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Gender Mystique

Kids, dirt and clothes

2/24/2012

 
Fact: rompers were invented so kids could play in the dirt. The earliest patent I've found for these loose-fitting, unisex jumpsuits dates to the 1880s. Apparently a female inventor (mom?) had the brilliant idea that boys and girls needed to worry less about their clothes and focus on fun. Sandboxes were new-fangled equipment, and laundry was still a huge burden, so she designed a coverall that fit over toddler's dresses (back then they all wore dresses). 
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By the 1920s, rompers were no longer overgarments, but simply popped on over underwear. The version on the right, also called a creeper, was for children still in diapers. 


One of the patterns I am noticing in the evolution of unisex clothing is the dressier the outfift, the more gendered the design. Play clothes were not only washable and usually in darker colors, but also identical for both boys and girls. At least that's how it used to be.
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Playclothes, 1962. Blue, red and brown were popular colors.
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Playclothes, 1976
My current questions:
  • What was happening with outdoor play when play clothes become more gendered?
  • What is the relationship between highly feminized play clothes and girls' freedom to romp and get dirty? Pastel colors, which show the dirt more, would seem to limit such activities, even if there's a modern washing machine in the home. There is also the issue of fit -- skinny for girls, loose for boys.
Examples:

Girls' Playtime Favorites, 1-5 years (GAP)
Boys' Playtime Favorites, 1-5 years (GAP)

For an interesting perspective on children and dirt, see "for the love of dirt". You can also enjoy Mariana's colorful, comfy gardening outfit. I found this blog post via the awesome Princess Free Zone. If you have a kid in your life, you should check out PFZ.
maria
2/24/2012 02:47:22 am

the gap girls' clothes are so hyperfeminine. everything must have ruffles, lace or smocking! everything!

Leslie
2/24/2012 04:14:20 am

I can't find ANY store that has clothes that they mark as "girls" clothes that don't have at least something to make it very clear that it's a "girl" item -- either the color, some froufrou decoration (sparkles, ruffles, girl graphic), or something else to make it very clear that it's for girls. Even jeans - they're low-cut, much tighter than boys' jeans, and too frequently have something embellishing them - embroidered flower or butterfly, rhinestones, etc. That's why my hard-playing rough-and-tumble granddaughter wears mostly "boys" clothes.

maggie
2/24/2012 11:13:24 am

I miss oshgosh overalls, I thought they were practical and durable made good handmedownsand wre comfortable and adjustable so you could buy a size big and get your moneys worth.......sad do not see any on any children in ages....did they go out of business?

Jo
2/25/2012 06:04:48 am

OshKosh B'Gosh is still around, and there are some plain, loose-fitting overalls in the boys' section, though not as many colors are offered as 20-30 years ago.

Leslie
2/25/2012 06:38:15 am

If you go to their website now, in their "basics" they show boys loose shorts and pants and dark color sturdy t's, and for girls, it's leggings, short skirts, and frilly t's. If you look at their girl's section, in the "Playground Princess" category (which I assume is their play clothes) they show tight-fitting butterfly-embroidered jeans, strappy pink sandals, and ruffled t-shirts. In the little girls area, they have overalls but they're all cuffed at the very top of their legs, to only just cover their butts (and half are pink) while the overalls listed for boys are either long-pants or shorts that go to the knees, and almost exclusively darker (play-compatible) colors.


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    Jo Paoletti

    Professor Emerita
    ​American Studies
    University of Maryland

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