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A variety of toddler styles with simple casual styles appear in the 20th century and were very popular by the 1910s. These todler stules were replacing the skirted garments wiorn by little boys in the 19th century. We see children, both boys and girls, wearing rompers which became very popular, but largely a play garment and exclusively for toddlers. We do not see older boys wearing them. We note Best and Company rompers. They were done both for toddlers and younger boys. Some were styled like tunic suits, but without the tunic skirt. We also notice Butterick patterns for children rompers in sizes 1-3 years. They were seen as suitable for both boys and girls. Butterick also called them overalls and offered a range of stylistic options. There were also toddler outfits done in styles worn by slightkly ilder boys. We note toddler and younger boys outfits done with both knee pants and bloomer knickers. The button-on style appears to have been very popular for boys. We also notice tunic suits, common referred to as Russian blouse suits, done in sizes ranging from toddlers to youngr primary school boys.
The Best & Company page here offered rompers and overalls. The connotation here is children's play clothes. Some of the items here had clear gender indication, others were more ambiguous. There was in addition another page for girls' rompers. Several of the items here were rompers. They were done both for toddlers and tounger boys. Some were styled like tunuc suits, but without the tunic skirt. Best has rompers for boys up to 8 years of age. Notice that their or both pink and blue gingham rompers offered. We are not entirely sure about the gender color conventions for tthese colored rompers. Also children rompers seemed to be dressier than the boy’s rompers. Beach rompers seem to have had straight legs and were called children rompers. We assume that means if was for either gender. There is another page of rompers where they describe circular rompers for girls. that seems to be a balloon styled bottom).
We also notice Butterick patterns for children rompers in sizes 1-3 years. Butterick was one of tghe principal American pattern companies. They were seen as suitable for both boys and girls. Butterick also called them overalls and offered a range of stylistic options. Butterick described this romper suit as, "Child's rompers or overalls, with high or French round or square neck and either of two styles of one-seam full length sleeves or with shorter sleeves." Here we see one of the romoper suits offered by Butterick (figure 1). These patterns were made to sell in the American market, but the company also tried to sell in Canada, Ltin America, and Europe. We notice some words in Spanish. Tghe pattern includes details on how to sew the garment rather than fashion information.
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