Figure 1.--This knit suit appeared in the November 1947 issue of "Tricotons"along with detailed instructions on how to make it. The long sleve top and wool material as well as thedate of the magazine show that it was for winterwear. The instructions suggested using two shades of blue wool yarn. |
We are not precisly sure when these knit suits became fashionable in France. We notice a lot of images of fashionable French boys wearing knit suits after World War I. We are not sure when they began wearing them. Knit garments were also worn during the summer as casual garments. We note a variety of knit suits or tops and shorts combinations. After World War II, French fashion and kniting magazines carried many fashionable knit outfits for boys. Blouses and romper or short pants were popular styles for younger boys. Many of these were very stylishly and popular for younger boys at mid-century. The blouses could be quite fancy with ruffled collars, ballon sleeves, and other elaborate derailing. Many of the shorts sets were made in the button-on style. Normally the short pants were cut quite short. A French reader writes, "Notice the look of the boy in the illustration here. I don't know why the illustrator drew him like that. In reality when we boys in the 1940s were wearing these suits, we had a look
different from this drawing." The knit suit shown here appeared in the November 1947 issue of Tricotons along with detailed instructions on how to make it (figure 1). The long sleve top and wool material as well as thedate of the magazine show that it was for winterwear. The instructions suggested using two shades of blue wool yarn.
We are not precisly sure when these knit suits became fashionable in France. We notice a lot of images of fashionable French boys wearing knit suits after World War I. We are not sure when they began wearing them. This style of knit suit was especially popular in the 1930s before World War II. A French reader writes, "This and similar outfits were commonly worn by French boys before the War." One can indeed find a lot of these outfits in fashion and sewing magaines during and photographs during the 1930s. They were very commonly worn, including by schoolmage boys. After the War, these suits tended to be worn by younger boys up to about 6-7 years of age. They were especilly popular at the seaside or for holidays.
While the accompanying article probvided detailed knitting instructions, HBC could find no indication as to age or size. A French reader with the entire artucle tells me that the pattern was a size 54, that means for a boy 5-6 years old. Another outfit is for a boy 5 years old. These model suit usually stopped at age 6 years.
Knitgarments are often seasonl wear. While some of these knit suits were made with long sdleeves for winter swear, we note these suits also being worn during the summer as casual garments.
We note a variety of knit suits or tops and shorts combinations. After World War II, French fashion and kniting magazines carried many fashionable knit outfits for boys. Blouses and romper or short pants were popular styles for younger boys. Many of these were very stylishly and popular for younger boys at mid-century. The blouses could be quite fancy with ruffled collars, ballon sleeves, and other elaborate derailing. Many of the shorts sets were made in the button-on style. Normally the short pants were cut quite short.
A French reader writes, "Notice the look of the boy in the illustration here. I don't know why the illustrator drew him like that. In reality when we boys in the 1940s were wearing these suits, we had a look
different from this drawing."
The knit suit shown here appeared in the November 1947 issue of Tricotons along with detailed instructions on how to make it (figure 1). The long sleve top and wool material as well as the date of the magazine show that it was for winterwear. The instructions suggested using two shades of blue wool yarn.
Note the boy in the illustration is holding something behind his back. Apparently it is a school portfolio. A French reader tells us, "I don't know the English term. It is a sort of painting-book cover; we might take to school. We used it to carry our big documents, paintings, ect so they would not get folded or dirty. It was c;osed with a little ribbon. When I went to school in the 1940s and 50s, almost all French children had one."
In my period, almost all children had one." Inclusion in the illustration suggest that this outfit was suitable for school. I don't think that was very realistic as most French children were not this well dressed for school. A French reader writes, "In matters of fashion, illustrators often use their imagination. Sometimes that can be far from reality.
In a boy's first year in school, they still didn't use portfolios. They had only a few books. Probably this illustrator just wanted to give the impression that this boy had begun school."
HBC had thought that this image had the look of what the French would call a "Garçcom modèle". A French reader repotys to us, "Mothers liked to choose suits like this with short cut short pants or rompers. Rompers were geneally chosen for boys not yet in school under the age of 6 years. Some boys, however, as old as 6 or even 7 wore dressy rompers." Another French reader writes, "No, this illustration does't shown a petit garçon modèle. These were children dressed especially well. The outfit seen here was very common.
Many boys dressed this way during the 1920-1950s. A wool knitten outfit to be for petit garçon modèle would have more embroidery, poms, and the pants more balloned and shorter.
A 'petit garçon modèle' was dressed with more juvenile look: Peter Pan cololar (Collar Claudine), rompers or short pants shorter and slightly puffed, puffed sleeves, smocking and embroidery (emboiteries) on the blouse, sometimes lace, and souliers or sandalettes, white ankle or knee socks. Quite often garçon modèle would have a choupette or a cran hair style."
A reader provides some background unformation, "We say in French, - Un petit garçon modèle, - Une petite fille modèle, and - Un enfant modèle. There is no perfect translation, perhaps "a little perfect angel or dream boy".
The children of to day know perfectly the sense of this term; but are unable to be one .
This term is always used to day in France and Belgium. In one family, a child could be enfant modèle and not the other. For instance in the Belgium Royal family; prince Albert
was quite often one, but not his brother Baudoin. Why knows why. I have asked my granson , to be sometime such a well behaved little boy. He agrees, but he is not sure what sort of clothes to wear and how to behave. Here I have started to teach him how his attitude
must be in this case. It is a bit fun to day, but in my time this was all very serious."
A reader writes, "When we were dressed in petit garçon modèle, we at the time had no special thought about this style. In affluent area in cities during the 1940s-50s, they were many
enfants modèles and even some in other neighborhoods as well. I perfectly remember that people were very kind with us. Many women looked admiringly at us and spoke to us with sweet words. It was an old rule not to touch children outside the family, so kisses were not no permitted without asking the parents' permission. To day this rule is forgotten."
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