Figure 1.--This Bulgarian boy was photographed in Sofia some time after 1886 when the photographic studio was established. We believe that the portrait was taken about 1905, but this is only a rough guess. He wears a sailor suit, but note the distinctive embroidery. Also note the embroidered symbol on the white dickey. Unfortunately we can not quite make it out. Image courtesy of the MD collection. |
We have little no information on Bulgarian garments at this time. We have noted boys wearing folk garments, but have few details. Bulagarian boys also wore Western European fashions by the late 19th century. We notice some French influence here. European fashions in the 19th century seem primarill worn in the cities and by the upper and middle class. Folk styles in the the 19th and eraly 20th century ws still widely worn by the peasantry and in rural areas.We note many of the same basic garments such as tunics and sailor suits. Here the country's German monarchy must have been a significant factor. Some of the detailing seems destinctly Bulgarian. Most European boys had stripes on their sailor suits for detailing as were worn by actual sailors. Many Bulagrain boys wore sailor suits with more elaborate embroidery, although our information is still very limited.
We have noted boys wearing folk garments, but have few details.
Bulgaria has some destinctive folk fashions, similar in many ways to neighboring
Greece. I am not positive about the influenes here, but several centuries of
Ottomon rule must have been a factor. European fashions in the 19th century seem primarill worn in the cities and by the upper and middle class. Folk styles in the the 19th and eraly 20th century ws still widely worn by the peasantry and in rural areas.
Bulagarian boys also wore Western European fashions by the late 19th century. We notice some French influence here. We note images of boys waring berets. Here we have little information. We do not think that Bugarian boys commonly wore berets. As far as we know, berets were commonly used by mothers to dress boys in stylish outfits to look fashionable. We note American boys dressed this way as well in the 1930s.
We note many of the same basic garments such as tunics and sailor suits. Here the country's German monarchy must have been a significant factor. Some of the detailing seems destinctly Bulgarian. Note the sailor suit here (figure 1). Most European boys had stripes on their sailor suits for detailing as were worn by actual sailors. Many Bulagrain boys wore sailor suits with more elaborate embroidery, although our information is still very limited.
A HBC reader has noted twin-bar sandals referred to in catalogs as Bulgarian sandals. We are not sure why this style of sandal was referred to as Bulgarian sandals, but it suggests Bulgarian origins to the style. These references to Bulgaria disaapear after the 1920s. We are not sure about the origins of the twin-bar sandals. Nor or we sure about the origins of other styles of sandals such as the "T"-strap sandal so commonly worn by British boys. We had thought that the two were essebtially connedcted and being of primarily British origins. A HBC reader writes of the origins of of the twin-nar sandal with a center strap. He writes, "My hypothesis is that the style came to North Anmerica with immigrants about 1900, probably from people who lived in the area of the old Roman province of Dacia or modern Bulgaria. I am centering my research on Bulgaria. where the style is currently shown as part of peasants' costume. It is also referred to as "tsurvouli" and was also used by Bulgarian soldiers. I'm going to try to attach a picture and a Bulglarian history writeup. I am assuming the tsurvouli came from a Roman style, but maybe it's Slavic in origin."
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