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 A jumpsuit is a one-piece garment with sleeves and legs and typically without integral coverings for feet, hands or head. The original jump suit is the functional one-piece garment used by parachutists. The original skydivers' jumpsuits were ...

History

Rompers appeared in the United States in the early 20th century. 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. 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. Styles and conventions varied from country to country. In France they were, for many years, only for boys. 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

infant In common terminology, a baby is the very young offspring of adult human beings, while infant (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'baby' or 'child') is a formal or specialised synonym. The terms may also be used to refer to juveniles of ...

s and

toddler A toddler is a child approximately 1 to 3 years old, though definitions vary. The toddler years are a time of great cognitive, emotional and social development. The word is derived from "toddle", which means to walk unsteadily, as children at thi ...

s; however, it has become less common among older

girl A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. While the term ''girl'' has other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.com, "Girl"'' Retrieved January 2, 2008. '' daughter'' or '' girlfriend'' regardless of age ...

s and

women A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional u ...

, 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 Terrycloth, terry cloth, terry cotton, terry towelling, terry, terry towel, Turkish towelling (formerly), or simply towelling is a fabric woven with many protruding loops of thread which can absorb large amounts of water. It can be manufactured ...

, and often in a

tube top A tube top is a shoulderless, sleeveless garment primarily worn by women that wraps around the upper torso. It is generally tight over the breasts, and usually uses elastic bands at its top and bottom to prevent it from falling. The tube top's pr ...

style. They were common in the 1980s in a wider variety of materials such as

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

y 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 and Juliette Hogan. 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".

References

External links

"Romper boom: I see Anna, and Blake, and Dita..."
in ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

''
"French rompers / barboteuse"
on Historical Boys Clothing website {{Clothing Children's clothing One-piece suits Infants' clothing 20th-century fashion 21st-century fashion

History

Adult fashion

See also

References

External links