Figure 1.--A French sewing magazing in December 1950 offered this design for a 5-6 year boys' outfit. It was a sleevless sweater worn with a shirt and tie and romper pants. The romper pants did not have suspender attachments, but instead an elastic waisr band. They were called "cullotes" (short pants) rather than "barboteuse" rompers. Apparently this was the case for the separate romper pants that were worn like shorts.

A French sewing magazing in December 1950 offered this design for a 5-6 year boys' outfit. It was a sleeveless sweater worn with a shirt and tie and romper pants. The romper pants did not have suspender attachments, but instead an elastic waisr band. They were called "cullotes" (short pants) rather than "barboteuse" rompers. Apparently this was the case for the separate romper pants that were worn like shorts. A French reader explains, "The sewing magazines when they expalined how to knit a romper outfit work; use "gilet or blouse" and for topmpart and "culotte" for the bottom or pants part. Notice the autor has called "costume de Bernard" and not "La barboteuse de Bernard" only that sounds more sophisticated, but most French mothers would say simply "barboteuse". This sewing pattern appeared in Mon ouvrage of December 1950. This publication was a very popular magazine woth French mothers in the immediate post-war period.

HBC is not sure how many mothers actually made and boys wore the outfits in these sewing mafazines. One HBC reader reports, "I have always found three issues with sewing or knitting advertisements. These three factors need to be accessed.
Clentile: The clientele they attract and the conservative nature. Remember, the French contributor stated that his uncle had rompers sewn rather thjan purchassed ready-made in the stores. Therefore, in France there may have been an issue about sewing or knitting clothes for children that may have had class distinctions which in general I do not think occurred in the United States. (This is, however, only a guess and I could be wrong).
Sewers: Many people who knit and sew have time on their hands or do not find clothes of the quality that they approve and are willing to sew or knit them.
Cost: The cost for patterns is small and can be inexpensively maintained for years even if the demand is low.