Boyswear Decorative Items: Lanyards and Whistles


Figure 1.--Here we see a boy in a sailor outfit, I think a middy blouse and kilt. He is well outfitted with lanyards for his sailor suit. We would guess that his portrait was taken in the 1890s, but are not sure. We think he might be from San Francisco. Click on the image to see the full caninent card, perhaps you can tell us more.

Lanyards and whistles were used as decorative items on sailor suits. The whistles were popular items with the boys, somewhat less popular with mums. Not all sailor suits had lanyards and whistles, but quite a few of the better quakity suits had them. They seem especially popular in Britain. We see them less commonly in Germany. Lanyards -with or without a whistle- were of course not only worn with sailor suits. They were -- and in some instances still are - an inegral part of the uniform of a number of youth movements. A Dutch reader tells us, "I wore them as a patrol leader with the boy scouts and note that the were wirn by many other youth movements, including Chiro, the Hithler Youth, KSA, and VNJ."

Sailor Suits

Lanyards and whistles were used as decorative items on sailor suits. The lanyards were normally, but not always white. The whistles were popular items with the boys, somewhat less popular with mums. Not all sailor suits had lanyards and whistles, but quite a few of the better quakity suits had them. They seem especially popular in Britain. We see them less commonly in Germany. These lanyards often, but not always had whistles attached. Some had whistles attahed, but mother removed them to preclude the boy making a racket with them. We do not at this time have much information on these whistles. A lanyard was similar in purpose to the fob worn wiith suyits. We note some sailor suits which seem to have fobs rather than lanyards. A good example is Walter Owen in 1895.

Youth Groups

Lanyards -with or without a whistle- were of course not only worn with sailor suits. They were -- and in some instances still are - an inegral part of the uniform of a number of youth movements. A Dutch reader tells us, "I wore them as a patrol leader with the boy scouts and note that the were wirn by many other youth movements, including Chiro, the Hithler Youth, KSA, and VNJ." The lanyards were often white, but not always. Colored and multi-colored lanyards were an indication of rank or membership in soecialized units such a musical groups. The Hitler Youth in particular had a very complicated system of colored lanyards. Like sailor suits, some of these lanyards had whistles attached. This was especially true for the lanyards that were symbols of rank. Some were purely decorative.








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Created: 2:07 PM 4/30/2005
Last updated: 7:59 AM 1/25/2008