question on the hj uniform.

[volkund]

hi friends! now was the HJ uniform made to order or were there a list of sizes? and if it was made to order, wouldn't the boy that is going thru puberty outgrow them? has there been any talk about this in letters or documents?

many thanks

 

[Jack]

Hi,

The shirts were available ready-made. If you came from a very wealthy family, you could, of course, have your shirt made to measure by a tailor (even if it wasn't as expensive back then as it is today). Children's clothes were generally bought larger than the child was, then sewn off and, if necessary, lengthened again later. This saved money. And not to forget: older brothers or other male relatives from whom one got these things and then continued to wear them.
For ready-made clothing, there were (of course) RZM regulations according to which the different sizes were made (from 50/55 to size 95/100).

 

[volkund]

Hi,

The shirts were available ready-made. If you came from a very wealthy family, you could, of course, have your shirt made to measure by a tailor (even if it wasn't as expensive back then as it is today). Children's clothes were generally bought larger than the child was, then sewn off and, if necessary, lengthened again later. This saved money. And not to forget: older brothers or other male relatives from whom one got these things and then continued to wear them.
For ready-made clothing, there were (of course) RZM regulations according to which the different sizes were made (from 50/55 to size 95/100).

smart method! do you believe that the uniforms of outgrown members were ever reused? and was it in the regulations to add length back to them once they grew?

 

[Jack]

No, this reuse was not intended, of course, but it was often practised within the family.
I don't know how well you know the period, but in general you can say that many people were really poor at the beginning of the 1930s. That means: never taking a holiday, struggling to pay the rent and utilities, scarce food, working 6 days a week (if you had one, otherwise the welfare wasn't even enough to get by). That's how it was for many back then. And so it goes without saying that savings were made wherever possible. This also applied to the children's civilian clothing, and even more so to the expensive uniforms. If a family had several children and a complete outfit easily cost half a month's salary, that is not surprising.

The ready-made uniform shirts came in 10 different sizes.

 

[volkund]

No, this reuse was not intended, of course, but it was often practised within the family.
I don't know how well you know the period, but in general you can say that many people were really poor at the beginning of the 1930s. That means: never taking a holiday, struggling to pay the rent and utilities, scarce food, working 6 days a week (if you had one, otherwise the welfare wasn't even enough to get by). That's how it was for many back then. And so it goes without saying that savings were made wherever possible. This also applied to the children's civilian clothing, and even more so to the expensive uniforms. If a family had several children and a complete outfit easily cost half a month's salary, that is not surprising.

The ready-made uniform shirts came in 10 different sizes.

i see, yes i do not know much about the period but I do know it was pretty poor times. so if the member did outgrow his uniform and he received a new one, would the old one just be tossed out? I'm sure they must have saved the fabric at least?

 

[Jack]

No, nothing was thrown away. If the chap had a younger brother, it was kept safe until that brother was big enough for it. Otherwise, there were certainly cousins or other potential wearers.
As long as the boy was entitled to wear the uniform, the authorities were not bothered about that.