Figure 1.--Here is an outfit worn by an American boy about 5 years old. It includes a sailor tunic and an overcoat that would have been worn in the arly 20th century. They were the Sears Ucanttear brand.

Here we have a sailor tunic which looks to have been worn by a boy about 5 years old. It was a Sears outfit--the Ucanttear brand. A dealer suggests it was dated from 1909 to 1919. I wouldn't be that specific, but is a reaonable estimate. These sailor tunics were akso popular in the 1900s, but I'm less certain about the chronology of the Ucanttear brand. The blue sailors jacket is just a little smaller than an overcoat that was worn with it. The bloomer knickers match the tunic. They are 17 inches long. The dickey that goes around the neck has button holes that match up to the jacket. The matching sailors tam is 12 inches across the top, 7 inches across the part that goes on the head. There is also a black sailor scarfe. The lined overcoat is 11 inches between the arm seams on the back, it is about 26 inches long. There is a red arm insignia. The collar is velvet.

Sailor Tunics

Tunics or blouse suits worn with bloomer-style knickers were one of the most popular styles for turn of the century boys, both in Europe and America. One of the most popular style of tunics were sailor tunics. This was an extremely common style at the turn of the century. Reflecting chaning trends, boys who oncev might still have not yet been breeched and wearing dresses were now being dressed in the new tunic suits--especially the sailor tunics. Boys almost always wore their tunics, even sailor tunics with belts which were purely stylistic adornments.

Size

The tunic here looks to have been worn by a boy about 5 years old. The blue sailors jacket is just a little smaller than an overcoat that was worn with it.

Ucanttear

It was a Sears outfit--the Ucanttear brand. We are not sure when Sears first began using this brand. It was of course Sears claim that these were garment that even boys couldn't tear up. We first note Ucantear suits in 1909. At thit time we see knicker suits. We see Ucantear junior suits in 1912. Here there were a number of tunic suits.

Chronology

A dealer suggests it was dated from 1909 to 1919. I wouldn't be that specific, but is a reaonable estimate. These sailor tunics were akso popular in the 1900s, but I'm less certain about the chronology of the Ucanttear brand.

Garments

Here we have a sailor tunic. This was a nearly complete outfit. The only item missing is the belt worn with the tunic suit. The various items of the tunic suit gice us a good look at what the outfits were like. There was even a matching cap which often was not the case. An overcoat was found with it, but this would have been purchased separately. The tunic suit is not heavy material, so the two might not have been worn together. The blue sailors jacket is just a little smaller than an overcoat that was worn with it. The bloomer knickers match the tunic. They are 17 inches long. The dickey that goes around the neck has button holes that match up to the jacket. The matching sailors tam is 12 inches across the top, 7 inches across the part that goes on the head. There is also a black sailor scarfe. The lined overcoat is 11 inches between the arm seams on the back, it is about 26 inches long. There is a red arm insignia. The collar is velvet.