (1938-39 catalog Sears Fall and Winter catalog for 1938-39, p. 282. There were several different styles and alteratives for the consumer. We note different styles of heavy-weight cotton suits for boys. Sears stresses that ribbed knits were especially warm. The Sears presentation of these suits made a strong appeal to athletics. The advertisement obviously seeks to make the point that these union suits are worn by boys who play sports and are very masculine in their cultural orientation.
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.
Pilgrim was the Sears store brand for both underwear and hosiery. Sears did manufacture these items, but rather issued contracts to other manufacturers. We are not sure at this time just which manifacturers actually ptroduced these garments. During the 1930s this was all done by American manufacturers.
Winter underwear are virtually unknown to most boys today. Perhaps boys in Canada or American boys on the Northern Plains oe Scandinavian and Russian boys wear them. But for the most part they are no longer common. This is largely because modern homes and schools are so well heated. This was not the case in the 19th and early 20th cebntury. It was then very common for boys and girls to wear long underwear.
Sears here uses the term "union suit" and "suit". These terms comes from the convention of joining or the union of underwear shirts and pants, thus the term "union suit". Other terms used were long underwear and long johns.
Hwew we see two of the long underwear suits offered by Sears. Each had a range of alteratives for the consumer.
This style of long underwear is illustrated by Sears here (figure 1). The sears ad copy read, "Make Way, Boys! For the "All American" Squad ... Pilgrim Underwear made to give Real Boys Real Wear.
Here's a Big Heavyweight Cotton Union Suit ... Ribbed Knit for Comfort ... Fleeced Inside for More Warmth ... and Offered in Four Popular Choices. 44 c. Each Suit--Ages 4 to 8, 54 c. Each Suit--Ages 9 to 16 A suit as warm, as comfortable, as low priced as this one should be a best seller--and it is! First choice of hundreds of thousands of boys! Real heavy weight, ribbed knit. Rayon trim. Tubular neck, military shoulders, flatlocked seams. Ribbed cuffs. One-button flap seat. Even Sizes: 4 to 16 years. State age size. Shipping weight, each, 10 ounces. 16 K 7556--Cream color. Long sleeves, ankle length. 16 K 7557--White. Long sleeves, ankle length.
16 K 7554--Cream color. Short sleeves, knee length. 16 K 7558--Cream color. Short sleeves, ankle length.
The sears ad copyread, "THESE ARE OUR HEAVIEST, WARMEST COMBED COTTON RIBBED SUITS! When we say, "A fine-ribbed extra heavy weight combed cotton suit," we're saying, "A suit that fits close to the figure, stretches easily; a suit that's warm in bitter cold weather; a suit that feels so soft you can forget you have it on . . . yet wears extra long." Boys, it's your best choice in fine cotton. Tubular collar; military shoulders; won't sag or bind; smooth flatlocked seams. Ribbed cuffs and anklets. One-button flap seat. Well
made, well tailored throughout. It will pay you to buy this longer wearing union suit. Cream color. Even Age-Sizes: 4 to 16 years. State age-size. See "How to measure below. Shipping weight, each suit, 16 ounces. 16 K 7560--Long sleeves, ankle length
16 K 7561--Short sleeves, ankle length. Prices: 67 c. Each Suit, Ages 4 to 8 85 c. Each Suit, Ages 9 to 16.
Note the appeal to athletics in this advertisement. The boys in the top image are playing with a football and those in the bottom image are toying with a baseball. The advertisement obviously seeks to make the point that these union suits are worn by boys who play sports and are very masculine in their cultural orientation. In the 1930s most men and boys wore union suits in the winter months because central heating was much less common than it is today. In the summer boys often wore short-legged union suits or BVD-style union suits of less form-fitting nainsook fabric. These suits all have a on-button flap opening in the back, which was standard for all union suits during this period. These boys would probably have worn their union suits under knickers with knee socks or, less frequently, with long stockings and short pants. A few, if they were older, might have worn them under long pants.
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