Vocabulaire en Français des Vêtements Garçon/
Boys' French-Language Clothing Glossary


Figure 1.--French postcards in the befpre and after World War depicted children in fancy clothes and hairdos. Here we see a boy and a girl. The depictions are often the way mothers wanted to dress the their children more than the way they actually did. The hair styling seems particularly unrealistic.
France since the 17th century began to promote the use of one language based on the French spoken in Paris. Under Richelieu the "Académie française" began the writting of the first french Dictionary (1636). Everywhere in the Kingdom of France, this "langue d'oil' was proclaimed the only langage to be taught and and spoken. Regional accents and usages, however only changed slowly. Frenchmen could tell where each other were from as a result of different regioinal accents. The regions in France have now lost much of their once pronounced accents. It is now difficutt to know who comes from where. The French speaking Suiss and the Belgian people are also losing their distinctive accent. Only the Canadian accent persists. A French reader tells that the television has played a major role in the increasing homogenization of the French language. French authorities wage a continuing fight against the English language. Many see Anglicisms a plague in France. Many English words are widely used in France. Latin was for a millenia after the fall of Rome an international language through which forst churchmen and then intelectual eletes could communicate. Gradually as vernacular lanuages became more important, French emerged as the languag of diplomacy because of the importance of France in cultural and military affairs. English is by a large margin the most popular foreign language around the world to study in school. Many French find this development disturbing.

Historical Development of the French Language

France since the 17th century began to promote the use of one language based on the French spoken in Paris. Under Richelieu the "Académie française" began the writting of the first french Dictionary (1636). Everywhere in the Kingdom of France, this "langue d'oil' was proclaimed the only lagage to be taught and and spoken. Previously there were not only regioinal dialects of French spoken, but some entirely different languages within the boundaries of what we now know s France. In Brittany (langue bretonne) and in southern France (langue d'oc or provencal), it became a violation of the law to use those languages or any "patois" (vernacular language). There were once very significant differences with the French language. Regional accents and usages, however only changed slowly. Frenchmen could tell where each other were from as a result of different regioinal accents. The regions in France have now lost much of their once pronounced accents. It is now difficutt to know who comes from where. The French speaking Suiss and the Belgian people are also losing their distinctive accent. Only the Canadian accent persists. A French reader tells that the television has played a major role in the increasing homogenization of the French language.

English Words

French authorities wage a continuing fight against the English language. Many see Anglicisms a plague in France. Many English words are widely used in France: mail, parking, stop, etc). English is so prominent in France that members of Congress in France are known to read their paper in ENGLISH. That is why more and more countries in Europe are more and more conscious of the cultural assimilation to american culture everywhere in the world. Clothing is a small example. Disneyland is a bigger one.

International Language

Latin was for a millenia after the fall of Rome an international language through which forst churchmen and then intelectual eletes could communicate. Gradually as vernacular lanuages became more important, French emerged as the languag of diplomacy because of the importance of France in cultural and military affairs. An attempt was made to create an international language--Esperanto. Few people, however, ever learned Esperanto. With the development of a far-flung British Empire in the 18th and 19th century and the emergence of America as a vast economic powerhouse, English has become by thevlate 20th century a defacto international language. Indians fom diffent now often speak in English. Many young Germans and French youths use the English they learn in school to communicate. English is by a large margin the most popular foreign language around the world to study in school. Many French find this development disturbing, seeing it as a loss in prestige for the French language.

Main French Page

France next to England has probably had more influence on boyswear than virtually any country, at least until American fashions began to spread in the post World War II era. The French contribution to boys' wear has primarily been stlistic. French boys adopted many styles created in England and then embelioshed them. Many English styles like the sailor suit became popular in France. Relatively few boys' garments were created in France. Perhaps the skeleton suit--although HBC is still uncertain about the origins of tghis famed garment. The classic image of the French boy is a boy on his way to school wearing a beret and colarless dark-colred smock with short pants. HBC has relatively little written information on the historical development of French boys clothes, but will sketch out a basic outline on the basis of various photographs and magazine illustrations that I have seen. Hopefully French visitors to HBC will eventually provide some historical details.









HBC






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Created: December 30, 2001
Last updated: December 27, 2003