How Baby Boy Clothes Reflect Changes in Our Society

With the enormous changes in fashions over the pastnot as noticeable. The wealthier classes were able to
few decades, we sometimes forget that changesafford more colorful and elaborate clothes and that
have been equally as radical in the way we dress ourindicated their status.
young, especially when we look at baby boy clothes.But by 1918, the end of the first World War, baby
The parallel between the changes in society's attitudeboy clothes had taken a radically new direction - due
towards childhood and the development of differentlargely to a new type of clothing, the romper suit.
styles of baby clothes is at first startling but thenBelieved to have been developed first in France, the
quite understandable.romper suit changed societal norms. A move away
When we look back at previous centuries, we canfrom clothing both boys and girls in the same type of
see that childhood was brief: for example, even asgarment had begun by the end of the nineteenth
late as the eighteenth century, children of thecentury but romper suits virtually eliminated the
poorest families were sent out to work sometimesfashion.
from the age of five onwards. Clothing for childrenRomper suits meant that for the first time baby
then was simply a smaller version of adult clothes.boys could be distinguished from baby girls. Preschool
At that time childhood was not seen as anboys are believed to have used the suits for play. To
opportunity for play as part of natural developmentbegin with, long stockings were worn with
and so there was no requirement to allow for this inknee-length romper suits. Toddlers wore boots and
designing children's clothing. The attitude was thatthe suits had long sleeves. Variations such as two
children were just getting ready to become adultspiece suits or the use of velvet material followed on
and as a result, clothes were restrictive.from the more normal one piece style.
From ancient times newborn babies were tightlyOver time the design of the romper suit changed -
swaddled - this was to restrict movement andthe legs got shorter and so instead of wearing long
ensure correct posture. Swaddling would last for thestockings, short white socks were worn and instead
first twelve months of life and was the only clothingof boots modern shoes such as sandals were worn.
a baby needed. Nowadays, extreme swaddling is noThe less formal ones had very little decoration,
longer the norm in Western society but still exists inwhereas the more dressy ones had lace collars or
some Eastern cultures.even frills. Smocking became a feature on baby
But by the end of the eighteenth century the use ofrompers from the 1920s and they were also far
long gowns to clothe both baby boys and baby girlsmore colorful than baby clothes had been in the past.
had become common. One initial benefit was thatRomper suits are still around today although not as
they helped to keep baby feet warm because theypopular for baby boys. It seems that in some ways
were very long, but as the child began to walk thebaby boy clothes and kid's clothes have gone back
length of the gown stopped at the ankles.to older days in that many are now just smaller
By the time they advanced to toddler age both boysversions of adult clothes (jeans, polo shirts,
and girls were clothed in copies of Mom's dress. Sincecamouflage pants), albeit much more colorful.
the European Middle Ages, when clothes wereFortunately though, our idea about childhood has not
washed not as often as we do now, the preferenceregressed in that we now realize the importance of
had been for dark colors so that dirt and stains wereplay in a child's development.