Figure 1.--This French boy in the 1950s wears patterned rompers. Gingam was a more common pattern. He looks to be about 5 years old. His mother probably made his rompers. The rompers have puff sleeves with band cuffs. The striped sweater also looks as if it was knitted at home. The boy has a short hair cut.

HBC has noted rompers in a wide range of colors. Both white and many shades of blue were very popular colors for rompers. By far the most common color for solid colored rompers was blue. A French reader reports that "blue was preferred by most mothers". We have also noted bright colors such as red and yellow. Many rompers were mase in solid colors. There were also some patterened rompers. The most common pattern was gingham ("vichy" in French). There were some other patterns, mostly material selected by mothers who made their children's clothes. We have noted, for example, flowered patterns. There were also a wide range of other patterns used, but these were not common. While some boys wore these flowered pattererns the kind of checked or plaid gingham was much more common. We do not yet have any information on the extent to which the popularity of different colors and patterns varried over time. Many of the same colors and patterns used for smocks were also used for rompers.

Colors

Rompers were made in a wide range of solid colors, although most were either white or blue. The vast majority of French rompers were either white or blue, especislly white blue. Both white and many shades of blue were very popular colors for rompers. By far the most common color for solid colored rompers was blue. A French reader reports that "blue was preferred by most mothers". We have also noted bright colors such as red and yellow. We have not yet been able to find any images of these bright colors. A french reader remembers seeing pink rompers as a boy, but he did not like them, preferring white and ciel (light blue). The lighter color pastel shades and patterns used for school smocks were also used for rompers as well as shirts. The darker colors like black and dark blue, however, as far as we can tell were never used for rompers. Rompers were, however, made in white which was not used for French school smocks. A French reader tell us, "I wore rompers as a boy in the late 1940s. I had both summer and winter rompers. Some had separate blouses. The one-piece ones had buttons at the back and a bow. The colors I most remember were light blue (sky) and yellow."

Patterns

Many rompers were mase in solid colors. There were also some patterened rompers. The most common pattern was gingham ("vichy" in French). There were some other patterns, mostly material selected by mothers who made their children's clothes. We have noted, for example, flowered patterns. There were also a wide range of other patterns used, but these were not common. While some boys wore these flowered pattererns the kind of checked or plaid gingham was much more common. We do not yet have any information on the extent to which the popularity of different colors and patterns varried over time. Many of the same colors and patterns used for smocks were also used for rompers.