Figure 1.--A French reader has provided up this image of the last barboteuse or roper suit he wore. He was 6 years old in 1949 when he wore it. It was lovingly kept as a keepsake by his mother. This garment was size 56 cm for a boy 5-6 years old. Click on the image for a back view.

Another popular style was romper pants without bib-fronts, but atttached suspenders in the same material as the pants. The suspenders attached at the front with buttons. Usually the buttons were white to contrast with the colored romper bottoms, but colored buttons were also used. The suspender rompers were usually worn with blouses. A boy might wear a bib front romper without a shirt during the summer, but never suspender rompers. Usually the blouses were white, but some were the same color and material as the romper bottoms. Peter Pan collars were very popular. There were both front and back buttoning blouses. They might have puff sleeves. The dressier ones were smocked. Usually they were short sleeved with cuffs and trim. Embroidered trim on the collars might be repeated on the cuffs. These were often a more dressy style than the bib-front romper suits. We have noted some made with pleats. Interestingly, all the images of front buttoning blouses worn with these rompers show the collar buttons buttoned, the blouses and rompers were not worn with open collars. There might be side buttons to improve the fit. We are not sure when the suspender rompers first appeared the suit shown here was made in 1949. They were made in sizes up to about 6 years. Even the larger styles had buttons at the crotch.

Conventions

These were often a more dressy style than the bib-front romper suits. They were also more likely to be worn by the older boys wearing erompers than the one-piece romper outfits. They were made in sizes up to about 6 years.

The Suspenders

Another popular style was romper pants without bib-fronts, but atttached suspenders in the same material as the pants. These were similar to suspender short pants which were also popular at the same time. The suspenders usually attached at the front with buttons. Usually the buttons were white to contrast with the colored romper bottoms, but colored buttons were also used. The suspenders nprmally crossed, but were not sewed together at the back. They were sewed on to the waistline at the back so that they were permanently attached to the romper bottoms.

Blouses

The suspender rompers were usually worn with blouses. A boy might wear a bib front romper without a shirt during the summer, but never suspender rompers. Usually the blouses were white, but some were the same color and material as the romper bottoms. Peter Pan collars were very popular. There were both front and back buttoning blouses. They might have puff sleeves. The dressier ones were smocked. Usually they were short sleeved with cuffs and trim. Embroidered trim on the collars might be repeated on the cuffs. Interestingly, all the images of front buttoning blouses worn with these rompers show the collar buttons buttoned, the blouses and rompers were not worn with open collars.

Romper Bottoms

We have noted some made with pleats. There might be side buttons to improve the fit. Even the larger styles had buttons at the crotch. Unlike the one-piece suits for younger boys, these suspender rompers usually did not have the waste bands that tied in a bow at the back. The romper bottoms weremade with varying degrees of blocing out. Some were quite while others were more trim fitting. The large puff stule that blouced out was particualrly fashinable in the late 1940s and early 50s.

Utility and Fashion

The basic utility of the rompers were that they were a comfortable play or dress garment for a child that could easily accomodate diappers (nappies). This wasmore difficult for short pants which were often more trim fitting. Of course a boy by the time he was 4-5 years old no longer commonly wore diappers. For these olfer boys, often weating suspender rompers, rompers were chosen more because they were considered fashionable.

Terminology

The upper part was called a "blouse" or "guimpe". The bottom pat was called "culotte bloomer".

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Created: July 11, 1998
Last updated: January 14, 2002