Figure 1.--This advertisement for "longie suits" appeared in the Sears Fall and Winter 1942-43 catalog. It offered a long pants suit and three longie sets. Blue was clarly the dominant color for boys.
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Figure 1.--This advertisement for "longie suits" appeared in the Sears Fall and Winter 1942-43 catalog. It offered a long pants suit and three longie sets. Blue was clarly the dominant color for boys. |
Here Sears grouped together both a long pants suit and long pants sets. There were one suit and three sets offered. Sears here used the term suit rather than "set". This was because a suit was essentially an outfit weith matching jacket and pants. Here Sears has picvked up on the term suit because the shirt and pants are coordinated. As they were offered in the Fall-Winter catalog, they would have been seen as appropriate school fashions. These sets could be dressy, but the oly dressy or formasl outfit here was the blue suit. The sizes were 4-9 years of age. Blue was the dominant color, but there was also maroon and brown.
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.
Sears here used the term suit rather than "set". This was beause a suit was essentially an outfit weith matching jacket and pants. Here Sears has picvked up on the term suit because the shirt and pants are coordinated. The term suit sounds strange to us now and the term set became standardized.
Here Sears offered four long pants outfits. There was a doiuble-breasted long pants suit and three long pants sets, each with self builts. The Sears ad copy read, "Longie Suits for Dress or Play". The dress outfit was the suit. The three sets were for play or more probably school. The outfits were done in sizes 4-9 / 10.years.
The ad copy read, "Navy blue cheviot $3.19. Twill weave, 40% reused wool, 60% cotton. Double breasted coat, 3 pockets;
piped inside seams, taped fronts, lined front facings. Fly front longies, side pockets. Artificial leather belt. Shpg. Wt. 2 lbs. 4 oz. Sizes 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. State size: see page 306 (sizing by chest and waist measurement). 40 D 3276 $3.19." [Note: The sizing scale, by chest and waist measurement, is attached.] Sears offered several other suits, short pants and knickers suits on this page.
The ad copy read, "With knit shirt $2.49. Blue cheviot longies of 40% reused wool, 60% cotton. Imitation fly front; side
openings. 2 side pockets. Artificial leather belt. Blue cotton shirt striped body, solid color neck, sleeves. Shpg wt. 1 lb. 7 oz. Sizes: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Sate size; see page 306.
40 D 3136 . . . $2.49."
Corduroy was a very popular fabric for Fall and Winter and was commonly worn to school. Jeans were not yet common schoolwear. Sears offerec two corduroy long pants sets.
With polo shirts: This set paired the cord longs with a polo (rugby-buttoning) long-sleeve shirt. The ad copy read, "Pleated thickset corduroy longies; fly front; side pockets; cuffs. Elastic waist band, inserts. Self-belt. Bright striped cotton knit shirt, 2-button neck. Shipping weight 1 lb, 8 oz. Sizes: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. State size;
see page 306. 40 D 3254--Maroon $2.59 40 D 3255--Blue $2.59"
With flannel shirt: This set paired the cord longs with a plaid flannel shirt. The ad copy read, "$2.89. Soft fine weave dark brown corduroy longies; fly front; elastic waistband inserts, 3 pockets, cuffs. Self-belt; buckle. Plaid cotton flannetl shirt; zip pocket; button cuffs. Shpg. wt., 1 lb, 8 oz. Sizes: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. State size; see page 306. 40 D 3132--Brown . . . $2.89."
Figure 2.--Sears provided a sizing chart for the sets and suits offered in the 1942 catalog. |
Sears provided a sizing chart for the sets and suits offered in the 1942 catalog.
Comparable sets were made with short pants. Sears offered four short pants sets. These were also offered in dressy and casual styles. Note one has a tie. The Long-sleeve "T"-shirt might be seen as a play outfit, although boys did commonly wear them to school. The polo shirt is similar to one shown with the longpants sets. There was also a sweater set. Here Sears also uses the term suits rather than sets. Notice that these are outfits in the Fall-Winter catalog showing that boys still wore short pants in the Fall-Winter weather. Also note that they are shown being worn with kneesocks. For some reason, blue is not as dominant with the shorts set as with the longs sets at lest with the illustrations, blue was an option for these sets. The age range for the shorts sets was a little different than the long sets.
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