Figure 1.--These short pants were offered in the La Redoute catalog in 1971. These boys model dressy shorts in a short cut. Note that the boys are wearing ankle socks rather than kneesocks even though they are wearing long-sleeved shirts. Also notice the neckwear. |
These short pants were offered in the La Redoute catalog in 1971. These boys model dressy shorts in a short cut. These dress shorts have belt loops and are worn with belts. Some of the other La Redoute dress shorts had self-bekts. Note that the boys here are wearing ankle socks rather than kneesocks even though they are wearing long-sleeved shirts. Also notice the neckwear.
La Redoute is an important Paris department store. The store was especially noted for its mail order catalog. One French reader has mentioned the "La Redoute" catalog was well known throughout France. The clothing offered is a good indicator of styles that were widely worn in France and by French people in overseas locations. The some styles were also widely worn in Belgium. Redoute was especially popular in the 1970s.
The trademarks involved were Vestan® and Dralon®, and Eural Tergal®.
Styles A-D were four pairs of dress or casual short pants. Two were formal dress shorts like the ones shown here, but had self-belts. The other two were more casual, but were not play shorts.Two (styles C and D) seem especoally designed for dress or formal wear. One style is imitation leather. They were all cut much shorter than the Bermudas also offered, but were in different styles, and colors/patterns.
The ad copy read, "Noeud papillion en acétate Thodia." There were three colors, bleu blue), gris (grey), and bordeaux (presumably a dark red or maroon). The price was F3.50. Papillion means butterfly in French, thus this would be translated as a "butterfly bow". It is the bow the boy at the left is wearing.
Tartan plaid neck ties seem to have been popular in France. The ad copy read, "Toujours trés appréciée des jeunes, la crevate écossaise en polyester et laine." It was a red and green plaid. The price was F 8.50.
The shorts seen here (both Styles G and H) were styles identically, only the material differed. The ad heading referring to both pairs of shorts read. "Deux shorts allurés, tout doublés, d'entretien aisé." That translates as, "Two shorts look nice, fully lined, easy cleaning)." The ad copy referring to both pairs read, "Pour tours les deux: 2 poches côtés, des passantes, une doublura nylon (polyamidel) et une fermeture à glissiére à braguette." That would translate as, " ???". Concerning this specific style (Style G), the ad copy read, "De fins motifs géométriques. Culotte Vestan ( Polyester ) et Dralon ( Acrylique )." That would translate as, " ??? ". It was available in vert (green) and gris (grey). The sizes were: 102 cm, 114cm , 125 cm , 138 cm, 150 cm, and 162 cm. That would be for boys from about 4 (102 cm) - 14 (162 cm) years of age. The prices ranged from F 29.00-34.00.
The were the same shorts discussed ablove unfer style G. The only difference is the material and the stitching which made them more expensive. The ad copy read, "Un tissu prince-de-Galle. Culotte Eural Tergal (polyester et laine peignée), entièrement doublée. Une poche révolver passepoilée. Ceinture élsastique côtés." That would translate as, " In Prince of Wales material. Shorts Eural Tergal (polyester and combed wool), fully lined. Pull-out pocket. Coated elastic belt”. (Again as this is advertising jargon trying to appeal both to the boys and their mothers it is hard to translate – a French reader may be able to help.I know what they mean by “pull-out pocket” - it is a pocket with it's own lining as opposed to the “patch pockets” (
poches plaqees) as you have on jeans. That is these pockets could be turned inside-out and washed specially like collars and cuffs would be – important given what we'd put into our pockets as boys – anything from sweets to dead insects we'd found.These type of pockets would be a plus for mums on scholl or “best” shorts but not for boys as we'd prefer the patch pockets that no parent or teacher could order you to “turn out”.) The shorts were a pattern available in either a green or grey background. The sizes were: 102 cm, 114cm , 125 cm , 138 cm, 150 cm, and 162 cm. That would be for boys from about 4-14 years of age.
A French reader writes, "Notice, in 1970 after the Paris Student Riots of 1968, one was begining to call sometime short pants, " short " instead " culotte " .
Notice the crease , which were still in fashion. These short pants would have been considered very stylish at the time."
A British reader writes, "The shorts the boy on the right (style H) is wearing are very similar to the check shorts that I had to wear to visit my
Grandparents.Not only that the French description on this page specifically mentions “Prince of Wales Check” material (“tissu pays de gaulle”). I find this very interesting as you date the catalogue from 1971 in France yet I was wearing those shorts a couple of years earlier in England and I'm sure they were made in Yorkshire. As I said mine were of a grey/green/white/black check and my cousin,who was from Yorkshire,had a similar pair in brown/black/white check as I remember us both having to wear them on Christmas day at my Grandparents and people commenting on the fact – especially as my Grandmother had bought me a red bow-tie and pullover with white socks to look “Christmassy” but that's another topic – white socks to an English boy is a completely
different thing to French boys like those shown here as I'm sure any red-bloode! d English boy would tell you - even today where kneesocks are rarely worn. It would be interesting to know if this Prince of Wales check pattern was a recent export across the channel or had been in vogue for some time.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main French 1971 catalog page]
[Return to the Main French garment page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Countries]
[Clothing styles]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[French glossary]
[Satellite sites]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing French pages:
[Main French page]
[French art]
[French catalogs]
[French choirs]
[French Movies]
[French postcards]
[French royalty]
[French school smocks]
[French school uniforms]
[French youth groups]
[French sailor suits]
[Difficult French images]
[French ethnics]