John wears a sleeveless, knee-length waist union suit, made of grey knitted material - a mixture of cotton and wool for winter wear. You can see the fine ribbing of the knitted fabric, which is very form-fitting and clings to his body while still allowing flexibility of movement. This waist suit has knitted-in reinforcement straps over the shoulders that end in waist buttons for the attachment of additional clothing. It also has two reinforcement straps under the arms that end at the hips with tape loops for fastening hose supporters for long stockings. There is a three-button drop seat in the rear for convenience in the bathroom.

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Attached to the tape loops on John's waist union suit are two black hose supporters that fasten onto the loops with safety pins. The top strap on each garter is made of stretchy live elastic with a buckle for length adjustment. Below the elastic section are two non-elastic pendants with wire loop and rubber button clasps for attachment to his stocking tops. The stockings are part-wool, part-cotton and are heavily ribbed. Ribbed stockings were often considered more masculine.

John wears a white dress shirt with attached pointed collar and neat four-in-hand long tie with a small print. The shirt has a breast pocket with a flap.

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John wears a belted single breasted knicker suit. The jacket has a yoke and pleats in back. The front is finished with a three-button front and notched lapels and collar. The belt fastens in front with two spaced buttons. There is a pleated breast pocket with a button flap closure plus two matching side pockets similarly designed. The knickers have a crease in front and fasten above the knee with a strap and buckle so that the knickers blouse just at the flexure of the knee. The knickers are supported with both a belt and elastic suspenders with leather ends for attachment to buttons inside the waistband of the trousers. The belt, however, appears to be made of the same material as the trousers and is therefore more ornamental than functional, hence the use of elastic suspenders for actual suspension of the knickers. John wears heavy, ribbed black long stockings with hightop lace-up shoes. Notice that he wears long stockings rather than knee-length socks to prevent sagging and the slovenly appearance of hosiery that tended to fall down without proper gartering. He also wears a flat woolen cap with a bill.
These are fairly dressy clothes, but appropriate both for school and for more formal occasions such as church.

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