Figure 1.--This German boy probably wears his best suit--a sailor suit--for this intimate family portrait. The boy's sailor suit is difficult to date as it is a very traditional style. La Couturière Parisienne indicates thahis mother's dress definitely looks like 1920s. It's hard to be more specific because only part of the dress is visible. It does not appear to be earlier than 1920. The time of plain bodices and short hair is from about 1923 on. |
The sailor suit was an extrodinarily versatil garment. It could be an informal play garment or a boy's best suit. Many younger boys did not have a dress suit and instead wear sailor suits. Other boys played in them. They were also widely worn to school, especillly in Germany although this declined in the 1930s with advent of the NAZIs . They could also be formal wear to occasions like weddings. Few garments could be worn for such widely different circumstances. The styling could be quite similar for these different occassions. The material was also similar, although materials could vary by season. HBC knows of no other boys' garment that was so versatil.
The sailor suit was an extrodinarily versatil garment. Few garments could be worn for such widely different circumstances. The styling could be quite similar for these different occassions. The material was also similar, although materials could vary by season. HBC knows of no other boys' garment that was so versatil.
Some information is available on the different conventions for wearing sailor suits in Germany.
The sailor suit could be a boy's best suit. The large number of formal portrais with boys wearing sailor suirs in the late 19th century demonstrate that the sailor suit was widely worn as a boys' best suit. Many younger boys did not have a dress suit and instead wear sailor suits. Other boys played in them.
The sailor suit could be an informal play garment or a boy's best suit. We know less about this usage in the late 19th century because virually all photography at the time was formal studio portraits. It is not until after the turn of the 20th century and the appearance of amateur snapshots that we begin to see boys wearing sailor suits for informal play.
Sailor suits were also widely worn to school, especillly in Germany. Again we have few photographs confirming this in the late 19th century. There are a wealth of family snapshots in the early 20th century showing boys going to school in sailor suits. The sailor suit declined as a school garment in tbe 1930s, in part because it was not popular with NAZI authorities.
Sailor suits could also be formal wear to occasions like weddings.
Here we have, however, little information at this time.
The sailor suit became a popular style for boys' choirs in Germany and Austria. This appears, however, to have been a development after World War I.
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