Figure 1.--The Trois Quartiers department store in October 1933 offered a variety of suits for boys, mostly short pants suits. Sailor suits were still very popular. Double breasted suits were considered stylish. Younger boys might wear just a blouse or shirt with shorts. Berets were still worn as were sailor caps and flat topped caps. |
French mail order catalogs and clothing advertisements offer a very useful time line on changing fashion trends. Stores in 1933 offered a variety of suits for boys, mostly short pants suits. Sailor suits were still very popular. Double breasted suits were considered stylish. Younger boys might wear just a blouse or shirt with shorts. Berets were still worn as were sailor caps. A HBC reader reports that rather long short trousers were still worn, even by some younger boys. Children commonly wore kneesocks, especially with suits. White kneesocks were especially popular. Low cut shoes were increasingly common, although younger school boys might still wear high-top boot-like shoes. Sabdals were also popular.
Rompers in 1933 still appear to have been made for very young children. They were exclisively for boys.
French boys wore a variety of different coats for the winter. Casual styles were increasing popular. Some coats were purcased especially for school, in most I think these were private schools, but our information is admitedly limited.
The Aux Trois Quartiers department store in Paris offered two styles of overcoats in a October 1933 advertisement for young boys. One was an reefer-styled jacket. The other was a classic styled child's coat. Both were double-breasted styles avialable for boys beginning at age 2 years.
The Aux Trois Quartiers department store in Paris offered two styles of overcoats for older boys in a October 1933 advertisement. One was an English styled Raglan overcoat. The other was a serge double-breasted overcoat. Both styles were avialable for boys beginning at age 6 years.
Double breasted syits were considered very stylish in 1933 for both men and boys. Suits were worn with short pants, knickers, and long pants.
The Aux Trois Quartiers department store in Paris offered two styles of double breasted suits for boys in an October 1933 advertisement. These suits were avialable for boys beginning at age 6 and 7 years.
French boys in 1933 wore short pants, knickers, and long pants. The choice was in part a reflection of age and to a lesser extent the season. The choice of the appropriate garment varied widely among parents. French stores would generally offer all three types, but younger boys would generally wear short pants, even during the winter.
Sailor suits were still popular for boys in 1933, both white and blue suits with short and long pants.
The Aux Trois Quartiers department store in Paris in October 1933 offered a blue sailor suit for boys with sized beginning at age 3, but it is not clear to what older sizes they were made.
Boys seem to have commonly worn kneesocks with suits. White kneesocks were considered very stylish.
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