French Children's Health Institutions: Clothing


Figure 1.--This is a scene at the Preventorium de Valloires in 1932. The children are having their lunch. Notice the uniforms. Notice some boys are dressed with a bib-front short pants while others aree wearing balloom romper suits. The ballon rompers were becoming an important fashion at the time. We are not sure why there are different outfits for the boys. It may have been an age matter, but it is difficult to tell from the photograph.

French and Belgian children in the 20th century, especially after World War I, were dressed in way to be practical, easy to wash, and with a beautifull juvenile touch. It should be noted that French mothers until after World War II for the most part did not have modern conveniences like washing machines. The urban working class and peole in rural areas oiften did not even have indoor pluming making washing clothes a major concern of mist mothers. Boys thus commonly wore short pants outfits. Younger boys commonly woire romper suits. Thus these were the clothes we see at the French health institutions for children. Many had unifoirms for the children. The younger childre might spend part of the day without any clothing. A French reader writes, "Regarding the clothing of children from Belgium, France, Switzerland, and some other European countries, the puritanism prevalebt in America was not common. In France, no one gave any attention seeing a naked litthe child, specialy the boys. It was common to see a toddler arounfd his home without his little pants. The children at Preventorium might spend several hours without clothing playing in thefresh air and sunshine. That might shock Americans, but not here. This was part of a generally more relaxed atititude toward sex that was notable in art and public entertainment. Many Amnerican servicemen during World war I were shocked to see the more relaxed attitude when the American Expeditionsl Force began arriving."








HBC






Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web Site:
[Return to Main French children health institution page]
[Return to Main sanitoria page]
[Return to Main children's health institutions]
[Return to Main institutional page]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossary] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]




Created: 4:31 AM 4/15/2012
Last update: 4:31 AM 4/15/2012