Figure 1.--These two Canadian boys are from St. Johns, New Bruswick, presumably brothers. St. Johns is a port city. We wonder if their father was in the navy or the merchant marine. The portrait is undated. We would guess that it was probably taken in the late 1890s. The boys wear identical sailor suits, except for the length of the pants. The difference was a matter of age grading which also explains the differences in the hair styling. The most interesting aspect of this portrait is the boys' caps. We have not noted this style before, except at schools or choirs. Also notive the rope, further emphasizing the nautical theme.

We have begun to collect information on sailor suit garments worn by Canadian boys. We note Canadian boys wearing a range of sailor headwear. The cap the boy is wearing on the previous page is a type we have not noted being commonly worn in the 1920s, either in America or England. It is a kind of officer's are yachting cap. We are insure to what extent it was a popular boy's style in Canada. One of the charms of the sailor suit is that it was the enlised uniform, even when worn by royalty and the very rich. We also note a strange square motar-board caps worn by boys in New Bruswick. We ave noted these being worn at schools and choirs, but never by individual boys. We believe that they are exceptions and that the standard sailor headwear worn in Britain and America were more common. Our limited archive of Canadian images, however, makes this difficult to prove. Other sailor grments such as middy blouses and slong and short pants seem failrly standard in in Canada. We also notice Canadian boys wearing tunic suits done in the sailor style.

Headwear

We have begun to collect information on sailor suit garments worn by Canadian boys. We note Canadian boys wearing a range of sailor headwear. The cap the boy is wearing on the previous page is a type we have not noted being commonly worn in the 1920s, either in America or England. It is a kind of officer's or yachting cap. We are insure to what extent it was a popular boy's style in Canada. One of the charms of the sailor suit is that it was the enlised uniform, even when worn by royalty and the very rich. We also note a strange square motar-board caps worn by boys in New Bruswick. We ave noted these being worn at schools and choirs, but never by individual boys. We believe that they are exceptions and that the standard sailor headwear worn in Britain and America were more common. Our limited archive of Canadian images, however, makes this difficult to prove. We note an unidentified boy wearing a soft cap in the late-1890s.

Tops

Other sailor grments such as middy blouses.

Pants

We notice Canadiab boys wearing knee pasnts, long pants, and short pants wuith sailor suits. This varied somewgat over time. With the boys here, age seems to have been a factor. We rarely see boys wearing knixker panrs with sailor suits .

Tunic Suits

We also notice Canadian boys wearing tunic suits done in the sailor style at the tuirn-of-the 20th century. This seems to have been a style imported from America.

Coats

Created: February 27, 2003
Last updated: 6:10 PM 9/7/2010