*** French rompers barboteuse boys' ages








French Rompers: Boys' Ages


Figure 1.--A French sewing magazing in December 1950 offered this design for a 5-6 year boys' outfit. It was a sleevless sweater worn with a shirt and tie and romper pants. The romper pants did not have suspender attachments, but instead an elastic waisr band. They were called "cullotes" (short pants) rather than "barboteuse" rompers. Apparently this was the case for the separate romper pants that were worn like shorts.

The age at which boys have worn rompers have varied over time. A French reader tells us that rompers were typical for boys 6 months to 6 years from the mid 1930s through the mid 1950s. Catalogs in the late 1950s were showing rompers for boys up to 4 years. Another French reader writes, "About the acceptable romper age, rompers durings the 1940s and 50s were very popular boy through age 4 years. While they were less common for older boys, we note that boys age 5-6 years often hada dressy romper suit for parties or special occassions. Generaly in the 1940-50s it was rather the petit gar�on mod�le of 6 and even 7 years wich were dressed in rompers. During the 1960s conventions changed somewhat. They were commonly worn by little boys no more 3 years. They were basically a pre-school garment which is why they were not commonly worn after age 6 years. A HBC reader indicates that his brother wore romers to age 5 and he wore them to age 6 years. Occasionallty boys as old as about 7 might also have worn them for formal dress occasions. One sewing garment showed a 5-6 years old boying playing at home in a rimper bottom outfit that had an elastic waist band. After the 1960s, however, they became increasingly less common and were mostly worn by infants and toddlers.

Chronological Shifts

The age at which boys have worn rompers have varied over time thus complicating our assessment here. A French reader tells us that rompers were typical for boys 6 months to 6 years from the mid 1930s through the mid 1950s. Catalogs in the late-1950s were showing rompers for boys up to 4 years. Another French reader writes, "About the acceptable romper age, rompers durings the 1940s and 50s were very popular boy through age 4 years. All the sewing pattern model rompers at the beginning of the decade could order from 1 till 6 years age. That means a child aged beetween 6 and 7 years old. Beginning in the 1960s the age of boys wearing rompers began to decline. After the 1960s, rompers became increasingly less common and were mostly worn by infants and toddlers. French boys now wear rompers are mostly infants and todlers.

Actual Ages

We note boys wearing rompers from infants to about 7 or less commonlu 8 years of age. They were most common for pre-school boys. While they were less common for older boys, we note that boys age 5-6 years often had a dressy romper suit for parties or special occassions. Generaly in the 1940-50s it was rather the petit gar�on mod�le of 6 and even 7 years wich were dressed in rompers. During the 1960s conventions changed somewhat. They were commonly worn by little boys no more 3 years. They were basically a pre-school garment which is why they were not commonly worn after age 6 years. Note the sewing pattern here in size 5-6 years for a boys' romper (figure 1). A HBC reader indicates that his brother wore rompers to age 5 and he wore them to age 6 years. Occasionallty boys as old as about 7 might also have worn them for formal dress occasions. One sewing garment showed a 5-6 years old boying playing at home in a rimper bottom outfit that had an elastic waist band.







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Created: October 15, 2001
Last updated: 2:59 AM 7/27/2023