ABSTRACT
Rompers or creepers a one-piece garment with gathered leg openings and buttons or snaps closing the crotch became the status quo in infant wear, particularly as daytime play outfits, in the early twentieth century. Originally introduced in the 1890s as play clothing for older children, they soon were made available for babies as well. Rompers represented a departure from traditional infants' clothing, most notably dresses, which from then on employed only for formal occasions: they were bifurcated, and they were usually constructed out of colored fabrics. Rompers played an important role in terminating the centuries old tradition of genderless costumes for babies. These characteristics were in keeping with the times in that they signaled the acceptance of the concept of infants' individuality and allowed parents to dress their babies in costumes regarded as appropriate to each child's personality and activities. By mid-century, however, modern sexual conventions for baby clothes had taken hold; rompers led the way in reflecting this trend.
