Children's Leggings: Country Trends--France


Figure 1.--These winter outfits were offered by Altwegg and Schwab during 1924. The comapny sounds German to me, but was apparently French. The girl wears leggings. The boys wears a snowsuit which the French called a " esquimau ", apparently meaning a Eskimo outfit.

Leggings were best known in France as a military garment. The French Army was still wearing them in the 1970s. We have little historical information about French children wearing leggings, but we assume that they began to become popular in the 19th century when boys began to wear kneeoants. We have some information beginning at the turn of the 20th century. French children wore leggings made out of a white material, I think canvas. There were also knited leggings. They were never made in leather. They appear to have been quite common at the turn of the 20 century, at least for children from wealthy families. After World War I, dresses and pants became much shorter. Children wearing them during the Winter would experience very cold legs, especially as few children worn long stockings in France--unlike Germany. An American sociologist, after having lived in Provence for one year was surprised to see kids with frozen uncovered legs while their faces were hidden by scarves. Leggings were thus useful for French children in covering the leg without having to wear long stockings. Leggings by the 1930s, however, no longer commonly were commonly worn in France. One source tells us that, unlike America, leggings were never worn by girls in France, but we note quite a few images of French girls wearing leggings.

Military

Leggings were best known in France as a military garment. The French Army was still wearing them in the 1970s.

Terminology

The French term for leggings is " jambières ". The military leggings are called " guêtres ". A realted garment seen here was the " Esquimau " or smow suit. The outfit is certainly named for the outfits worn by North Americam Eskimos. This is a outfit in wool for cold winter; normaly composed of long padded pants, a sweater, gloves, and a knitted stocking cap (figure 1). The Esquimau pants often had a band going under the shoes. In the post World War II period, boys began wearing a similar Esquimeau for Winter mountain snow sports. The term Esquimau still can be used to day .

Popularity

A French reader tells us, "French children did not commonly wear leggings, especially by the 1930s. I do note little boys during the Winter wore long pants with a band passing under the shoes. This was popular before and after World War II.

Chronolgical Trends

Leggings were a garment worn in Renaissanvce Europe if nor earlier. In terms of French children's wear, We have little historical information about French children wearing leggings, but we assume that they began to become popular in the 19th century when boys began to wear kneeoants. We have some information beginning at the turn of the 20th century. French children wore leggings made out of a white material, I think canvas. There were also knited leggings. They were never made in leather. They appear to have been quite common at the turn of the 20 century, at least for children from wealthy families. After World War I, dresses and pants became much shorter. Children wearing them during the Winter would experience very cold legs, especially as few children worn long stockings in France--unlike Germany. An American sociologist, after having lived in Provence for one year was surprised to see kids with frozen uncovered legs while their faces were hidden by scarves. Leggings were thus useful for French children in covering the leg without having to wear long stockings. French mothers were in a quandry. Doctors advied that children need fresh air. The short pants and dresses fashionable for children in the 1920s, however, did not seem suitable for Winter wear. Some mothers tirned to leggings to make sure the children were kept warm. This seems to have been especially true with children from affluent families. Leggings by the 1930s, however, were no longer commonly worn in France. We have few details in this, but note we have no images of French children wearing leggings after the 1930s. We suspect that some small children may have worm them into the 1950s.

Age

We are not yet sure about the ages of French children wearing leggings, but age appropriateness appears to have varied somewhat over time. Leggings were primarily worn by younger children, but we see some school age children wearing them. The older children were modtly girls.

Usage

We ae not entirely sure about just how these leggings were used. Apparently they were used by children where ever they went outdoors during the winter. That means both for play and for mpre formal events like parties or going to church. We are not sure if children had more than one pair of leggings for use in different occassions. This could have involved different material with the play pair made in more durable material or an older pair and the formal pair in more expensive, finer material. Many of the images we have found show rather fashioinbly dressed children wearing them. Leggings were primarily worn by younger pre-school children. But we notice some older children wearing them, occassionlly to school, but that does not seem to have been very common. We only note a few examples. Some children presumably took their leggings off after they got to school which may have affected the photographic record. We suspect that girls may have more commonly wotn them to school, but we are not yet sure.

Gender

One source tells us that, unlike America, leggings were never worn by girls in France, but we note quite a few images of French girls wearing leggings. In fact we have found more images of girls wearing leggings than boys. we can not be sure, however, if this reflects the actual tendency of French boys and girls to wear leggings. We have few details, but the available images suggesy that the leggings for boys and girls were identical.

Catalogs

We notice leggings in some French catalogs and fashion magazines for many years, such as in the 1920s.

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Created: July 23, 2003
Last updated: 12:57 AM 10/8/2011