Figure 1.--These Canadian boys are unidentified, but we think are probably French-Canadian boys. The snap-shot looks to have been taken in the 1940s. |
|
We think most of the boys we have found wearing berets were French-Canadian boys, although we can not yet confirm this. The snapshots we have found rarely identify the individuals. While French Canadians spoke French, there cultural contacts with France were less than might be expected. They were largely severed by the English victory in the French and Indian ar (1756-63). Until after World War II, cultural ties were primary literary. Thus we are unsure just to what extent French fashions influenced French Canadian dress. Most of the boys wearing berets seem to have been French Canadian boys. Here we see two French Candian boys wearing berets in 1942 (figure 1). We believe that English Canadian boys did not commonly were berets, perhaps because the French had a lower-class status in Canada. In America French styles were considered fashionable and stylish wiithout any of the lower-class association in Canada.
Visit HBC Canadian Pages:
[Return to the Main Canadian beret page]
[Canadian art]
[Canadian choirs]
[Canadian First Communions]
[Canadian long stockings]
[Canadian youth groups]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main Canadian page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[Essays]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]