Figure 1.--These French Canadan brothers in 1938 wore matching rompers made by their mother. This may be the French influence where rompers were very common.

HBC does not yet have much information on rompers in Canada. Rompers were a garment that varied substantially from country to country. We are not sure yet about Canadian trends and conventions concerning rompers. We have found very few images of Canadian boys wearing tompers. And the only ones we have found so dar are summer rompers.

Ethnic Trends

There appear to be differences in the conventions concerning rompers among French and English speaking Canadians.

French Canadians

One might have thought that French Canadian boys would have worn them because rompers or barboteuse were so popular in France. This does not seem to have been the case and the word barboteuse do not seem to have been commonly used in French Canada. One French Canadian boy does report wearing rompers, but we do not know how common this was.

English Canadians

We have no information at all about English-speaking Canadians. We beliece that rompers usage in Canada was probably similar to American or perhaps British trends.

International Trends

We are unsure as to what the fashion influence in Canada was. We do not know if the idea or pattern for the rompers came from America, England, or France. We have noted rompers them being worn in America, England, France, Italy and other coutries. The conventions and time lines for rompers vary in those countries. Rompers in America were a children's garment common in the early 20th century, but evolved into a girls' style. Rompers in France were primarily a boys' garment.

Popularity

We do not know to what extent rompers were worn by Canadian children in the early 20th century. There appear too have been differences between French and English speaking Canadians. A French Canadian reader HBC reader tells us that his mother made matching rompers for him and his brother in the 1930s. The boys can be seen here (figure 1). My mother made matching sunsuits in 1938 for my big brother and me. They were made in the romper style. They look like the romper being worn in France at the time. I remember my mother went downtown very often to buy patterns (mostly Butterick) and cotton by the yard at Marshall or Eaton. So I assiumde that they were Butterick patterns. In the 1940s and 50s. Mothers didn't buy children's clothes like today. Mothers were very proud of their seing skills. Some could even copy from a magazine without a pattern. My mother was a modist (a hat maker). She was an expert in sewing. I was too young to remember. I don't even recall the color--probably light blue. The picture was me and my older brother and I (the little one a little bit shy). I was around 20 months and my brother near 3 years old." [Coron]

Fashion Influence

We are unsure as to what the fashion influencein Canada was. We do not know if the idea or pattern for the rompers came from America, England, or France.

Chronology

We have little chronological information at this time. We note here two French Canadian boys in 1938 (figure 1). We also note rompers offered for boys 1-2 yeats of age in the Simpson's catalog during 1943. We suspect that Simpson's may have reflected English-Canadian more than French-Canadian styles, but our Canadian readers may be able to tell us more about catalog merchandise.

Souurces

Coron, Michel. E-mail message. August 5, 2003

Created: August 9, 2003
Last updated: 7:27 AM 6/28/2016