Figure 1.-- Sears offered waists suits in short and long leg styles. There were also variations in sleeve length and neck style. These waists suits were inderwear with buttons that could be used to hold up long stockings. These were Pilgrim brand suits. Pilgrim was Sears house brand for hosiery and underwear. |
Sears offered waists suits in short and long leg styles. There were also variations in sleeve length and neck style. These waists suits were inderwear with buttons that could be used to hold up long stockings. These were Pilgrim brand suits. Pilgrim was Sears house brand for hosiery and underwear. The suits were done in sizes 2-12 which I think means chronological years. The same styles were worn by both boys and girls.
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 Sears house brand for hosiery and underwear. We are not sure when it was first introduced.
The waist or waist suit is a support garment. Historically children’s waists had multiple functions—the holding up of various garments such as underpants or panties, skirts, short trousers, and long stockings. Gradually the principal function became the support of long stockings although some of the later models still continued to provide waist buttons for other functions. We note a variety of bodices or underwaists which have more or less the same function--a garment to support other clothing (shorts, skirts, garters, stockings, underpants, etc.). The terminology for waists and associated garments can be confusing. We note both types of waists as well as different names for the same garment as well as different terms in various countries. These were garments for children and women. I suppose the "liberty bodice" is the British equivalent of the German "Leibchen" and of the American "waist".
We notice ads in Sears for long stockings throught the 1940s. The ads in the early 40s are fairly prominent, but become less so as the decade goes on. This trensd also affected the ads for various kinfs of stocking supporters. By the end of the decade long stockings had not disappeared, but were no longer prominently featured in catalogs.
We are not sure to what extent that long stockings and waist suits were worn by boys in the early 1940s. This was a a prominent full page ad, suggesting that waist suits were still commonly worn. Sears in this advertisement for waist suits makes a point of showing that both types of waists were suitable for boys. Of course catalog advertisements can not be taken as definitive evidence, but is is one indication that boys were wearing them.
The heading on this page read, "Pilgrim Waist Suits ... heavyweight cotton. Choice of 2 qualities ... Sizes 2 to 12."
The Sears ad copy read, " ... button holes are knit-in . . . they're tearproof. As low as 75 cents Each. Knit-in button holes that won't tear no matter how rough the wear. Neatly tailored throughout with `long wear' features. Smooth
flatlocked seams. Strap reinforcements in front and back. Taped-on buttons. All are button-front style with choice of elastic top seat or 3-button drop seat. Each suit is knit of heavy weight cotton yarns ... lightly fleeced on the inside for extra warmth. Select from styles below." [Note: These suits have tape loops at the ends of the reinforcing straps for attaching hose supporters."
The Sears ad copy read, "... famous Pilgrim Handywear ... read the features. As low as 85 cents. True heavyweight . . . of extra strong select cotton with light, soft fleecing on the entire inside to hold the heat. Extra fine ribbed knit stitch .. . clings snugly to the body, stretches easily for plenty of freedom, retains shape. Extra fabric in the full tailored seat means greater comfort . . . choice of elastic-top seat or 3-button drop seat. Extra strength due to fine tailoring. Seams are firmly flatlocked, and securely bartacked in place to relieve strain. Extra details give a fine finish. Strap
reinforcements. Taped-on buttons for outer clothing. Rustproof garter tubes [for the attachment of hose supporters]."
Most of these waist suits are advertised as having "Dutch necks", i.e low-cut necks so that underwear will not show easily under open-neck shirts and low-cut dresses. One style, the one for colder climates (with long sleeves and ankle length legs), has the "high neck" style. Presumably boys and girls wearing the "high neck" waist suit wouldn't be wearing open shirts or low-cut dresses anyway. Curiously, the difference between the Dutch neck and the high neck styles, as illustrated in the models shown, doesn't seem to be very great. The 12-year old boy at the extreme right of the photograph
has a neck on his waist suit that is only marginally higher than those of the younger boys and girls on the left.
The four styles shown, trunk length, short leg length, ankle length-short sleeve, and ankle length--long sleeve are available in all age sizes. Presumably the elastic top seat, although available in all sizes, would appeal to mothers with small children because the 3-button drop seat, although more durable probably than the elastic top seat, would be harder for small children to manage without assistance.
