Vintage Mid-Century BUSTER BROWN White Sailor Suit 6-pc Family Set - Sizes 5-14

Vintage Mid-Century BUSTER BROWN White Sailor Suit 6-pc Family Boys Set - Sizes 5-14 100% Premium Cotton Made in USA Excellent used condition - like they were worn once or twice for a family photo and then stored away. Talk about a piece of history! Finding the iconic mid-century version of the Buster Brown suit is so difficult. Buster Brown was a children's clothing line from ~1900s - 1980s/90s based on the 1902 comic book character of the same name. It hit its popularity height in the 50s and 60s, with very successful ad campaigns, encouraging people to dress their kids in the brand head to toe. The 1965 ad above shows the all-white sailor suits in different versions, with the red and blue double striping in various configurations. The short sleeve top on the girl on the far right is identical to the Type A garments below. The items have the tagline "Top Quality in Color Fastness", which seems less likely to have after those dates. The one Hanes item is a Fleecie, of unknown date. It's unknown whether the pieces are all from different eras and were just collected to get a size that each child could fit. I've attached a copy of my US trademark research. The boy & dog label & font match the 1961 trademark filing from Buster Brown Textiles, but there is record of use from 1959. I could not find an identical Hanes logo, but it is closest to the one registered in 1970 with sans serif font. I approximate the date range as ~1940s-1970s, with the most likely being the 1960s, which fits pretty cleanly with the 1965 ad and with the Ronel Shank from Auburn, Washington State (described at the end). ~~~~~ Set includes: **Type A** Short sleeve sailor shirt Removable triangle inset affixed with silver "Gripper" brand snaps 100% Premium Cotton *A1 Size 5 Weight 38-43 lbs Height 41-43 inches *A2 Size 6 Weight 38-48 lbs Height 41-46 inches *A3 Size 6x/7 Weight 49-54 lbs Height 47-48 inches **Type B** Long Sleeve Sailor Jacket Elastic red white & blue cuffs at neck, arms, and waist Snap button close branded "Gripper" with red white and blue silver buttons 50% Polyester, 50% Cotton Made in USA RN 23462 CA 00301 Machine Wash Hot Tags are stamped with the word "SECONDS" *B1 Size 12 Weight 74-87 lbs Height 55-58 inches *B2 Size 14 Weight 88-100 lbs Height 59-61 inches ** Type C** Hanes Fleecies (clearly designed to be a cheaper copy of Type B Exterior feels like sweatsuit material Interior feels like fleecy material Unbranded Zipper Close *C1 Size 6x-8 Weight 88-100 lbs Height 59-61 inches Name: Ronel Shank on a sewn-in label The two records on the internet of "Ronel Shank" 1.) A 59 year old man from the state of Washington who graduated Thomas Jefferson High School in Auburn, WA in 1983 (putting his birthday ~1965). If he wore the youngest of these pieces, it would date them closer to the early 1970s. 2.) 89 year old in Kent, WA born in June, 1934. If he wore the oldest of these pieces, it would date them closer to the early 1950s https://www.fastpeoplesearch.com/ronel-shank_id_G2933293217539986144 https://www.fastbackgroundcheck.com/people/ronel-shank/id/f7488748762084431699

Dimensions

Assorted - see longer notes

Acquired From:

Auction House