Figure 1.--This August 1941 Rogers Peet magazine ad showcased a new short pants suit for the new school year.

Roger Peet Company no lonher exists, but it was once a New York institutiom. The company was an exclusive mens' wear retailer. In the 1940s they had four stores at exclusive New York locations (Fifth Avenue at 41st Street, 13th St. at Broadway, Warren Street at Broadway, and Liverty Stree at Broadway). They also had a store on Tremont Street in Boston.

Background

I'm not sure when the company was founded, but it was very early. One citation notes that an immigrant German tailor, Louis H. Kramer (Hanover, Germany), about 1830, worked as tailor for Rogers-Peet in Manhattan. A Rogers, Peet & Co. advertisement for gentlemen's suits lists the price as $10.50 or $11.00. The company erected the sedate Rogers Peet Building at 485 Fifth Avenue in 1916. It was designed by Townsend, Steinle & Haskel. One New York socialite remembers, "A time when she had dated interesting boys in broadcloth shirts from Rogers-Peet who took her to parties...." They were a very prestigious men's outfitter in the 1920s. The compamy bought a Club in Putnam about 1920 which it used for several seasons as a summer vacation resort for their clerks and other employees before selling it to the State in 1923. One of their clients was First Lady Elenor Roosevelt who purchased President Roosevelt's clothes there, presumably some of the Roosevelt boys and grandkids had clothes purchased their.

One customer explained how they opperated, " Back when I was growing into a 38 short portly in New York, I was a regular customer at the late lamented men's clothing store, Rogers Peet & Company. The salesman there had a 3x5 card in a box with my name, phone# and size written on it. When the fall shipment came in, he called me (!) to alert me to the fact that he now had some seven or eight crisp new suits in my rather difficult size, and suggested that I stop by before they were sold. I went. That box of 3x5 cards was the salesman's database. He had a record of when I was in last (recency), how often I shopped at RPs (frequency), and the price range of my last purchases (monetary). Recency, Frequency and Monetary (RFM) still forms the backbone of many database marketing systems -- although there is some back and forth among DB gurus about RFM's continued relevance and value amid today's more sophisticated statistical analysis methods."

Such was the prestige of Rogers Peet that the U.S. Army sought advise from them, among other coampies, when planning a new uniform after World War II. The development and adoption of the present Army Green Uniform represents the culmination of efforts extending over a long period of time to achieve a distinctive appearance for U.S. Army personnel and an identity as an attractively uniformed Armed Service. It was the result of a long-range development program established after World War II -when widespread dissatisfaction with the current standard uniform reached a climax.

Men's Clothing Catalogs

Rogers Peet & Company. PERSONAL: BEING A BRIEF TREATISE ON WHAT TO WEAR, WHAT NOT TO WEAR AND HOW TO DO IT BY THE MAN-WHO KNOWS. NY: Rogers Peet & Co., 1898. 12 mo., 41 pp., frontis drawing; with FACTS AND FIGURES, SPRING of 1898. NY: Rogers Peet & Co., 1898. 99 pp., 5 double-page illustrations from pen and ink drawings. Plain green-gray wrappers with a classified newspaper ad mounted to front cover (as issued). Light chipping to extremities; blindstamp to corner of front cover; spine chipped, small stain to lower edge of a few leaves. Still a very good copy. Although not signed, the drawings are most certainly by Charles Dana Gibson - a group of fashionable gentlemen in riding attire or clothing for golf links, etc. The catalogue is for men, young men and boys and includes suits, fancy waistcoats, trousers for bicycle-golf and riding breeches, overcoats, shoes, hats and furnishings. All items are priced. Romaine - A GUIDE TO AMERICAN TRADE CATALOGUES lists a similar but different catalogue for 1898 on p. 113.

Advertising

Rogers Peet was noted for its advertisements in New Yorker Magazine. Robert Ix has won the annual Rogers Peet advertising contest for Prince- ton. His winning ad appears in today's "Prince" and has appeared in the New Yorker Magazine

Figure 2.--This August 1941 Rogers Peet magazine ad showcased a new knickers suit for the school year. Clearly knickers had not yet gone out of style. It was made for a little older boy than the short pants suit.

1941 Advertisments

Rogers Peet advertised two boys' suits in August issues of the New Yorker Magazine. Both appear to be tweedy, paterned suits. The style of navy blue and black suits was not yet fashionable for boys. The story advises prospective clients, You are invited to charge your purchases at one if our stores, New York or Boston. The charge accounts youbhave in your home city will serve as your reference.

Boy grow! Clothes don't

So the lad who went away to camp must needs go back to school with a complete new wardrobe. For economy and value, stop off at Rogers Peet's nearest store--New York or Boston. It will be a step-up, too, in his own pride in wearing stylish clothes of sensible smartness.

Boy, how he's grown!

Camping has a way of changing a boy's dimensions. You will be delighted at the new pride he will take in the clothes he now needs for school, if you get them in a mans's store--Rogers Peet, Style Headquarters for the younger man--New York or Boston.

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Created: May 1, 2000
Last updated: May 1, 2000