** shortalls : country trends








Shortalls: Country Trends


Figure 1.--Here we have an American family snapshot from the 1970s. The boy on the right wears a classic green shortall.

We have limited information at this time concerning the country trends associated with shortalls. Shortalls appear to have been a distinctly American style. We note a much widr acceptance of a related style--bib-front shorts. We do note boys in various countries wearing bib-fromt pants, these are similar to shortalls, but not exactly the same. Actual shortalls see, however a largely American style. We have only noted them being extensively worn in America. Most of the photographs and catalog pages we have found are Amerixan. We have not notice them being worn to any extent by boys in any other country. An exception here is France. We begin to see garments looking like shortalls in the 1930s. We have noted a style looking rather like shortalls in a 1941 French sewing fashion magazine. We have noted German boys wearing Hosensch�rze. The word translates as pinafore pants. They seem to have some of the characteristics of both bib-front shorts and shortalls.

Bib-front Pants

We note a much wider acceptance of a related style--bib-front shorts. We do note boys in various countries wearing bib-front pants, these are similar to shortalls, but not exactly the same. Depending on the size of the bib, bib-front shorts can look somewht like shortalls, but there is not material in the back, only straps.

Individual Country Trends

We have limited information at this time concerning the country trends associated with shortalls. Shortalls appear to have been a distinctly American style. Actual shortalls see, however a largely American style. We have only noted them being extensively worn in America. France may be an exception and in several countries we see related styles.

America

Most of the photographs and catalog pages we have found are American. We first se what look like shirtalls in th 1920s, but they wer not yet called shoralls. Lane Bryant uses the term 'suspender pants' in their 1927 catalog. They offerd several different styles. Shortalls were a very popular style in Ameica from the 1940s into the 70s. Shortalls have never totally disappeard, but have come to be worn mostly bt very young boys. We not only see shortalls offered in clothing catalogs, but photographs of boys actually wearing them. They were mostly worn by pre-school boys, but some younger primary boys also wore them. We have not developed much information for an America page because most of the information on the main shortalls page is really about shotalls in America.

England

We had thought that shortalls were primarily an American style and we believe that this is what had developed, especially after World War II. Most of the imsgds we have foujnd are mericzn imgdes. But here we see a very early example of shortalls. We believe that this is earlier than we see them in America, although the image is undated. We think the portrait is either from the late-1910s or early 20s. We have not found many examples of English shortalls and this is the earliest example. It is a light-colored garment, although we are not sure about the color. The boy looks to be about 3-4 years old.

France

We have not notice them being worn to any extent by boys in any other country. An exception here is France. We begin to see garments looking like shortalls in the 1930s. We note some family snapshots of boys wearing garments looking like shortalls during the 1930s. . We are not sure what the French called them. We have noted a style looking rather like shortalls in a 1941 French sewing fashion magazine. We are not sure just how popular they were in France. They seem nore of a fashionable style than worn commonly worn bt French boys. Rompers called Barnoteuse seem more common for pre-school boys in France.

Germany

We have noted German boys wearing Hosensch�rze. The word translates as pinafore pants. They seem to have some of the characteristics of both bib-front shorts and shortalls.







HBC






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Created: 10:40 PM 4/27/2006
Last updated: 10:32 AM 7/1/2021