Figure 1.--The Dutch fashion magazine "Libelle" showed these matching brother-sister sailor suits in 1950. I'm not sure what sizes were involved. Notice the button-on styling.
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Figure 1.--The Dutch fashion magazine "Libelle" showed these matching brother-sister sailor suits in 1950. I'm not sure what sizes were involved. Notice the button-on styling. |
The sailor suit was one of the most important Dutch boy's style for perhaps three generations. The Netherland's rich maritime tradition was no doubt a factor here. The use of the sailor suit as a boy's garment, however, was a tradition imported from England as was the case in other European countries. We still have limited information on Dutch sailor suits. We do not know when the sailor suit was first worn by Dutch boys or when it first became a popular style. The sailor suit does appear to have been widely worn by the 1880s. Sailor suits were normally worn with kneepants or knickers. Many Dutch boys webt to school dressed in sailior suits during the early 20th century. After World War I (1914-18) short pants sailor suits become more important, but were worn by younger boys. Dutch boys wore sailor suits in the inter-war period after World War I, but the style becomes less common after World War II (1939-45). WE note, however, that the fashion magazinde Libelle still showed sailor suits for younger boys in 1950. We do not have size details, but they look to be for younger primary school boys.
We do not know when the sailor suit was first worn by Dutch boys or when it first became a popular style. The sailor suit does appear to have been widely worn by the 1880s. Sailor suits were normally worn with kneepants or knickers.
Many Dutch boys webt to school dressed in sailior suits during the early 20th century.
After World War I (1914-18) short pants sailor suits become more important, but were worn by younger boys. Dutch boys wore sailor suits in the inter-war period after World War I.
but the style becomes less common after World War II (1939-45), especially for older boys. We note that the fashion magazine Libelle had sailor suits for younger boys and girls in 1950 (figure 1). We do not have size details, but they look to be for younger primary school boys. A Dutch reader tells us, "Sailor suits, with shorts and kneesocks, were a common thing for younger boys, during the 1950s. I had a sailor suit my First Communion in 1956. I was 8 years old."
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