Figure 1.--HBC believes that this is a German boy photographed about 1910. The sailor suit or "Seemannklage" was one of the most popular outfits for German boys. Germany was at the time building the Imperail German Navy, a pet project of Kaiser Wilhelm II, with which he hoped to rival the British Royal Navy. This boy wears bloomer-like knickers with his sailor suit rather than kneepants which were more common. It is difficult to tell from this boys outfit what country he is from. The bloomer-like knickers were more common in France, but tyhe cap looks more German.

German boys have worn a variety of pants with their sailor suits. The first sailor suits were worn with long pants. As kneepants became more common in the late 19th century, many boys wore kneepants sailor suits. This was a very common outfit for school--kneepants sailor suits. We have also noted German boys wearing bloomer-like knicker-length pants with their sailor suits. There is often no way of telling from the pants, what country is depicted in an old photograph. HBC believes that bloomer knickers were more common in France than Germany, but we have only limited information at this time. Short pants became increasingly common in the 1910s, and by the mid-1920s had replaced kneepants as the most common type of pants worn with sailor suits. Short pants sailor suits were commonly worn with kee socks. By the 1930s sailor suits were declining in popularity, especially after 1933 when the NAZIs seized power. Some younger boys still wore them, but it was rare to see boys older than 10 wearing sailor suits in Germany after 1935. We are not sure about about features of the trousers worn with sailor suits such as pockets. Nor are we sure just how the trousers were suspended. We note some button-on pants for younger boys. It is less clear how the pants worn with the middy blouses that had waist ties were suspended. Another feature of the pants that has varied over time is creases.

Trouser Types

Sailor blouses wre fairly standard. The pants or trousers worn by boys were much more varied. German boys have worn a variety of pants with their sailor suits. The first sailor suits were worn with long pants as they were copies of naval uniforms. As knee pants became more common in the late 19th century, many boys wore knee pants sailor suits. This was a very common outfit for school--knee pants sailor suits. We have also noted German boys wearing bloomer-like knicker-length pants with their sailor suits. There is often no way of telling from the pants, what country is depicted in an old photograph. HBC believes that bloomer knickers were more common in France than Germany, but we have only limited information at this time. Short pants became increasingly common in the 1910s, and by the mid-1920s had replaced knee pants as the most common type of pants worn with sailor suits. Short pants sailor suits were commonly worn with keesocks. By the 1930s sailor suits were declining in popularity, especially after 1933 when the NAZIs seized power. Some younger boys still wore them, but it was rare to see boys older than 10 wearing sailor suits in Germany after 1935.

Pockets

We are not sure about about features of the trousers worn with sailor suits such as pockets. Unfortunately photographs often provide no lues as to the pockets that the pants had.

Suspension

We are not sure just how sailor suit trousers were uspended. There was the button-on option. And we note some button-on pants for younger boys. School-age boys, however, for the most part did not wearbutton-on styles. It is less clear how the pants worn with the middy blouses that had waist ties were suspended. The belt was not commonly worn to suspend trouswers in the 19th or early 20th centuries. The principal method of trouswer suspension was suspenders. That can be seen very clearly in the photographic record. It is desguised somewhat if boys are wearing suit jackets. But the boys wearing only shirts or blouses very clearly show how common suspenders were. Belts began to appear in the inter-War era, especially the 1930s, but before that suspanders were commom. But suspenders were not worn over sailor blouses so we are not sure how the sailor trousers were suspended. A reader writes, "I think German boys must have worn suspenders under their middy blouses when they were too old for button on garments. I'm not quite sure, but I don't think most pants were not commonly nmade with belt loops until the 1920s or 30s. One analagous point that could throw light on the issue. Adult men who wore tunics as part of their military uniforms almost always wore suspenders to hold up their trousers, but of course these didn't show when the tunic was in place. This is still the means of trouser suspport, for instance, with West Point cadets. So I think suspenders under the sailor blouses are very probable. But I'm not sure I've ever seen a boy with only the sailor knee pants and without the blouse. They would not of course be the normal way boys were photographed."

Creases

Another feature of the pants that has varied over time is creases. Creases were a an element of trousers that were unknown in the 19th century and not prevalent in boy's trousers, I believe, until after World War I, although that needs to be cofirmed. They were not worn with bloomer knickers, but were in the 20th century with the other types of pants. They were especually common with long trousers, but we also see them with short trousers. A good example is an a unidentified German boy, we believe in the 1930s.

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Created: June 10, 2001
Last updated: 7:24 PM 11/23/2010