Petit Bateau is named after the nursery rhyme ‘Maman les p'tits bateaux qui vont sur l'eau ont-ils des jambes?’. Which has been sung for generations in France. In 1918, Etienne Valton - the son of Petit Bateau founder Pierre Valton - was inspired by this nursery rhyme to cut the legs off long johns worn at the time. The classic cotton pants we know today were born!