Another Eaton's Catalogue - 1908

I'm going way back in time today, to the summer of 1908 - this catalogue has seen better days, the outside covers are quite fragile.  This book belonged to a relative - just to think that people from my family shopped from this book - it's hard to even fathom.   The catalogue is 318 pages - of course, there are the regular sections,  clothing for ladies, men and children, home goods - then there are the categories which could only be from a catalogue way back then - horse and cattle medicines, notions and small wares, there's just so much that we don't even see any more.

In this post I'll be showing you the fashions that the lady of the house would have been wearing in the summer of 1908.

I'm just looking at the sizing chart for these suits - bust sizes are 32 - 42 but waist sizes are 23-29.  If you needed a special or extra size, it was $3.50 extra and would take 10 days to make the special order.

Can you just picture the ladies wearing these at a picnic?  Just look at all the embroidery and lace...

Look at that cape on the upper left - it was made of black brocaded silk, bottom frill of lace, silk ribbons and lined with sateen - for $6.00

This would be a shirt or blouse to us - back then it was called a "waist" - lots of embroidery once again and lots of buttons - the cheapest one is 75 cents!!

There are quite a few pages of footwear including shoes and boots.  Carla and I often comment when we see these old shoes in antique shops, they're just so narrow - I see that sizes were from 2 1/2 to 7 - I couldn't even get my foot in one of these!!!

Of course, this was the time of hankies - I've never heard of lawn handkerchiefs before, have you?

The millinery department was just as extensive as the footwear - there are many pages.  The colors were about the same for every one - black, navy, brown, pearl, champagne or white.  They're so pretty!!

There's also quite a selection of corsets - the description for the gal in the picture reads - straight front, fine sateen, filled with steel wire, long hip, hose supporters attached, drab and white available - 85 cents!!!  

An enamelled maple leaf brooch, gold plated for 10 cents!!!  The other jewellery pages include hat pins, bracelets, lockets, chains and watches, but the watches weren't wrist watches, they were pocket watches.

This is the back page and not in good shape at all - I thought the scents for the perfumes were very interesting - new mown hay, crab apple, wall flower, sweet clover - those are just a few of the different ones, of course, there are lots of flowery scents - all selling for 40 cents an ounce.

It was really hard to pick out a few pages for this post - click on any picture for a better look.   I'd love to share more with you another day....

Carla has entered an online contest -" Blog What You Love" and sure would like to win the big prize of a $1,000 shopping spree at her local mall.  Because she is my daughter, I'm going to help her with this post and I hope you will too - if you're on Facebook all you have to do is "Like" her blog post and you can do that right here - let's get her some more votes!!!  It's that easy!!    Thanks so much!!

Today I'm linking up my post with Vintage Thingie Thursday, Share Your Cup Thursday and Thursday Favorite Things

Oh, Baby - Eaton's Catalogue - 1961

This time I'm featuring the baby section from my Eaton's winter catalogue from 1961 - these are such fun posts to do - I've done two others from this catalogue - here and here - the baby section is just too cute.  I'm going to show you most of the pages, some are just a bit ordinary - like sheets and cloth diapers!  You could buy a dozen gauze diapers for $2.99, the pins cost 23 cents and the plastic pants were 2 for 49 cents!

Everybody had "walking shoes" back then, even when my children were born, that type of shoe was still popular. I haven't bought children's wear for a lot of years, I know these shoes were expensive when Carla started wearing them in 1983, the most expensive pair of good quality leather shoes was $3.97.  There's some funny names on some of the footwear - I've never heard of "blucher boots" before??

Moving on to the nursery needs page - I guess a change table used to be called a "bathinette" - the solid plastic bath was removable, equipped with drain hose so it could be used in the kitchen, bathroom or nursery, one of these beauties cost $29.95, that seems high, I imagine most people just had the plastic tub that fit in the kitchen sink.  I see the plastic  baby hangers, I had those and there's still some around.  

A layette was probably the way to get all your baby needs with one stop shopping - vests, gowns, safety pins, diapers, blankets, towels and facecloths, quilted pads, sheet, plastic pants.  

Are these two piece pajama sets with snaps still in style?  I used those for my kids - I hope they still have them when I might need to buy baby clothes again, someday I will, I hope!!!

Oh, the babies look happy, decked out in all their finery!!

Let the wind blow - they're ready for snow!!

Look at the Gro-Up Crib Bed - from crib to junior bed -features the ever so handy "Sit-In" side for easy entrance and exit.  Teething rails in white, non toxic plastic!!!  

There's a Pyrex baby bottle on this page - 3 for $1.17

I can't believe the baby seats - I guess it was better than nothing but a far cry from what is used today - everything on this page has changed so much - play pens, seats and especially the car seat!

And to finish it off - the baby carriages and strollers - look at that baby stuffed into that stroller on the bottom - he doesn't look very comfortable!!!  Look at the car beds - striped or plaid were available - I can't even imagine using one of those but I guess people did!!   The strollers are very nice - did you have one for your children?  I had to have one, I felt so proud walking around with my new baby in that blue carriage, but, really, it was never used that much,  my kids were born in August and September, by the time winter was over, they were in a stroller - actually, my stroller looked something like the ones on the bottom and that was 1983 - but now, they have really changed.

As always, click on a pic for a better look.

Last week I participated in the Wonderful at Home link party for the first time, my post $1 Spent Here, $1 Spent There was featured -  thanks, Kristen! Check out the party  this week and maybe you have something yourself to share at the party.

Today I am joining in with Share Your Cup Thursday and Thursday Favourite Things - always lots to see.  

