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We have noticed French boys wearing a wide variety of different suits and other outfits for First Communion. Uniforms including what look like school uniforms appear to have been popular in the 19th century. Boys have worn both single and double breasted suits. In most cases they are dark suits that the boy can wear for many other occassions. The suits are worn with knee pants, knickers, and short pants. Long pants were common in the 19th century until the 1870s when knee pants became more common. After World War I, short pants became more common, but some styles were worn with long pants. And many boys continued to wear long pants for the occassion even though they normally wore short pants. Some boys received their first pair of long pants for First Communion. Other boys continue wearing short pants for several years after First Communion. Some of the suits were white and worn only for First Communion or a few other formal events. Some boys wear a variety of sailor suits, especially in the 20th century. There are also tuxedo-like Eton suits, usually with long pants, but some have short pants. Some schools selected religious-looking white cassocks instead of suits. Gloves might be worn and some sailor suits had caps.
We have noticed French boys wearing a wide variety of different suits and other outfits for First Communion. Uniforms including what look like school uniforms appear to have been popular in the 19th century. School uniforms were not very common in the 20th century, especially after World war I, but we see many boys wearing uniforms with military styling in the 19th century. After the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71), many schools adopted
Boys have worn both single and double breasted suits. In mosdt cases they are dark suits that the boy can wear for many other occassions. The suits are worn with knee pants, knickers, and short pants. Long pants were common in the 19th century until the 1870s when knee pants became more common. After World War I, short pants became more common, but some styles were worn with long pants. And many boys continued to wear long pants for the occassion even though they normally wore short pants. Some boys received their first pair of long pants for First Communion. Other boys continue wearing short pants for several years after First Communion. Some of the suits were white and worn only for First Communion or a few other formal events. The white suits were less common in France than in America.
Some boys wear a variety of sailor suits, especially in the 20th century. The sailor suits were done in a variety of styles. We see both white and dark suits. Usually theu were dark suits oe\]r suits with white blouses and dark pants. Often the pants were long pants. There was widely varying styling. Many of the suits were traditionally styles sailor suits with three-stripe detailong. Other suits had the sailor collar a back flaop donr in solid colors, usually white. The basic styling was the standard enlisted (rating) uniform. We notice that by the 1990s that sailor suis were much less common. A few boys began wearing officer-styled sailor outfits.
There are also tuxedo-like Eton suits, usually with long pants, but some have short pants. The Etons suits seem most popular in the 1930s-50s.
Some schools and churches selected religious-looking vestments for the boys. We don't see the girls wearing these oufits. We think this was because these were garments worn by priests and friars/monks and not by nuns who wore destinctive habits. They always wore white junior wedding dresses. We see boys wearing sepluses in the 1920s. As best we can tell this was rather rate, but we have only begun to address this topic. After World war II we see some boys wearing white cassocks. Some were worn earlier, but most examples we have found come after the War. This was not the most common choice, but we see quite a number of examples. When we see boys wearing these relgious garments, it seems to be always a kind of group outfit. The other outfits were often individuall selected. We see groups wearing mixed outfits. This was nor the case when the religious outfits were worn. In these cekebrations the boys were all dressed alike.
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