Figure 1.-- Here we see all of the Kaiser's six sons. They are dressed in identical white knee-pants sailor suits. This portrait was taken at the New Palace in Potsdam suring 1895. Yhey are wer identical white sailor suits.

The sailor suit with knee pants appears to have been a popular outfit. As far as we know Prince William in the 1860s was the first German boy to wear a sailor suit. It was not common at the time in Germany. But of course Wilhelm's mother was English, thus the stle was introduced to Germany. His mother's visits back to England and events showcasing the Royal Navy had a huge impact on Wilhelm and his brother. (Prince Henry in fact went into the navy.) The German navy was virtually non-existent in the 1860s. But by the time that portraits of Kaiser Wilhem's family was taken, the German Empire under Wilhelm's guidance was moving toward the construction of a modern highseas fleet. And the style was caching on wih the German public. The fashion impact of the royal family and the the nationalist feeling associated with building a major highseas fleet were both factors popularizing the sailor suit in Germany. We suspect that this was a factor in the developing popularity of the sailor suit in Germany. We are not sure, however, just how important the influence of the Imperial family was.

Created: 4:16 AM 12/6/2008
Last updated: 4:16 AM 12/6/2008