Figure 1.--This boy in 1927 is playing in the sand. Weare not sure just where this was. He is wearing romper pants. We think the photograph was taken in England, but it may have been taken in Scotland.

English children did not always wear bathing suits to the beach. In fact before World War II (1939-45), swimsuits were not all that common. Here changing conventions about swimming as well as climate were factors. Many children even in the early 20th century might wear suits and other outfits, especially sailor suits. Social class was a major factor. Most children seem to have just worn their regular clothes. Boys from more prosperous families might have worn more specialized outfits like sailor suits. Wide brimmed hats were commonly worn. Less well to do children just came in their regular clothes. We commonly see boys wearing schiool clothes. We have a very good record of this because a part of a beach outing was stopping by local studios for a portrait. English children commonly went to the beach without swimsuits. Children commonly enjoy playing in the sand more than actual swiming. Thus beachwear was often not swimsuits. Many times they only waded or played in the sand. Modern readers might think they were dressed very formally. We commonly see boys at the seaside wearing Norfolk suits and Eton collars in the early 20th century. Gradually we see boys wearing more casual clothes. Here we have two types of clothing. The first are actual swimsuits or bathing costumes and the second are outfits worn at beach resorts, but not actual swimsuits. A reader writes, "Looking at the 'rompers' that this boy is wearing there is something peculair about the fabric. It is stiff. It doesn't fall into folds, unlike the cotton of which rompers would usually be made. I think they are made of a rubberised material; ie. it is waterproof to allow play on damp sand. I have a dim recollection of seeing such in my early youth, or even wearing them! Pehaps another reader can confirm that such garments were around." Our reader has since found a reference to what were called macintosh knickers.

Purpose

We commonly think of beachwear today as swimsuits, but this was often not the case in England. English children did not always wear bathing suits to the beach. In fact before World War II (1939-45), swimsuits were not all that common. Here changing conventions about swimming as well as climate were factors. Butv the primary factor is that children commonly preper to paddle and play in the sand thn swim which can be dangerous. Thus swimwear was niot really needed. English children commonly went to the beach without swimsuits. Children commonly enjoy playing in the sand more than actual swiming. Thus beachwear was often not swimsuits. Many times they only waded or played in the sand.

Social Class

Many children even in the early 20th century might wear suits and other outfits, especially sailor suits. Social class was a major factor. Most children seem to have just worn their regular clothes. Boys from more prosperous familirs might have worn more specialized outfits like sailor suits. Wide brimmed hats were commonly worn. Less well to do children just came in their regular clothes. We commonly see boys wearing schiool clothes.

Seaside Portraits

We have a very good record of what children wore to seaside resorts for vacations and other outings. This is because a part of a beach outing was stopping by local studios for a portrait. This was the case from the point in which the British working class began commonly taking annual seaside vacations in the late-19th century up to about World War II. Most of vthe portraits we have found come from the first half of the 20th century. We have countless portraits of the children. They are usually taken in the studio with a beach backdrop. There were outdoor photgraphers as well, but based on the photographic record that we have been able to find, the studio portraits were much more common. They show both the clothes the children wore as well as all kinds of toys and equipmen t for having fun on the beach. This often meant pails and spades for digging in the sand. Stranfly we do see some swimsuits at the turn -of-the 20th cebtury, but in the inter-War era we mostly see playwear. This may reflect a shift in who was taking beach vacations and the cost of the portraits. After the War, the vscations continued and by the 1970s began to becomed more adventuresome with chreap flights to Spain and other places with warmer weather. Family snapshots replaced seaside portraits.

Chronology

Modern readers might think that children dressed very formally for seaside outings. Unfortunately we know very little about thev 19th century. Photography wasinvented in 1839. We do not, hoWever see much imn the way of beach photogrpahy in the 19th century. For one thing, most photographs were taken in the studio. And people at the time were less likely to take seaside vacations. This does not seem to have cahnged substantially until the 1890s. And even then, most beach photograph were seaside settings set up in the studio. The invention of the Kodak Brownie meant that for the firt time family snapshots could be taken on the beaches, although we still see studio mickups. do know a great deal about the 20th century. Seaside wear was still both formal and cumbersome at We commonly see boys at the seaside wearing Norfolk suits and Eton collars in the early 20th century. Gradually we see boys and girls wearing more casual and less cumbersome clothing. Girls in particular were expected to cover uop even on the beach. And it is not until after World War I that long stockings entirely disappear from the beach. Here we have two types of clothing. The first are actual swimsuits or bathing costumes and the second are outfits worn at beach resorts, but not actual swimsuits. Swim suits were mostly open leg knee pants. We see boys wearing romper like pants in the early 20th century. Sometimes the beach wear for younger children was rubberized and worn over regular clothes as they commonly did nopt go into the water.

Garments

A reader writes, "Looking at the 'rompers' that this boy is wearing there is something peculair about the fabric. It is stiff. It doesn't fall into folds, unlike the cotton of which rompers would usually be made. I think they are made of a rubberised material; ie. it is waterproof to allow play on damp sand. I have a dim recollection of seeing such in my early youth, or even wearing them! Pehaps another reader can confirm that such garments were around." Our reader has since found a reference to what were called macintosh knickers.

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Sailor suits] [Sailor hats] [Buster Brown suits]
[Eton suits] [Rompers] [Tunics] [Smocks] [Pinafores]

Created: 1:16 AM 1/3/2009
Last updated: 7:42 PM 9/18/2013