Figure 1.--Here we see a group of maternelle children dressed up in their best white outfits for the end of the year celebration in 1951. he children look to be about 5 years old. The girls wear white dresses for the celebration. The boys wear white outfits, mostly white blouses and short pants. A few of the boys wear romper pants with their blouses. All of the boyshave floppy bows which look to be in a pastel color. Several of the boys have long hair styled in different ways. The girls have hair bows. A reader writes, "This is a maternelle graduation so everyone is 5 years old or maybe 6 years old. Notice two boys in the front with long hair. The blond boy has bangs and side curled. The school seemed to require everyone to wear white for the graduation. Several of the boys have romper bottoms and all wear large white bows. All the girls wear white with white hair bows."

French children have worn a variety of garments to maternelle. Some maternelles may have given the mother guidelines, but there do not appear to have been actual uniforms. Our archive is still limited so we can not yet build a chronology over time, but we can itemize the garments we have noted. Through the 1960s boys and girls were dressed very differently. The girls wore little dresses, often with smocks. The boys wore short pants or romper outfits, often sometimes with smocks as well. The gender difference grually became less pronouncd. The outfits seem quite varied, seviceable play clothes for everyday wear. The garments were sometimes similar as they were the popular styles for younger children. We see different designs, patterns, and colors. We see some of the boys dressed like very young boys in juvenile toddler styles while other boys were dressed more like older primary-level boys. We see boys wearing rompers, smocks, and pants. The prevalence of these different styles have variedd over time. We rarely see rompers worn in primary school, but until the 1970s, quite a few boys wore them. They were common in maternelle, but only the boys wore them. Smocks were also common, but unlike the rompers, they were also widely worn in primary school. Gingham was a popular material. Most of the boys not wearing rompers wore short pants, some times under smocks. The girls commonly wore dresses, sometimes with smocks. We begin to see a few boys wearing long pants by the 1960s and even some girls wearing them a little later. We also note dressy outfits for special events such as graduation. A popular choice for these outfits during the 1950s and 60s was dressy barboteuses for the boys and white dresses for the girls. White seems a popular color. For regular school days the children often wear brightly colored clothes, but for specialnoccassions we sometimes see white outfits.

Girls Garments

French children have worn a variety of garments to maternelle. Some maternelles may have given the mother guidelines, but there do not appear to have been actual uniforms. Our archive is still limited so we can not yet build a chronology over time, but we can itemize the garments we have noted. Through the 1960s boys and girls were dressed very differently. The girls wore little dresses, often with smocks.

Boys Garments

The boys at maternelles wore short pants or romper outfits, often sometimes with smocks as well. The gender difference grually became less pronouncd. The outfits seem quite varied, seviceable play clothes for everyday wear. The garments were sometimes similar as they were the popular styles for younger children. We see different designs, patterns, and colors. We see some of the boys dressed like very young boys in juvenile toddler styles while other boys were dressed more like older primary-level boys. We see boys wearing rompers, smocks, and pants. The prevalence of these different styles have variedd over time. We rarely see rompers worn in primary school, but until the 1970s, quite a few boys wore them. They were common in maternelle, but only the boys wore them. Smocks were also common, but unlike the rompers, they were also widely worn in primary school. Gingham was a popular material. Most of the boys not wearing rompers wore short pants, some times under smocks. The girls commonly wore dresses, sometimes with smocks. We begin to see a few boys wearing long pants by the 1960s and even some girls wearing them a little later. We also note dressy outfits for special events such as graduation. A popular choice for these outfits during the 1950s and 60s was dressy barboteuses for the boys and white dresses for the girls. White seems a popular color. For regular school days the children often wear brightly colored clothes, but for specialnoccassions we sometimes see white outfits.

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Created: 11:46 PM 10/1/2012
Last updated: 1:59 PM 2/6/2013