Romping Around (lingerie)

Rompers appeared in the United States of America in the early 1900s. They were popular as playwear for younger children because people thought they were ideal for movement. They were light and loose fitting, a major change from the much more restrictive clothing children wore during the 19th-century Victorian era. Their popularity peaked in the 1950s when they were used by children as playwear and by women as leisure—and beachwear.

Adult fashion

CZ Guest Hamptions NYC vogue

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

As Lingerie

The Romper, the Teddy and the Bodysuit have few differences. They are all one-piece lingerie styles. They have a top and bottom that are connected to each other.

Since every lingerie brand defines styles differently, the same style that one brand calls a teddy might be called a romper by another.

In dievca’s mind:

Romper = a full body piece of lingerie which is worn looser, may have an elastic waist and shorts on the bottom half.

Teddy = A full body piece of lingerie which is similar to a one piece swimsuit or bodysuit, but is looser and made of a sheer or silky fabric.

Bodysuit: skintight, formfitting garmet which covers the torso and crotch. Normally made out of a stretch fabric.