Figure 1.--Here we note a Mexican-American boy from Los Angeles named Roldolfo wearing a romper suit with long stockings and sandals in 1925. He was 22 months old. Mother probably bought te 2-year old size. These romper suits are American styles. The family speaks Spanish, but the clothes seem to be entirely American in style. Click on the image for a duller discussion.

Rompers were most common in American toddlrs during the 1920s, although because many available snapshots are not dated, this is a little difficult to tell with any precesion. We see them later, but mostly for infants. We note rompers in both catalogs and the photoigraphic record. They were available in many styles, The Montgromery Ward catalog in 1922 , for example, had a wide selection of rompers in their 1920s catalogs. We note a Lane Bryant catalog in 1927, but the rompers, called creepers, only for toddlers, up to age 3 years of age, but this was a page for boys' clothes. The rompers worn in the 1920s tended to be quite roomy garments, often worn at knee length. We do not seethe short leg rompers tht became so popular for boys in France. Some were called 'Dutch' rompers. We are not sure yet what the specific characteristics of a Dutch romper were. We think the term resulted from the baggy pantaloons that are a part of Dutch folk outfits. On the previous page we see a romper suit from a 1922 catalog. The illustration shows the boy wearing the romper suit with knee socks and strap shoes. Here we note a Mexican-American boy from Los Angeles named Roldolfo wearing a very similar romper suit with long stockings and sandals during 1925 (figure 1). These are American styles. The family speaks Spanish, but the clothes seem to be entirely American in style.

Popularity

Rompers were most common in American toddlrs during the 1920s, although because many available snapshots are not dated, this is a little difficult to tell with any precesion. We see them later, but mostly for infants. We note rompers in both catalogs and the photographic record.

Mail Order Catalogs

Mail order catalogs offer a range of rompers. They offer infomation on age, gender, styling, color, and material. A few catakog pagsre arcgived on HBC. The Montgromery Ward catalog in 1922 , for example, had a wide selection of rompers in their 1920s catalogs. We note a Lane Bryant catalog in 1927, but the rompers, called creepers, only for toddlers, up to age 3 years of age, but this was a page for boys' clothes.

Age

We see a wide age range for children wearing rompers. Here gender was a major factor. We note todlers wearing rompers in the 1920s. Catalogs offer age indicators. One catalog offer rompers for children 6 months to 2 years. Another has rompers for boys up to 6 years. We do not see boys that age wearing rompers in the photographic record. We suspct that the larger sizs did not sell very well, at least for boys. Almost all of the images we have found in the photograogic record are pre school boys and mostly only boys uo to about age 3 years. School age girls wore ropers, but not to school. They did wear romper bloomers for gym in high school. We see school age girls wearing rompers to school

Gender

We notice both boys and girls wearing rompers in the 1920s. The boys were mostly todlers. We have rarely moted a boy ober age 3 years in the phographic record. We have noticed school age girls earing rompers. This sems to have been mostly in camps. The Girl Scout uniform included rompers which we mostly see at camps.

Styling

Rompers were available in many styles and varied detailing. We se the varied styles in the mail order catalogs. A lot of the rompers we see in the photographic record are rathr plain rompers with little oe no detailing. The boy here has a open box collar with pipihg and an embroidered flower on the waist band.

Color

Construction

The rompers worn in the 1920s tended to be quite roomy garments, often worn at knee length. We are not sure just why, but we think the idea was to accomodate diappers for children not yet potty trained. We do not see the short leg rompers that became so popular for boys in France. Some were called 'Dutch' rompers. We are not sure yet what the specific characteristics of a Dutch romper were. We think the term resulted from the baggy pantaloons that are a part of Dutch folk outfits. On the previous page we see a romper suit from a 1922 catalog.

Utility

Rompers were play garments. We rarelysee studio portraits of boys waring rompers. We see quite a dew snapshots of boys wearing rompers around the home for play and everyday wear. The snapshot here is a good example (figure 1).

Accompanying Clothes

The illustration shows the boy wearing the romper suit with knee socks and strap shoes. Here we note a Mexican-American boy from Los Angeles named Roldolfo wearing a very similar romper suit with long stockings and sandals during 1925 (figure 1). These are American styles. The family speaks Spanish, but the clothes seem to be entirely American in style.