It's the Eaton's Catalogue Again

My post from earlier in the week on household items from the Eaton's catalogue was quite popular, just like any of my other catalogue posts I've done, just in case you want to catch up, here it is. Today I'm going to share some ladies' fashions with you - I'll say it again, this is the best catalogue I've found yet - there is just so much retro goodness in it and every model is just so happy and smiling, they don't often seem to look like that now....

These pictures were at the very front of the catalogue - to set the winter theme, I guess.

It says this picture was shot on the ski slopes at Sunshine Village, Banff.  The most expensive item on this page is the $25 red jacket - pure wool, of course.  I like those red boots - made of glove leather, shearling inside and foam crepe rubber soles.

This one was photographed "on the curling rink at Rossmere Golf and Country Club, Winnipeg" - no one is wearing clothes like this anymore while curling.  Aren't they a fashionable trio?

"Slim or bouffant, bare armed or demurely covered up - this is your After-five Sophistication" - look at the waists on these gals!!

I just love every dress - don't you??  

These were available in Juniors sizes - gloves were also available as well as the jewellery.  The dresses are just so cheap - that little plaid number was only $8.96.

The purple mohair type slim skirt took my eye because Mom had a green one like that and Carla has it now!  Once again, look at the waists on those girls!!  The jeans don't look so different from today's fashions.

My Barbie had a coat very similiar to the one on the top left - it was home made and the same colour with a fur collar too.  But, it wasn't mink like these!!!

Furs were also available to order - Persian Lamb, Canadian Mink, China Mink or Japanese Coney(dyed and blended rabbit) - my grandmother had a fur coat, I think that's the only person I ever knew with one.

I'm including this pic because even though I was a little girl in 1961 I remember having those brown boots with the silver buckle - they sure weren't pretty but everybody had them!

Purses and matching footwear - notice that every pair is sanitized!  

Just like some of my other catalogues, there are a lot of hat pages, this one has seven pages - love the hats!

 

I remember seeing slips like this in Mom's drawer - and look at that crinoline!

You'd be pretty toasty in that red robe on the left - it was made of all wool Scottish flannel - and it could only be dry cleaned!!  It's the most expensive one - $18.99

Join the Pajama Party!  Even the pajamas look fashionable!

This would have been my favourite page in the whole book, I loved brides.  I used to cut all the brides out of the newspaper and kept them in a shoe box.  My friends and I would go to any wedding, stand outside and collect the confetti that was thrown.  One time I threw all my collected confetti on Dad's car and it rained, he was not happy with me!!!

Maternity wear was loose and comfortable - not form fitting like it is now!  Call me old fashioned, I guess - I like this look!

Practical uniforms - of course, the nurses' uniforms were only available in white!

It was really hard to narrow it down, there are just so many great pages - stay tuned - mens' and childrens' fashions are coming and also some more household pages.

Today I'm linking up with Thriftasaurus, Junkin Joe and for the first time - Inspired Sunday

Flashbacks from the Eaton's Catalogue, 1961

I said I would be sharing some pages from my Eaton's Fall and Winter Catalogue from 1961-62 that I found on the weekend so here it goes.  These posts are very popular for me - I've done a couple more with other catalogues that I've found, if you missed them, click here and here - they're fun posts to do. 

 

This is just going to be random, pictures that took my eye, in no particular order, I'll do fashion ones later.   Click on any pic and you can see it close up.   You could buy just about anything from the catalogue back then...

You could even buy a canary or a budgie - for $10.97.  Live birds were only shipped to prepaid express stations, arriving Tuesday to Friday - can you imagine getting a bird in the mail?

A tiara must have been sort of popular back in the early 60's  - I never knew anybody with one,d id you?  The most expensive one was $2.93 - came with plastic combs to keep it secure.

This would be a heavy parcel arriving - shingles for your house!

A pink bathroom, in all its glory!! The whole set including tub, basin, and toilet was $177.77 - it was also available in blue, green, sun tan and white.

Even the ironing boards were colourful back then.  Mom had one for years that looked just like the yellow one.

More pretty turquoise and pink - did you know that the canister sets and bread box together was called a pantry set?  You could buy the canister set in chromium plated or stainless steal, for a difference of $2.

This is the first catalogue I've found that has Pyrex in it.  Oh, my goodness, the prices - the Butterprint Cinderella's were $7.50, the original mixing bowl set was $5.95.  The Butterprint Fridgie Set was $5.95 - no pattern name is specified on anything, just the colour.  It says they were guaranteed two full years against heat breakage - to think we're still using those same pieces that were bought way back then..

The striped blanket in the middle must have been Eaton's duplicate of the famous Hudson Bay blanket, this one was called "Trapper Point".  Everything was just so colorful - more pinks and turquoise.

Didn't everybody have a Mary Maxim sweater knitted by Mom?  The wool was $1.10 a skein and the pattern was 25 cents.

I bet a lot of young boys were supporting their Leafs or Canadiens in those sweaters.  Take a look at the hockey equipment, pretty basic, compared to the way it looks now

Look at that old Noxzema jar!!  The 4 oz jar cost 93 cents, the larger 14 oz jar was $1.89.  I remember Mom had Evening in Paris perfume in a blue bottle, here you could order the Talc.

The "Pony Tail" Charmers took my eye here - for travel, for school.  There's the train case, overnight case, hat box and school bag - I want them!!  The Deskette Set consisted of envelopes, writing paper, and blotter - I want this too!!!

 

Some one left their list inside - the back is covered in calculations - I wonder if she ordered all these things. ..

I love these old catalogues  - I won't be happy though until I find an old Christmas one!

I'm linking up today with Share Your Cup Thursday , Vintage Thingie Thursday and Thrifty Things Friday