Figure 1.--This advertisement appeared in a March 1936 La Samaritaine catalog. Pictured are a boys romper, shorts set, and child's coat. |
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French mail order catalogs and clothing advertisements offer a very useful time line on changing fashion trends. Rompers were very popular for younger boys. There were also shorts sets. The classic smock style worn in the 1940s and 50s was well established by the mid-1930s. Younger boys wore the same coat styles as girls, but older boys had their own destinctive styles.
Rompers were very popular for younger boys. Only boys wore rompers in france. We notice both puffed and plain pants styles. The governing characteristic of a romper appears to have been that it was a one piece outfit. La Samaritaine offered several styles for boys through 3 years, but other stores offered larger sizes.
A La Samaritaine department store ad in March 1936 offered a variety of garments for boys throygh age 3, including a boys romper (barboteuse), shorts set, and child's coat. The rompers were the kind without the puffed pants.
A La Samaritaine department store ad in March 1936 offered two more romper suits. They were tghe regulat non-puffed pants style. Also pictured with the boys' rompers or girls' pajamas. A smock is mentioned, but not illustrated.
Most dressy outfits (costumes) for younger boys were shorts sets, consisting of a blouse, often quite fany, or shirt with short pants. One pice outfits were more commpanly called rompers. (barboteuses).
A La Samaritaine department store ad in March 1936 offered a variety of garments for boys through age 3, including a boys romper (barboteuse), shorts set, and child's coat. The shorts set as for most similar younger boy outfits was in the button-on style.
A La Samaritaine department store ad in March 1936 offered a shorts set which for some reason it pictured with girls' outfits. It was a fancy outfit complete with hat. The shorts set was in the button-on style.
The classic smock styles for boys that were to prove so common in the 1940s and 50s were well established by the 1930s.
Some smocks were worn by both boys and girls. Other styles were exclusively for boys or girls. The light pastel colors and
ginham smocks had replaced the dark smocks as the most popular styles.
The Louvre department store about 1936 offered a classic light-colored, back-buttoning school smock. It could be worn by a boy or girl. It was made in sizes 0.40-0.65 meters.
A La Samaritaine department store ad in March 1936 offered two back-buttoning school smock. One looks to be a girls smock while the other might have been woen by a boy or girl. They were in sizes 0.40-0.80 meters. The smock for the younger girl appars to have had a matching romper suit for a boy.
Younger boys wore the same coat (mantel) styles as girls, but older boys had their own destinctive styles.
A La Samaritaine department store ad in March 1936 offered a variety of garments for boys through age 3, including a boys romper (barboteuse), shorts set, and child's coat. The chil's coat was suitable fior a boy or girl.
French boys still wore sailor suits in 1936. We nore one store offering quite a range of different styles. We do not, know, however the name of the store. While there are different styles, most approximate actual uniforms. They were both white abd blue suits. They were available in both short and long pants suits. We are not sure yet what sizes they were done in.
A Grench catalog in 1936 Offered a ranges of games and vehicles. There were soccer balls, bowls, and ping-pong sets. There were also like scooters and bikes. We are not sure what store catalog this was.
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