Figure 1.--This photographbtaken about 1949 shows my brother and I in matching romper suits, They wrre the kind thst blouced out quite a bit. They were the button style worn with blouses.

To start I will tell the history of the rompers with documents relating to them. Both my yonger brother and I wore rompers--sometimes matching ones. We had matching print rompers when I was about 4 years old. I also wore blouses with romper pants. I will send to you my experiance as a boy when I wore rompers and "culottes courtes". Unlike many French boys, I never wore smocks much. My brother and I were larely raised separately. He although only a little younger, he did wear smocks a lot as a boy. We both of course wore short pants most of the time. Actually I will have to divide the different garment sections because for many years my younger brother and I were raised separately. Thus there were differences in our clothing. It was decided by my family that I would be raised by my uncle Louis. I this grew upin his house in Toulon. In 1984 I learnd that this was decided before my birth. So I left Paris in December 1945 and went to Toulon. My uncle Louis was my godfather, he had an old time French mentality. He loved me very much and was very kind to me, never spanling me. My Father in contrast was realy severe and sometimes I was quite unhappy when I returned to Paris to be with my parents for the hollydays.

Headwear

My brother and I never worn bèrets. They were considered too old fashioned and only for unfashionable rural boys.

Blouses

After 1930 till early 1960 the puffed sleeves were very fashionable for boys' wear. They were rompers and blouses for boys with puffed sleeves. Round collars were also very fashionable. It seems in this period little boys were dressed as beautifully as little girls! I'm sure of this becaise I perfectly remember wearing rompers and blouses with puffed sleeves. I wore such blouses commonly utill I was 7 years old and then on some special occasions until I was about 9. I have a photo in which I was 8 or 9 years old and I was wearing a white blouse with puffed sleeves and round collar. I also have some photos of the other boys in our family also wearing such blouses. My brother who was raised exclusivly by our parents also wore these blouses. I must say he was must offten dressed in most current fashions. Many boys from attentive families were dressed in this fashion.

Rompers (Barboteuse)

Both my yonger brother and I wore rompers--sometimes matching ones. We had matching print rompers when I was about 4 years old. Jacques wore rompers until he entered school (maternelle). He had dressy romper suits for Sunday. I think he worn a romper for last time at age 5. About me, my uncle (I call him Fati) had a life with many reception at home with fashionable poeple. Offten I took part. This was rather an exception for the time when children were expected to keep out of the way and quiet when guests visited. Fati wanted nme to be dressed mnicely as this was important for his image. I often wore dressy puff style rompers, a little longer than Jacques did. I think Fati was fond of rompers and thought theyblooked fashionable on a little boy. I later found in the day-book some intruction given to the maid for buying and even kniting rompers to order. In fact I well remenber the last such suit. I last wore rompers in 1949 when I was 6 years old. I remember my last romper suit, it was a blue suspender romper outfit.In 1984 I found it in a box where my mother had lovingly saved it. a box)

Smocks

I almost never wore smocks. I did not attend primary school which is why I rarely wore smocks. I was taught at home along with two other children. My brother and I did not grow up together and had differant educations. Jacques wore smocks (tabliers) quite often at his school (from 4 to 11 years). Claude stayed in Paris and had had the same life of the other boy from Paris except in this time many family were poor and was not the case for my brother. He went to the school only with shorts pants and smock. I did wear smocks occassionally when I was home with my parents in paris. Both Jacques and had I matching back-buttoning smocks which we would wear at home.

Sailor Suits

Sailor suits were not as popular as they once were, but many boys wore them. They were particularly popular for younger boys. I had several sailor suits, all with short pants. Sailor suits were also made with long pants, at least the ones for formal occassions like First Communion, but all of my sailor, at least the ones I can remember, had short pants. We have snapshots of matching sailor suits that my brother and I wore. We were fairly close in age and mother liked to dress us in matching outfits.

Short Pants (Culottes Courtes)

Jacques was very well dressed as a boy. He only wore shorts pants until he was 13 years old. He wore shorts all year round. For my Parents it would be very cold, but evem the snow was no reason for a boy to have long pants. It was the fashion of the time and many French families felt that long pants were not suitable for boys.

I never worn long pannts before 12 except in Türnitz, Austria. I remember a one-piece green wool long pants snow suit I wore in the snow.

Other Clothes

I had all sort of clothes but allways with short pants.

Alain Paul