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I usually wore rompers as a little boy. On the previous page I am dressed with a dressy white romper ar age 5 years. It is a classic French barboteuse. I was the petit garçon modèle to my mum. The classic white romper was worn for special outings such as to church. But white rompers were also worn during the week. Light blue was another popular color for romper suits. I think mine were mostly white, at least the batboteuse romper suits. I wore several romper suits in different styles and material. There were the classic barboteuse rompers which were one-piece romper suits with little puffed sleeces. In addition I had the Barboteuse bain de soleil, These were sun suit rompers that could be worth with or without a blouse. They had a bib and straps that buttoned to the waist. Sometimes they had two little pockets. The bain de soleil rompers were done it colors. The rompers also buttoned at the crotch. All the rompers in small sized did so. I'm less sure about the ones I wore when I was 5 years old. There were plain, Vichy (gingam), and knitted rompers. As far as I can remember and with the help of family snapshots, rompers were the principal garment I wore until I got near school age. From the family album I can tell that mother often dressed me in white rompers. I do recall wearing rompers. At age 5-6 years, one retains many memories about our childhood. I was quite proud to wear rompers. I rather liked the look. In this time, for us boys it was perfectly normal to be dressed in rompers. Many of our frinds also wore rompers. And I recall that adults said that we looked so cute. At that age we liked getting compliments. My aunt was a bit jealous becaus her son (my cousin) never was a petit garçon modèle. Here he is the little boy 6 years old, at my side. I stoped wearing rompers at about age 6 when I began school. Some boys wore than longer, but not at school. But this was the quite common to stop wearing rompers once you began school.
I usually wore rompers as a little boy. I was born in 1947. I wore then from about age 1 through to when I began school at age 6. That would be 1948-53. This included the period when rompers were most popular in France. They were one of the most popular outfits for little boys. Only we boys wore them at the time. Little girls wore fresses. There are manu photographs of me in our family photograph album. And as a toddler and little boy I almost always wore rompers, both when dressing up and for play. I did not stop wearing rompers regularly until I began school at age 6 and even the sometimes wsore them at home or when dressing up.
Smocking was a popular decoration for rompers. The term rerived from the decoration on smocks. When rompers became populs in France, the same decoration was appropriated for decorating the rompers. Some soncks and rompers had pleated fronts. Others were plain. But smpcking as a nother popular decoration. Some of my rompers had smocked fronts. This was a classic style. Many French boys wiore rompers with the decorative smocking like this.
I wore rompers from about age 1-6 years of age. I am not sure when mother brought ny first romper suit. But from age 1 through age 5, I mostly wore rompers. Of course as an infant I don't recall, but our family alnum almost always shows me in rompers. I do recall wearing rompers by the time I was 5 and 6 years old. I was still wearing them arhen I turned 6 years old. I stoped wearing rompers when I began prim,ary school. Children in France begin school at age 6. Of course I turned 6 years several months before school began. I got my bhair cut at this time, but still wore rompers. Boys wore rompers in nursery school, but it was very rae in regular primary school. Some boys wore than longer, but not at school. They might still have a dressy bpair of rompers for special occassions. But I stopped wearing them when I began school. This was probably the most common convention for French boys at the time.
On the previous page I am dressed with a dressy white romper ar age 5 years. It is a classic French barboteuse. I was the petit garçon modèle to my mum. The classic white romper was worn for special outings such as to church. But white rompers were also worn during the week. Light blue was another popular color for romper suits. I think mine were mostly white, at least the batboteuse romper suits. I wore several romper suits in different styles and material. There were the classic barboteuse rompers which were one-piece romper suits with little puffed sleeces. . In addition I had the Barboteuse bain de soleil, These were sun suit rompers that could be worth with or without a blouse. They had a bib and straps that buttoned to the waist. Sometimes they had two little pockets. The bain de soleil rompers were done it colors. The rompers also buttoned at the crotch. All the rompers in small sized did so. I'm less sure about the ones I wore when I was 5 years old.
My rompers were made in various materials. Here my menory is axlittle hazy. I know thast my plain, play rompers were made in Vichy cloth (gingam). I also had knitted rompers. I think I mostly wore those when the weather got chilly, often with a little sweater (gilet). I am less sure what material was used for my dressy rompers.
I am not ewal sure about the colors of my rompers. The photographic record suggests they were mostkly light colors, white or perhaops sky blue. I gas some darker-colored rompers, but I think they were mostly the bif-front sort.
By the age of 5-6 years, one retains many memories about our childhood. I recall that was quite proud to wear rompers. I rather liked the look. In this time, for us boys it was perfectly normal to be dressed in rompers. Many of our frinds also wore rompers. And I recall that adults said that we looked so cute. At that age we liked getting compliments. My aunt was a bit jealous becaus her son (my cousin) never was a petit garçon modèle. He is the little boy 6 years old, at my side on the previous page. I was a little young to remember, but André tells me that he well remembers that during his Communion their aunt gave realy sign of jealousy to see.
A reader writes, "Another question about Daniel, or actually his cousin. Why could his aunt not drress her som as a petit garcon modele? A French reader tells us, "In fact, it is a bit complicated. Some mothers didn't like or for a variety of reasons were not able to do so. Perhaps her husband or other family members didn't like the look. Children by the 1950s were becoming more expressive. Consequently in society or inside the familly, the people didn't have the same tender eyes on their children and probably these mothers were frustrated.]
Another reader writes, "HBC has a splended page on petit garcon modele. I have read it again. I studied the picture showing Daniel and his cousin. I think his cousin, although a good behaved boy was also a high spirited child - Just William type of child. The reason why his cousin was not a Petit Garcon modele was the boy's character. It is likely that he did not keep the conventions and behaviour associated with this fashion code of conduct. High spirited, cheeky children whose play turned them into scruffly dressed individuals could not be a Petit Garcon Modele child. It was more than wearing special types of clothes. I think that's what Charles or Daniel was trying to say politely. The boy's character prevented him being this type of boy. His mum wanted her boy to follow this code. She was disappointed that he was different. Took me quite a while to understand but French folk would have instantly understood. I know lots of lovely polite, conciderate French boys and none of them would be considered Petit Garcon Modele. Their untidy dress code would preclude their admittance into this group. Now I do too."
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