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The sailor suit as a boy's fashion seem to have caught on in France by the 1860s and had became a popular boys' fashions by the 1870s. The suits while popular were highly variable. The boys here have V-fronts (figure 1). Notice the stripe dickies. Many French sailor suits, especially in the 1860-70s, did not have the V-front blouse that became so widely associated with the sailor suit. Also many boys wore bloomer knickers rather than the knee pants common in America. The pants in early suits might also have detailing matching or coordinated with the blouse. One way to differentiate French and American sailor suits during this period is that French boys commonly wore socks rather than the long stockings Amrican boys usually wore with knee pants. They were widely worn by the 1890s. We currently have, however, only limited information on French sailor suit fashions during the 19th century, even the late-19th century. So it is still difficult to follow fashion shifts during this period. We hope to gradually expand our coverage.
The sailor suit as a boy's fashion seem to have caught on in France by the 1860s and had became a popular boys' fashions by the 1870s. It wa a style originating in Britain and aided by the popularity of the Royal Navy. But mother all over Europe picked up on the style. They were still primarily a style for boys from well-to-do fashionable families. The suits while popular were highly variable. And the styling is very destinctive, much more complicated than the traditional styling that would emerge at the end of the century. Inlike the traditional suits, the complicated strips and buttons were not copied from actual French naval uniforms. Rather they were imaginative creations by seamstresses. Many were done with bloomer knickers that often had some of the detailing from the blouses. Many French sailor suits, especially in the 1860-70s, did not have the V-front blouse that became so widely associated with the sailor suit. Allso many boys wore bloomer knickers rather than the knee pants common in America. One way to differentiate French and American sailor suits during this period is that French boys commonly wore socks rather than the long stockings Amrican boys usually wore with kneepants. We see this throughout the 19th century.
Sailor suits continued to increase in popularity during the 1880s. And we see them being worn by a wider range od society. The complicated styling popular in the 1870s continue into the early-80s, although we begin to see increasing common features. We begin to see more suits with V-fronts which was becoming the standard feature in most sailor suits. And the suits increasingly began to look somewhat like French sailor uniforms, although actual uniforms were far more simple than the sailor suits we see boys wearing. We do not yet have a detailed history of the evolution of French navluniforms. During the Napoleonic era, uniforms in the French and other navies were informal for enlisted personnel. But by the 1880s French naval uniforms were standardized. We see this in the Paul Jazet painting of the cruiser (cuirassé) Vauban. The boys here here have V-fronts (figure 1) but their outfits are much fancier than actual uniforms. The boys' suits here are less complicated than the suits we see in the 1870s and more like the basic stling like the uniforms actually worn. Notice the striped dickies, they are simolar the dickies worn by French sailors. The pants in early suits might also have detailing matching or coordinated with the blouse. This was something you sid not see on sailor uniforns, except the dress uniforms worn by officers.
Only in the 1890s do we begin to see French boys wearing traditionally styled sailor suits. Sailor suits were widely worn by the 1890s. It had become standard outfit for Frnch boys from all walks of life, but especially the middle class. We currently have, however, only limited information on French sailor suit fashions during the 19th century, even the late-19th century. So it is still difficult to follow fashion shifts during this period. We hope to gradually expand our coverage.
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[Return to the Main French sailor suit late-19th century chronological pages]
[Return to the Main French sailor suit chronological pages]
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