Figure 1.--HBC is unsure as to who wore rompers in the early 20th century. There appear to have been differences between countries. This photograph is undated, but was probably taken in the late 1910s or early 1920s. Boys clearly wore them in America. We also know that American girls wore them--but we do not yet know to what extent girls wore them. The hair bow will convince many that this is a girl, but in the early 20th century some boys still wore hairbows. HBC initially thought that ths child was a girl, but after some cosiderations believes it might be a boy--especially as the child is standing by a shotgun. Image courtesy of the RG collection.

HBC is unsure about the gender conotations of early rompers. I believe they were worn by both boys and girls, especially the rompers worn for play. I'm less sure about the dressier styled rompers. Probably a girl would be nore likely to wear a dress for formal occasions. HBC has, however, very little information on rompers, so this assessment is highly speculative. By the 1940s, rompers had, except for infants, become a casual style for girls. Rompers were commonly used as girls' gym costumes with the romper legs relatively long until the 1940s. They were often worn with long black stockings. Schools did not generally consider shorts apropriate for girls until the 1940s. Rompers also continued into the 1950s and 1960s with shorter legs. I can remember as a Virginia high school student in 1958 that the girls wore rompers rather than shorts for gym.

Country Differences

Rarely does a popular garment have such radically diiferent gender comventions in different countries. HBC is at this time has only limited information about gender conventions for rompers. We believe that they have varied over time. There were also substantial differences between countries. In some countries like France only boys wore rompers while in other countries such as America rompers werre worn by both boys and girls. Here we have cimpiled considerable information on France, but our information on other countriesc is still quite limited. Unlike other garments where we have reports from readers, many readers do not recall wearing rompers because of their ages. Thus we have fewer first hand accounts. The conventions concerning rompers in each country of course has changed over time thus complicating matters. At this time we have only limited information on these conventions and changes over time..

Types of Rompers

There also may have been differences as to gender usage in the type of rompers. While girls in America may have worn rompers as a casual or play outfit, they would not have dressed up in them.

Casual rompers

Rompers and related bloomer outfits as a play costume appear to be worn by both young boys and girls. This appears to have been the case by the the 1910s, although our chronological information is still sketchy as to hust when romper suits first appeared. They appear to have continued to be worn by boys in Italy and France into the 1950s. We know that French girls did not wear them , but I'm not sure though if European girls wore them. Girls innAmerica did wear romper play suits. These were generally for younger girls, but in the 1950s romper suits were available in sizes for older girls as well.

Dressy rompers

The original rompers were a play garment. Eventually some were made for more formal attire. This appears to have been more of an European development than an American fashion. HBC has noted some European boys to about 6 years in the 1950s wearing them. Even in the 1990s some fancy rompers for todlers were made. I don't believe girls wore these dressier styled rompers. Probably a girl would be more likely to wear a dress for formal occasions.

Gym Outfits

By the 1910s a related outfit--bloomer pants usually with middy blouses had been adopted as a gym costume for girls in many American highschools. By the 1940s, bloomer outfits were still being used as a girls gym outfit in secondary schools. Girls' bloomer gym costumes had relatively long long legs until the 1940s. They were often worn with long black stockings. Schools did not generally consider shorts apropriate for girls until the 1940s. These bloomer costumes continued into the 1950s and 1960s with shorter legs. He styles changed from bloomers with middy blouses to one-piece romper suits. I can remember as a Virginia high school student in 1958 that the girls wore rompers rather than shorts for gym. These romper outfits were widely worn in American highschools. We do not at this time know to what extent these rompers were worn by girls as a gym outfit in other countries, if any.

Modern Rompers

Rompers are now seen as an infants outfit without sharp gender differences. Romper outfits are generally avialble for children under 2 years of age for both boys are girls. Usually the only difference is the color, pink fior girls and blue for boys. Some other colors like yellow and green can be wirn by boys and girls.

Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web chronological pages:
[The 1890s] [The 1900s] [The 1910s] [The 1920s] [The 1930s] [The 1940s] [The 1950s]

Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web style pages:
[Return to the Main romper page]
[Dresses] [Smocks] [Bodice kilts] [Kilts] [Sailor suits] [Sailor hats]
[Ring bearer/page costumes] [Shortalls]

Created: September 12, 2000
Last updated: June 3, 2004