Figure 1.--This Onival beach scene shows a sand construction. It was probably taken in the early-1910s. Note the turned down sailor hats.

No boys' outfit outfit was more popular for the seaside than sailor outfits during the early 20th century. In the early part of the century there seems to have been more wadeing than swiming. Boys wore their broad-brimmed sailor hats, sometimes turning up the brims, especilly by the 1910s. Boys uually wore their middy blouses with bloomer-type knickers without shoes and stockings. For more serious wading they might roll up their knicker legs. More casual styles for the beach did not become popular until after the turn of the century, especially after World War I (1914-18). After the War, actual bathing costumes or swim suits appear much more commonly than before the War. Sailor outfits do not disppear entirely in the 1920s, but they are no longer the dominate beach style.

The 1900s

No outfit was more popular for the seaside than sailor outfits. Both boys and girls commonly wore them. Of course the white sailor suits were more common than the blue suits. In the early part of the century there seems to have been more wading than swimming. Boys wore their broad-brimmed sailor hats. Both boys and girls wore tops. We are unsure to what extent long stockings were worn, if at all.

The 1910s

We continue to see children wearing broad-brimmed sailot hats. The hats were sometimes turning up the brims during the 1910s. We notice many other caps, including floppy berets, flat caps, amd miitary-styled caps. Boys usually wore their middy blouses with bloomer-type knickers without shoes and stockings. For more serious wading they might roll up their knicker legs. Relatively few boy, however, did this. There seem to be a lot more boys in the available images than girls, I'm not sure why this is.

The 1920s

More casual styles for the beach did not become popular until after the turn of the century, especially after World War I (1914-18). After the War, actual bathing costumes or swim suits appear much more commonly than before the War. Sailor outfits do not disppear entirely in the 1920s, but they are no longer the dominate beach style.

The 1930s

A French readr reports that the most important development concerning beachwear started in 1936. The styles had to be practical; easy for playing in the water, but still looking smart. The bib-front rompers were the most commun for both little girls and boys, but were not appropriate for actual swiming. So mothers often chose knitted outfit with very short pants, both with and without a bib font. Notice the fashion imposed that the clothes should have "des Pompons" (pompom bobbles). Those play-outfit were for boys from 2 till 6 years old and worn as a "bain de soleil" (sunuit). The boys wore them everywhere, in he street, at the park, at home and not just for the beach. About the pompom, they could be worn by boys utill 10 years of age on their swimsuits. Now they are more used for baby clothes .

The 1940s

Seas side vacations suddenly went out of style with the German World War II ocupation of France (1940-44). Personal income plummeted and even the staples became diffucult to afford. Transportation became complicted. The Germans seized cars and trucks and gas/petrol was impossible for individuals to obtain. France's beaches like the beaches in Britain became the front line of the War. When Britain sirvived the Battle of Britain, the possibiliy of a German invasion of Britain was replaced with plans for the Allied liberation of France. Hitler began building his vaunted Atlantic Wall, the remanents of which can still beseen on some beaches.

The 1960s

The 1970s

A French reader tells us that "bain de soleil" fashion was still coomon for younger boys in the 1970s and early 1980s.

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Created: December 18, 1999
Last updated: 2:56 AM 4/10/2018