The ad copy read, "BETTER. 85 c. each. 3 for $2.49. Comfortable length and fit make a hit with
youngsters. Sturdy long-wear makes a hit with wise mothers. Made of soft cotton ... these suits have all the Better quality features of famous Handywear at the top of page. Color: white. Sizes 2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12. State size. See "How to Measure" on page 305 [Same measuring system as for ordinary union suits--i.e. length in inches from shoulder to crotch]. Shpg. wt., each 15 oz. 16 D 7092--Button drop seat16 D 7117--Elastic top seat Each 85 c. 3 for $2.49."
The ad copy read, "GOOD ... 75 c. Each. 3 for $2.19. See Good quality tearproof features. Color: shite. Sizes: 2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12. State size. Shpg. wt. 15 oz. 16 D 7094--Button drop seat
16 D 7118--Elastic top seat BETTER . . . 85 c. Each. 3 for $2.49
See Better quality features of famous Handywear listed at top of page.
Color: white. Sizes 2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12. State size. Shpg. wt., 15 oz. 16 D 7094--Button drop seat 16 D 7118--Elastic top seat."
The ad copy read, "GOOD ... 77 c. Each. 3 for $2.25 See Good tearproof features above. Color: white. Sizes 2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12. State size. Shpg. wt., 13 oz. 16 D 7084--Button drop seat 16 D 7086--Elastic drop seat BETTER . . . 87 c. Each. 3 for $2.55. See Better quality features of famous Handywear described above. Color: white. Sizes: 2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12. State size. Shpg. wt., 15 oz. 16 D 7115--Elastic top seat."
The Sears ad copy GOOD . . . 79 c. Each. 3 for $2.29
See Good tearproof features above.
Color: white. Sizes: 2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12. State size. Shpg. wt., 13 oz. 16 D 7080--Button drop seat 16 D 7082--Elastic top seat
BETTER . . . 89 c. Each. 3 for $2.59. See the Better features of famous Handywear described at top of page. Color: White. Sizes: 2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12. State size. Shpg. wt., 15 oz. 16 D 7087--Button drop seat 16 D 7116--Elastic top seat."
Sizing can be confusing. Many children's garments in American catalogs are sized by age. European catalogs often use centimeters. Another complication is that there are size categories for hosiery and shoes and these vary from country to country. HBC has a size page devoted to hosiery and shoes in America. The sizes of the stockings are correlated to the sizes of the childrens' shoes. On a different stocking page [a link here would be helpful--I'll try to find the URL for you] HBC actually shows a chart keying the stocking sizes to shoe sizes. And the sizing is further complicated because the size range for younger childrens' shoes is a different scale from that used for older childrens' shoes. According to this chart the larger size stockings (9, 9 1/2, and 10) would
probably fit children from about 11 or 12 years to about 14 or even 15 years. I am not sure what the size of the stocking supporters are. I think these might indicate chronological age. A HBC reader writes, "Waist suits, which (unlike stockings) were sold by age size. The oldest size for boys' or girls' waist suits is 12 years. I think
the reason for 12 years as an upper limit (or in a few cases elsewhere 13-14) is that waist suits had two features missing from ordinary union suits: (a) reinforced shoulder straps with buttons at the end for attaching pants (usually shorts or knickers) and (b) garter tabs for the attachment of hose supporters. Most boys and girls older than 12 did not need the waist buttons for the trousers or skirts because they wore belts or suspenders to hold up these garments. Also most boys and girls older than 12 did not wear long stockings and therefore didn't need the garter tabs for supporters. Perhaps a few children older than 12 might have still worn long stockings, but older
children (if they did continue to wear long stockings) would have worn
separate garter waists over ordinary union suits instead of waist union suits. Interestingly, the Sears 1941 catalog (the year previous to this advertisement) does show a boy's waist suit in sizes that go up to 16, but this suit is just like an ordinary boy's union suit except for the addition of garter tabs (it has no reinforcement straps over the shoulders and no waist buttons for trousers).
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