Figure 1.-- Here we see American girls in the early-20th century wearing a standard gym uniform. We would guss it was taken in the 1910s, but the 20s is also possivle. They are wearing middy blouses, bloomers and long stockings. While a gym uniform is most likely, the setting seems more like a summer camp.

Gym uniforms were another gender issue. There were practical differences. Boys could do gym in their regular clothes, but this was not the case for girls. The dresses worn in the late-19th and early-20th century were hardly suitable for gym. We believe that girls were wearing gym uniforms by the late-19th century, although our images come mostly from the early-20th century. Middy blouses, bloomers, and long stockings were common. At the time it was not acceptable for girls to wear boys clothing. The bloomers were exceptionally long and baggy. They never became an important garment except fot gym classes, bathing suits, and summer camp outfits. They eventually evolved into romper suits by the 1940s. Rompers on the other hand became a popular casual style for girls. After the early 20th century only girls wore rompers in America. This contrasted with France where only boys wore them. Gradually short pants became acceptable for girls as well as boys. This was part of a general pattern by which girls began to wear boys clothing like pants. This was just an option. Dresses and skirts continued to be more common, especially when dressing up. Rompers did not disappear, but shorts became more common. By the 1970s, the girls' gym uniforms began to become more similar to the boys' uniforms maning T-shirts and short pants. This followed general fashion trends as shorts became very common for girls, even mor common than for boys.

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Created: 12:35 AM 10/19/2017
Last updated: 12:35 AM 10/19/2017