My New Pajamas!
by Guest Contributor, Clayton Smythe
When I was a little boy of 8 or 9 years old, my mama returned home from a neighborhood ladies' AVON Christmas Party with a brochure which included a picture of a boy and his sister, looking at a book they had received for Christmas.
Never mind the book. When I saw what the boy was wearing, I told my mama, pointing to the photo, "I want pajamas like he's wearing."
She said: "those aren't pajamas. He's wearing long underwear like grandpa wears. They're called 'union suits.' You don't want those. You already have long underwear." Well, two piece thermals didn't count. I adamantly replied that I wanted ones like the boy in the ad was wearing.
Try as she might to ignore my constant refrain over the next couple weeks for wanting pajamas or long underwear or union suits or whatever they were called, she finally relented.
Under the tree Christmas morning was a package of spectacularly red "pajamas." After tearing open the package, I stripped off the pajamas I was wearing down to my white briefs right there in the living room and pulled on my first union suit. I loved it!
My grandparents were visiting us that holiday. Grandpa got the biggest kick out watching me pull on my new "pj's." Union suits were what he wore all of his life and still did, even on that special day! We were both in union suits that Christmas!
Like many of the readers of this great blog, I've worn union suits ever since. I don't ever remember wearing actual pajamas since that Christmas. Grandpa is gone now but I think of him now and again and our mutual wearing of long one-piece winter underwear.
Regards, Clay
Thanks, Clay, for your memory of a great Christmas Day when you got the present you wished for!
....Chris
Thanks for a great story, Clay. It reminds me of my own union suit moment of awakening which came a bit later in life than yours. After seeing Robert Conrad working out and running in his union suit in the 1979 made for TV movie, The Wild Wild West Revisited, I was on alert to find one. The opportunity came a few months later when, recently moved into my very first apartment, I received the Vermont Country Store Christmas Catalog. There they were! Union suits in red or white. Not being completely sure if I would actually enjoy wearing one, I ordered just a white one. Before January was over I had placed an order for a red one. So it began, my life long love of union suits! And as regular USF readers know, the rest is history.----- Retro Jeff in Illinois
ReplyDeleteWhen I watched the Star Trek episode “ A piece of the action “
DeleteI knew someday I would be in a union suit. Artie up in Maine
If I may inquire, Artie, do you remember how long after seeing this Star Trek episode it was before you got your first union suit? I was not successful in finding this episode on line. Any links? ----- Retro Jeff
DeleteRetro Jeff I saw the episode probably around the age of 11, purchased my first US at the age of 19. Unions didn’t seem popular, everyone seemed to have the 2 piece waffle weave.
DeleteArtie.
Yes, Artie, I was only seeing the two piece waffle weave long johns in stores in the late 1970s , and as I had only seen union suits in Westerns, I assumed they were not available outside of a Hollywood costuming department. You can imagine how tickled I was to see them readily available in the Vermont Country Store Christmas Catalog for 1979. Do you remember where you purchased your first one? You beat me by a few years. ----- Retro Jeff
DeleteRetro Jeff, I really didn’t think I would ever find a union suit. I remember also watching Westerns and wishing i had a pair.
DeleteThere was department store named Bradlees and long behold there was a grey medium size union suit I a ripped bag. I remember the excitement on the ride home from the store. Soon as I got back home I immediately put them on and been in them ever since.My first union suit was a Morgan Mills brand.
Artie up in Maine
Yes Artie, I too have spent many happy hours in my Morgan Mills Longhandles. That was my second brand of union suit which I found at my local Farm & Fleet store in the 90s in red and grey. Being 50/50 cotton/poly they wear like iron although the reds have faded to a nice vintage tone from repeated washings. As you probably know Morgan Mills is gone but I do frequently see their vintage unions on eBay, often in original packaging. I was lucky enough to snag a white one a couple of years ago and have not seen another offered in that color.----- Retro Jeff
DeleteYour posting of the little boy sitting in his red union suit reading a book brought back memories of me doing the same thing at his age. My grandparents gave me a union suit very similar to his when I was 8 or 10 years old. Long red underwear with white buttons. I wore them all the time that winter, reading books and watching tv in just my new union suit and for years to come.
ReplyDelete....Thanks for the memory, Chris. Love your blogs! ......Pete - Canon City, CO