Figure 1.--
|
Figure 1.-- |
Berets were less commonly worn than in the 1930s, especially by the late 1940s. Little boys commonly wore rompers. Smocks were still widely worn at school, although most schools no longer required them. Knit wear outfits were popular for younger boys. Knit sweaters were popular fot older boys. Berets were also worn. They were mostly worn with short pants. Some older boys still wore knickers in the early 1940s, but they were little seen by the late 1940s. School age boys mostly wore short pants with ankle socks in the summer and kneesocks in the winter. Even quite old boys might wear shorts. An article from a 1947 issue of La Mode Pratique suggests dressing boys untill 6 years old with a traditional romper or a two pieces outfit. The short pants suit was suggested for older boys.
A French reader tells us, "I have to add that this juvenile look for boys was the fashion for affluent families more than the poor or people in the rural areas where boys might more commonly wear long trousers. This fashion trend had begun after the World War I and increased with the " congés payés " in 1936 . In this period the French economy run quite well and the poeple were relatively prosperous. The children during this period were dressed in fashions that had a tender look. After the World War II there were many difficulties. But the future was promising. Jobs were available and Germans had been defaeted. The whole atmosphere was different. Much attention was given to the children. I recall that people felt that children should not look like adults. With the POWs coming home from Germany, a baby boom was soon underway and the birtn rate increased sharply. The agroculatural sector began to improve very rapidly bas people were able to eat normally again. France is one of the most important agriculture countries in Europe. This is still the case today. The French agricultural sector in 2001 produced about 63 billion Euros while the Geramns, the next largest produver, produced only about 43 billion Euros. One of the main problem France faced after the War was the housing shortage . I recall traveling throughout France in the late 1940s. I was struck by the number of well dressed children living in slums. I recall how this seemed strange to me. There were many poor people after the War. The schools had a mission the help these families and their hard situation. All the children had the obligation be clean and properly dressed for school. The children could have their meals in the cantine so their parents did not have to provide lunches. The children also got shoes at school. They could spend 2 mounths in a holliday camp at no cost to their parents. Their camp uniform was even provided by the town. Also many organisations helped these families. Quickly after the war practicly all children again had beautiful Sunday clothes."
HBC has collected a great deal of information on French clothing catalogs and fashion magazines during the 1940s.
We do not yet have a page on post-war rationing in France, but we do have a general [age on French World War II rationing with some information on the post-war period.
