The old days were miserable. To compound all their other discomforts, most men and not a few women spent their lives imprisoned in union suits. The union suit was a cotton neck-to-ankles garment with strategically-placed flaps. A comic rural stereotype was the farmer who wore his one union suit day-and-night, day-in-day-out all winter. In the city, union suits were supposed to be washed as often as the human body - about once per week.
The Chalmers Knitting Company set out to liberate humanity.
Chamlers' first innovation was Porosknit, a woven fabric which "let the body breathe". The company promoted its products with "Porosknit Man", whose muscular physique contrasted sharply with the zaftig union suit wearer. Porosknit Man, who was never actually referred to by that name, bowled, boxed, fenced, and sprinted his way through two decades of magazine ads clad only in his underwear.
