Me and My Union Suit

Here's a photo my mom took of me in long winter underwear
back when I was in High School.
I wore this "costume" of long underwear, boots, and cowboy hat
in a school play entitled "A Country Christmas Carol." 

I forgot all about this picture of me in my union suit until my sister, 
sorting through a bunch of old family photos, mailed this to me recently!

Merry Christmas Everybody!   .... Chris


This post of me in my Union Suit in high school received more emails than any other post I have done. Thanks to Paul, Ernie, Rich, and Sarah, among others. I appreciate all of you for responding! Sarah commented that me being tall, dark, and skinny I must have had the role of Slim Pickens. Well, no. Actually, "A Country Christmas Carol" was a take off on Charles Dickens' story about ole Scrooge. Ms. Dietrich, my English Literature teacher, had written an adaptation with a country bent. Instead of night shirts, she had us boys wear our long underwear! I was given the part of the "Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come" and wore the white Union Suit as shown in the post photo above. The boys that played Scrooge and the "Ghost of Christmas Present" wore red Union Suits and the boy that was the Ghost of Christmas Past" wore a grey Union Suit. All four of us, I believe, were at first reluctant to appear on stage in just our long underwear and boots. But we did and to our surprise the play was a big hit with fellow students, teachers, and our parents! An article and photos of us in our Union Suits made the student newspaper as well as the year book.
I guess for awhile we were local "celebrities."

Union Suits - YesterYear

World War II Poster of Long Red Underwear urging
U.S. Citizens to dress warmly and turn down the heat!

Rationing and Energy Conservation Office of 
                        War Information 1943

The image shows long red underwear ("union suit") in position of a man lounging advocating everyone to wear their Long Johns for the war effort. 


This Entry Added March 7, 2017:

Richard of Traverse City, MI sent me this 1946 political cartoon drawn by John Collins. It is about the same era as the Long Underwear Poster above. It is entitled "Uncle Sam's Union Suit."  Thanks Richard.

Added December 22, 2016:

Ty of Odessa, Texas, a retired oil field worker and a Union Suit Fan, saw my recent post of button down long johns on a World War II poster urging U.S. citizens to pull on their long winter underwear and turn down the heat. He remembered his copy of an old 1974 Petroleum Independent magazine featuring this very poster on its front cover. Ty said that he was so inspired after receiving this issue of the magazine, he immediately went out and purchased a couple of red Union Suits for himself to wear! He reports that he has been wearing them ever since. His two boys and a grandson wear them too. Thanks Ty for forwarding this photo of your magazine's cover.

Manitou Springs, Colorado Firemen are Union Suit Fans !

Members of the Manitou Springs, Colorado Fire Department
participate wearing their long red underwear in the
Emma Crawford Coffin Race held every October

THE END