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There were significant changes in boys wear in France during the two and half decades following World War I. One of the many changes as a result of the War were changing attitudes toward fashion. Boys clothing became much less formal and by the 1930s increasingly casual. We still see many boys wearing berets and smocks to school, but not as many as we see in before the War when they were vitually universal. Berets were always optional, but smopcks for a time were required school wear for both boys and girls. They seem to be optional. We are not sure when they became optional. It seemed to have varied from school to school. Some individual schools, however, may have required them. The photographic record shows a wide range of schoolwear practices. Sone schools where most of the childen wear smocks. Some where none of the children wear smocks. And schools where some children wear smocks and some do not. As the decades pass we see fewer children wearing smocks. But even by the the 1940s we still see a kot of smocks. Even though optional, smocks were still still quite common until after World War II (1939-45) in the the 1950s. Mothers apparently liked them to protect clothes. We also see shorter-length smocks. And the military-styled unifions began to sharply decline. We are not enitely sure why this was. Changing fashion attitudes may be a factor. There may also have been a change in Ministry of Education regulations. The change as not as great as what occurred after World War II, but there was a notable change which we can see in the photograohic record. This is a subject we are still studying. Most of the image we have found show the children wearing smocks, but not all as we can see here (figure 1). Most boys wore short pants in the inter-War era. In the early-1920s we still see knickers and knee-pants. The boys here are a good example (figure 1). While knickers were worn by some French boys in the inter-War era, they were not nearly universal as in America. The short pants we see becoming incresingly common, ended to be long, but by the 1930s were incresungly being cut see to shorter lengths.
There were significant changes in boys wear in France during the two and half decades following World War I. One of the many changes as a result of the War were changing attitudes toward fashion. Boys clothing began to become less formal. We see fr vfewerchildren weariuglohng stockings. Knee socks becamevy ommon. This seems to have been a result of World War I. We note similar trends in other countries as well. We still see many boys wearing berets and smocks to school, but not as many as we see in before the War when they were vitually universal. Berets were always optional, but smopcks for a time were required school wear for both boys and girls. They seem to be optional. We are not sure when they became optional. It seemed to have varied from school to school an was not ordered by the Miniustry of education. Some individual schools, however, may have required them. The photographic record shows a wide range of schoolwear practices. Sone schools where most of the childen wear smocks. Some where none of the children wear smocks. And schools where some children wear smocks and some do not. As the decades pass we see fewer children wearing smocks. And the military-styled unifions began to sharply decline. We are not enitely sure why this was. Changing fashion attitudes may be a factor. There may also have been a change in Ministry of Education regulations. The change as not as great as what occurred after World War II, but there was a notable change which we can see in the photograohic record. This is a subject we are still studying. Most of the image we have found show the children wearing smocks, but not all as we can see here (figure 1). Most boys wore short pants in the inter-War era. In the early-1920s we still see knickers and knee-pants. The boys here are a good example (figure 1). While knickers were worn by some French boys in the inter-War era, they were not nearly as common as in America. The short pants we see becoming incresingly common, ended to be long,.
In the the 1930s we see cboolwear comtinuing to be more casual amd most notably womewhat fewer smocks. We akso begiun to see more ariety in the smocks. Most of the bys wote short pants. Some older boys from fashionable families may have worn knickers, but there were a small minority.
The Germans launched their great Weter offensive (May 1940). In only a few week France was defaeted. The Germans occuoied France for moist the rgw War. As poart od theAmistice agreement, Framnce had to oay reoarations. And by setting the ecchange rate at ansurd levels, the German could loot the French economy at will. Interetubgky, the Germansmade very limited use of the midern French arms iundustryt, alyhough thgy tried. Mostly they obtained consumer goods in France, especially foood and clothing. The impact was to create serious shortages in France. This affected the avaiability of children's clothing, including schoolwear. Wesee French childen going varefoot which was not coon before the German occoation. The shortages became more severe as the German occuopation cntiunued. Hiutler had antiioate gettung the resources he neded deeded fom the Ostkrieg, In fact very little was obtained there. Resources from the occpied East supplied the Ostheer, but not the German war eonopmy. Explotiing the occupied West, especially France, was amajor supoirt for the Reich. While smocks were declining in popularity by the the 1940s, we still see a lot of smocks. Even though optional, smocks were still still quite common until after World War II (1939-45) in the the 1950s. Mothers apparently liked them to protect clothes. We also see shorter-length smocks. But even by the the 1940s we still see a kot of smocks. Even though optional, smocks were still still quite common until after World War II (1939-45) in the the 1950s. Mothers apparently liked them to protect clothes. We also see shorter-length smocks.
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