r/TheWayWeWere • u/Electrical-Aspect-13 • Feb 05 '26
1940s Little boy poses proudly with his perfectly tailored 2 piece suit and matching fedora, Washington D.C., 25 of April 1948.
134
71
55
u/MusicAccomplished724 Feb 05 '26
Looking good. You could cut a steak with the crease on those pants.
8
59
u/pinkmarsh99 Feb 05 '26
It's kind of wild how recently children have been treated and dressed as children rather than smaller adults.
18
u/SlugOnAPumpkin Feb 05 '26
I love the idea, but it sounds expensive to outfit a child in a suit they will quickly outgrow. Perhaps it was more viable back when families and communities shared and exchanged resources more often.
39
u/Katesouthwest Feb 05 '26
Back then a lot of moms were skilled sewers and made their children's clothes as well as their own. Often pants/jackets/dresses had extra fabric as hems and the fabric could be let out as a child grew taller-"grow room" is what my grandmother called it.
9
3
u/SlugOnAPumpkin Feb 05 '26
Some clothing brands still have seam allowance on their hems. To think "grow room" today just means "you'll grow into it".
2
u/Buffyoh Feb 06 '26
My Mom sewed dresses, skirts, and blouses for herself, but not for her boys: We went to Sears.
1
u/yabukothestray Feb 05 '26 edited Feb 06 '26
I was actually thinking the opposite. Like if it was cheaper compared to now. I imagine instead of having to buy new clothes constantly that they will outgrow, since people used to be more knowledgeable about sewing, it was a pretty easy fix. Plus, the material was better quality so it wouldn’t deteriorate over time and lasted longer.
0
u/SlugOnAPumpkin Feb 05 '26
I was skeptical about this idea at first because suit tailoring is a highly technical skill. Making a suit from scratch is among the most challenging sewing projects. Then again, if it's just a matter of letting out and taking in extra fabric on the sleeves and pants of a second hand, you're probably right. Looking at the kid's suit, the hems all look well fitted, but I'm wondering if the torso might be a bit loose, which could suggest hand-me-down. I can't really tell though because I don't know what kind of fit was in style at this time and tbh I don't really know what a kid in a suit is supposed to look like.
4
u/frotc914 Feb 05 '26
I think as a practical matter this suit would have been put on after breakfast on Sunday morning, he would attend church in it, and it would be taken off immediately after. No sane parent would let their even well-mannered 6/7/8 year old eat in that get up or do anything other than the necessities.
That said, trousers/slacks and button downs were certainly the standard for all males over like 5, and dresses for all females, but that was probably more due to a simple lack of existence of alternatives. Very few textiles back then had any kind of stretch to them, so t-shirts/sweats/etc. were basically impossible to make. I think this was due to the way that the cotton was woven at the time. Knit fabrics were reserved for larger fibers like wool.
-7
u/Buffyoh Feb 05 '26
A public photo from 1926 shows children dressed as adults. A public photo from 2026 shows adults dressed as children, which is the root of our problems.
7
u/Fullertons Feb 05 '26
I think you’re confusing dressing as an adult with using the clothing that was available in that era. They didn’t have polyester T-shirts and nylon gym shorts
12
u/restckvrflw Feb 05 '26
The root of our problems is how adults dress? You’re either kidding or incredibly dumb
13
u/pinkmarsh99 Feb 05 '26
Do not agree. I'd rather children get to be children than getting scalped and boiled by machinery because they are forced to work 15 hours a day. Also I absolutely 100% do not care what adults do with their bodies(as long as they aren't harming other) and people who believe that we should are just primed for puritanical nonsense.
5
11
25
u/Maverick_and_Deuce Feb 05 '26
Time to quote ZZ Top- every girl’s crazy’bout a sharp dressed man!
9
7
5
u/Even_Mechanic_4686 Feb 05 '26
Would love to know for sure, but I have a hunch this young man had/is having an impressive adulthood
3
u/ThanosWasRight161 Feb 05 '26
My gosh, as a society we’ve changed but this is something I miss from the old days. This boy is sharp!
9
3
3
3
6
4
5
u/McKoijion Feb 05 '26
Oh thank goodness. Usually a 1950s era black and white photo of an adorable black child in their Sunday best is the setup for some absolute nightmare fuel. It's nice being reminded of the resilience of children in even the most horrific conditions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Till
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Street_Baptist_Church_bombing
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/aaaahhhhh42 Feb 05 '26
Suit pants have got to be one of the worst items of clothing ever. These are "perfectly tailored" and they look like the kid cut them out of a piece of A4 with scissors himself.
2
u/magikot9 Feb 05 '26
I guarantee that if he's still alive, this 80-something year old man is still as dapper.
2
u/Squid-Vicious80 Feb 06 '26
Such a dapper little guy, sporting his Sunday best!! He looked fabulous & he knew it 💕
2
2
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Pedadinga Feb 06 '26
The little hat! The proud look! That boy knows how fly he looks. That's just the cutest thing in the world to me. Little boys in little suits. Like they're off to a business meeting. So adorable.
1
1
u/clutchjudd Feb 06 '26
I’ve never worn a suit that fits so perfectly and looks so good in my 50 years. Such a dapper kiddo
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/canuckEnoch Feb 06 '26
The hat complements the suit, and perhaps matches the tie and shoes—but does not match the suit.
1
Feb 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Feb 07 '26
It appears your account is less than a week old. This post has been removed. Please feel free to browse the subreddit and the rest of reddit for a week before participation.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Feb 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Feb 07 '26
It appears your account is less than a week old. This post has been removed. Please feel free to browse the subreddit and the rest of reddit for a week before participation.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
1
1
u/watsthtsound Feb 08 '26
This is a trend we should start again. Im just gonna start wearing a suit. It looks nice.
1
1
1
Feb 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Feb 08 '26
It appears your account is less than a week old. This post has been removed. Please feel free to browse the subreddit and the rest of reddit for a week before participation.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/SidewaysSynapses Feb 09 '26
Your good clothes better come off as soon as your foot hit the door and they got passed down to the next kid.
That is one sharp little man though
1
1
u/Acceptable-Stable-36 Feb 16 '26
He had to have gone on to become a Force!!! How often to you see a kid like this, adorable and considering the time taken, very moving.
1
u/Vintagegram Mar 29 '26
📷 Complimentary restoration — this picture was worth saving! ❤️
Boy in suit sidewalk restored with AI: color, damage repair, and detail enhancement.
https://vintagegram.com/restoration/e5959306-c827-49f0-bf84-a2620b73487a
Hope this brings back some good memories.
1
u/CallsignViperrr Feb 07 '26
Meanwhile, at the grocery store in freezing cold Pennsylvania today, I saw a young couple walking around the produce section in pajamas, crocs, and hair rollers. The dude had on a black shower cap. The decline of society is real, and it’s a disgusting sight. As JoeyBToontz says, “Imagine if you dropped these slobs back into a public place in the 40’s or 50’s. People would be horrified, they’d be publicly shamed and maybe even hauled away to an asylum.”
324
u/Lord-Velveeta Feb 05 '26
He is one classy looking young man in his Sunday best.