*** rompers: gender connotations -- United States chronology









Rompers: American Gender Connotations--Chronology


Figure 1.--These American children and their dad are celebrating the 4th of July in 1912. The older sister wears a white dress an dark hair bow. We are not sure if her youngr sibling is a boy or girl. The child wears a light-colored romper suit and long black stockings. The younger child has two hair bows and ringlet curls. We think the different hair style does rather suggest a boy, but there is no way of being sure.

We note quite a number of younger children wearing rompers in the 1910s-20s. This may have begun in the late 1900s, but we do not have any dated images from the 1900s. As children at this age look so similar, it is very difficut to tell if the children are boys or girls. It looks to us as if boys and girls were wearing them in the 1910s, but this is very difficult to tell. If anything they seem more popular for boys than girls. Thus it is very difficult building a chronology of girls wearing rompers. One popular related style was the bloomer gymsuits for older highschool girls. These evolved into one-piece romper gym suits that were widely worn by American highschool girls for gym through the 1950s instead of the short pants gym suits that boys wore. We notice little girls wearing rompers in the early 1930s, but they appear to have been less common for boys. Rompers by the 1940s appeared to have evolved into a casual style for girls clothing. Even teenagers might wear them. Much later romper suits appeared exclusively for girls. I'm not sure when this began, but I remember seeing these suits in the 1950s. It presumably occurred after romper-like bloomer suits became a standard type of girls' gym uniform.

The 1900s

We do not yet know if rompers were worn by girls in the 1900s. We have founds both photographs and catalog listings from 1912, so it seems likelt they were worn in the 1900s. Interestingly this appears to be the first type of pants garment worn by girls.

The 1910s

We note quite a number of younger children wearing rompers in the 1910s. We see rompers made to size 8. We do not know if older children wore them. This may have begun in the late 1900s, but we do not have any dated images from the 1900s. As children at this age look so similar, it is very difficut to tell if the children are boys or girls. Both boys and girls were wearing them in the 1910s. It is not alawys possible to descrimate gender in the photographs, but we have catalog listings identifying boys, girls, and children rompers from the 1910s. A goof example is the Best Spring-Summer 1912 catalog. There was a separate page for girl rompers. We are not entirely sure about popularity. They seem more popular for boys than girls. Thus it is very difficult building a chronology of girls wearing rompers. One popular related style was the bloomer gymsuits for older highschool girls. These evolved into one-piece romper gym suits that were widely worn by American highschool girls for gym through the 1950s instead of the short pants gym suits that boys wore. We are not sure when this convention began, but know it was wide spread in the 1910s.

The 1920s

We see both boys and girls wearing romper suits after World War I in the 1920s, although by the end of the decade they were becoming a recognizably girls' garment. And mucgh older girls wore them as boys. We continue to see girls after the War wearing romper outfits for gym during the 1920s. They were motly white middy blouses and bloomers. Summer camp was well established for boys by the 1920s. We begin to see more girls' summr camps in the 20s. And one of th uniform types worn at camp were rompers. We see then at both Girl Scout and other summer camps in the 1920s. After the 20s, girlswere more likeky to wear shorts at camp. Rompers also becamne a casual play garment for summer rather like short pants. While gym outfits might be middy blouses and bloomers. Outside of gym we see girls mostly wearing one-piece romper suits, somnetimes with basic sailor styling.

The 1930s

We notice girls wearing rompers in the early 1930s, but they appear to have been less common for boys, even younger girls. We note both pre-school and school age children wearing them. Short pants had become acceptable for girls by the 1930s. We see both light colors and prints. We see dark bloomer pants for gym, but rarely dark romper suits. Summer camp uniforms might be practical neutrl colors tht did not show dirt. Dark colors seem less common, presumably because they were summer grmnents. We see girls wearing both shorts and rompers in the 30s with shorts becoming inceasingly popular. This was just for casual wear. We do not see dressy rompers. And girls wore dresses to school. Some bathing suits were done as romper suits. With girls we mostly see romper suits. Bib-front rompers do not seem very common. We do not yet have a good fix on just how prevalebt rimper suits were in the 30s. The photographic record shows that they were orn, but that girls motly wire dresses even during te summer. Nor do we know if they were popular with girls as opposed to short pants.

The 1940s

Rompers by the 1940s appeared to have evolved into a casual style for girls clothing. Even teenage girls might wear them. We think girls began wearing romper suits for gym rather than bloomer outfits. It presumably occurred after romper-like bloomer suits became a standard type of girls' gym uniform. My mother tells me that for gym in the early 1930s that she she wore a white middy blouse and scarfe and voluminous black bloomers with black long stockings.

The 1950s

Boys except for infants no longer wore rompers. We notice many girls, however, wearing rompers in the 1950s. Younger girls wore romper play suits during the summer. They were done in many different patterns and colors and a variety of top designs. They were done in sizes for primary (elementary) school girls. Sleeveless tops seemed popular as this was a summer play style. We also note high schools wih romper gym uniforms. The girls in many schools began weating short pants, but rompers were maintained at some school. They were a far cry from the volunimous pre-War romper gym suits. The lonf stockings were gone and the rompers were cut quite short. We no longer seen middy blouses, but one-piece romper suits. The gym rompers as far as we know were all one color suits, done in the school colors.

The 1980s

We no longer commony see romper suits by the 1980s, although we are still working on a more precise chronology. We still see very young children wearing them because they are helpful for children still usung diappers.






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Created: February 19, 2003
Last updated: 2:17 AM 4/14/2013



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