A woman wearing a romper
Baby's romper suit, c.1950s. Museum of Childhood, Edinburgh

A romper suit, usually shortened to romper, is a one-piece or two-piece combination of shorts and a shirt. It is also known as a playsuit. Its generally short sleeves and legs contrast with the long ones of the adult jumpsuit.

History

Rompers appeared in the United States of America in the early 1900s.[1] They were popular as playwear for younger children because people thought they were ideal for movement as they could be so easily morphed between a one-piece and a two-piece.[2] Rompers were in many ways the first modern casual clothes for children. They were light and loose fitting, a major change from the much more restrictive clothing children wore during the 19th-century Victorian era.[3] Styles and conventions varied from country to country. In France they were, for many years, only for boys.[4] While primarily a play garment, some French children wore dressy rompers. Their popularity peaked in the 1950s when they were used by children as playwear and by women as leisure—and beachwear. Thereafter the garment has continued to be used by infants and toddlers; however, it has become less common among older girls and women, although never disappearing entirely. Starting in the late 2010s the romper dress, and romper with shorts have returned in fashion to all ages from kids to tween, teen, college and above ages.

Adult fashion

While rompers had been popular among women in the 1950s, they re-emerged in the 1970s as a fashion for adult women. In the 1970s rompers were usually a casual garment made of terrycloth, and often in a tube top style. They were common in the 1980s in a wider variety of materials such as silky fabrics for evening wear. Since 2006, rompers have enjoyed a minor renaissance as a fashionable garment for women. Though much less common, rompers for men have been produced. Several designers have presented collections including romper suits and they are offered by many retailers. Designers include Deborah Sweeney[5] and Juliette Hogan.[6]

In the 2010s the "sleep romper" for women gained popularity, being similar in style to the teddy, but with the appearance of shorts.

In 2017, the Male Romper was originally showcased in Milan, Italy. It is a romper for men and is sometimes referred to as a "romphim".[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "In the shops" (PDF). New York Times. 1904-05-20. Retrieved 2014-04-13.
  2. ↑ "Play Togs for Little Folks". The Gazette Times. 1912-06-01.
  3. ↑ "Boys Rompers". HistClo.com. Retrieved 2014-04-13.
  4. ↑ "French Rompers". HistClo.com. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  5. ↑ "Deborah Sweeney". FashioNZ. Archived from the original on 2008-06-16.
  6. ↑ "Famous Swimwear Designers at NY Fashion Week". SwimwearStyleGuide.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-11. Retrieved 2015-02-11.
  7. ↑ Podnar, Rachel (2017-05-16). "Trending: RompHim crowdfunds more than $85K; Insta keeps moving in on Snapchat". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2017-05-20. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
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