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We have very little information on Russian sailor suits at this time. We know they were worn in Russia, but our information at this time is primarily from available images from the royal family. They show that sailor suits were being worn by Russian boys in the late 19th century. We do not know, however, to what extent that sailor suits were worn by other Russian boys, including aristocrratic and upper and middle-class boys. I assume that made them very popular in Russia, at least among wealthy and middle-class boys in the larger cities. We have, however, no real information on this. The royal family's penchant for sailor suits is well known. The Tasarevitch Alexis was probably the most famous boy ever to wear sailor suits. He was more famous than Edward VII, who Queen Victoria dressed in an enlisted sailor suit starting the sailor suit's phenomenal fashion success. Alexis before World War I (1914-18) almost always wore sailor suits. We note that sailor caps, middy blouses, with kneepants and long stockings were common. The Tsarevitch's sailor suits must have helped make the style very popular, although except as a very young boy he mostly wore long pants sailor suirts. We note some boys wearing sailor suits after the Revolution. We have no idea how common this was. The last image that we have of a Russian boy wearing sailor suits is from the 1930s. We do note, however, a Soviet fashion magazine from the 1970s showing boys modeling sailor suits. Suits carefully followed the style of the Russian Navy which wore dickeys with horizontal stripes.
We have very little information on Russian sailor suits at this time. We know they were worn in Russia, but our information at this time is primarily from available images from the royal family. They show that sailor suits were being worn by Russian boys in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. We do not know, however, to what extent that sailor suits were worn by other Russian boys, including aristocrratic and upper and middle-class boys. I assume that made them very popular in Russia, at least among wealthy and middle-class boys in the larger cities. We believe tht as in Germany, the sailor suit was widely worn by middle-class noys. We have, however, no real information on this. We note that the NAZIs after they seized power in 1933 discouraged boys from wearing sailor suits, seeing itas a middle-class style. We wonder what the Communist atitude was toward the sailor suit, especially as it was so associated with the Tsarevitch and the middle class--bith anathema to the Communists.
We note some boys wearing sailor suits after the Revolution. We have no idea how common this was. The last image that we have of a Russian boy wearing sailor suits is from the 1930s. We do note, however, a Soviet fashion magazine from the 1970s showing boys modeling sailor suits. Suits carefully followed the style of the Russian Navy which wore dickeys with horizontal stripes. We note boys in the early Soviet era (1920s and 30s). We are not sure how common the sailor suit was at this time. A best we can tell the silor suit was worn by boys from properous families that were abe to afford better clothes. We also note soime children whoseem to be dressed up for formal occassions. The Russian fashion magazine "The Children Clothes Fashions" showed two sailor suits. I do not think, however, they they were were a style that was commonly being worn at the time. Note the school book bag. This was clearly a style being suggested for schoolwear (figure 1). It was not, however, actually adopted or widely won.
Sailor suits included headwear, jackets or middy blouses, and matching pants. There were also coats such as reefer coats. There were a range of accessories, including dickeys, lanyards, buttons and other items. One destinctive feature of many Russian sailor suits was the hrizontally stripped dickey. I'm not sure what kind of garment this was, but I think it was lkike a "T"-shirt. Not all Russian boys had these stripped dickeys, but they were very common, in part because this was a common feature of the sailor suits chosen by the royal family.
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