Label Me a Union Suit Fan

Here's some Union Suit Labels found attached to our long underwear over the years: 

Boy's Union Suit Label

Tha' Tha' That's All Folks!

Cowboy Flat Stanley
             Contributed by Andrea of Duluth, MN

Andrea emails: Chris, your latest posting of cowboys in their long red underwear reminded me of a Flannel Board project my son, Jeremy, did a couple of years ago in Kindergarten. It featured a Flat Stanley (look alike) wearing a red union suit that the kids helped the teacher dress while reciting a poem that began with:

A Cowboy Dresses Himself with Care. 
He starts with Long, Red ______ (Underwear) *

Flat Stanley Gets Dressed Beginning
With a Red Flannel Union Suit

The kids fill in the missing words that rhyme. When Jeremy got home that day, he said, "Guess what? Flat Stanley wears underwear like daddy!" True, my husband, like you, is a fan of Union Suits (especially red ones).

Another flannel board I found features a little boy and girl dressed in red "flannel" union suits with western clothes to add:

The whole family enjoys your blogs. Thanks for the laughs! .... Andrea

Great Andrea, thanks for sharing Flanneled Flat Stanley. Below is another cowboy in his Union Suit sent to me by Paul of Montpelier, VT. 

Thanks too to Paul, Union Suit Fan! I appreciate both of your contributions... Chris

From the Book: 

* Here's the Entire Poem From Library Village:  

A Cowboy Dresses Himself with Care

A Cowboy Dresses Himself with Care.

He starts with long, red ______(UNDERWEAR).

Out in the desert, you don't want to get hurt, 

So the cowboy wears a strong wool ______(SHIRT).

Deserts and prairies are the cowboy's scenes;

To protect his legs, he wears sturdy blue______(JEANS).

The cowboy bent, and ran, and knelt.

To keep his pants up, he wore a leather ______(BELT).

The coyote howls, the old owl hoots.

On his feet, he wears leather ______(BOOTS).

It isn't yellow, so it's not a banana;

Around his neck, he wears a soft ______(BANDANA).

A cowboy is a cowboy, and that is that!

On top of his head, he wore a ten-gallon ______(HAT).

He's all dressed from head to feet,

And now our cowboy can't be beat! 

Cowpokes, Right Down To Their Union Suits...

Cowboys wouldn't think of wearing any other kind of underwear
      'cept a good ole' Union Suit! 

Curls...



The gals love Union Suits too. After all they were the first to wear 'em. It is generally accepted that union suits were first manufactured in Utica, New York in the 1860's. This new type of undergarment were for women, termed "Emancipation Underwear Under flannel."  They were made of red flannel and were part of a sort of reform movement. Women were weary of corsets and bustles and layer after layer of underclothes. Men learned of this new underwear and very soon started wearing union suits themselves. And, today many more men wear one-piece long underwear than women. But the sensible girls still pull them on for warmth and comfort. And you have to admit, boys, they look down right sexier than we. 

Even Bette Midler got into the union suit act with her and company from "Hello Dolly" opening the recent You Tube show, "Broadway Does Mother's Day...

Union Suit Fans, where ever in the world you may be...

here's a little something for those of you celebrating a birthday today, and to all of you who have already celebrated in 2020, and to everyone yet to celebrate later this year, a Birthday Card. May it find all of you safe and well. 

A big thanks to San Antonio John and to Brother Miller for providing this 'warm greetin.'  Note "Happy Birthday" is spelled out using various red union suits. I thought that particularly clever.
If you missed it, check out San Antonio's story entitled "Union Suit Fan, Southern Comfort," posted in my blog on March 16, 2018. 

BTW: you can read more about the brothers seen in my Featured Post who ran around outside in their Union Suits, posted May 4, 2016. Grandma captured them in their bright, warm winter attire.

Boys Will Be Boys