Figure 1.--This Ctholic maternelle was located in the south of France. The name was Sainte Ursule de l'Oratoire. One boy is wearing a romper, his buddy wears a smock. These children look to be 4-5 years old. |
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Rompers are a garment we have noted being worn primarily by French boys before they began school. We have noted, however, boys commonly wearing rompers in nursery school or kindergarten. There are quite a few school photographs showing that this was relatively common. As there was no school uniform this is presumably a reflection of how popular rompers were during this period. Of course many of ythese boys were wearing smovks. While most such boys wore short pants under their smocks, surely some must have also worn rompers. It is not posible at this tome to fully assess this. Apparently, some boys in the CP class (1st Grade) also occassionally wore romper suits. Although this was much less common, school photographs show that it was not unknown.
Rompers are a garment we have noted being worn primarily by French boys before they began school. We have noted, however, boys commonly wearing rompers in nursery school or kindergarten. There are quite a few school photographs showing that this was relatively common. As there was no school uniform this is presumably a reflection of how popular rompers were during this period. Of course many of ythese boys were wearing smovks. While most such boys wore short pants under their smocks, surely some must have also worn rompers. It is not posible at this tome to fully assess this. We have a photograph from a maternelle ( Kindergarden ) in 1954. Two little boys are dressed in rompers. One boy wears a traditional one piece romper which is smocked in front. His mother has added a wool long sweater under his romper, perhaps the weather was a bit chilly.
Note the little round collar and puffed sleeves. Almost certainly there is a big bow in back.
Apparently some boys in the CP class (1st Grade) also occassionally wore romper suits. Although rompers were much less common than in maternelle, school photographs show that it was not unusual. Rompers were primarily a pre-school garment. We note that they were made in size 6s and 7s and even occassionally size 8s. So we do see a few boys wearing them in promary schools. And we usually only notice one or at the most tswo boys wearing them in a primary class. Many boys might wear smocks. The photographic record also suggests that rarely would a boy wear rompers beyond his first year in primary school. We think rompers may have been more common in Catholic thn state promaries. The boy in the school photograph here is 6 years old--second row - in extreme right (figure 1). He wears a romper play suit. The photograph is from a Catholic primery school taken in 1954. Note on this class photo that an obediente pupil should have his arms crossed, some were in this case. Obedience and discipline was stressed more in the Catholic than the regular state schools.
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