Figure 1.-- Here we see an unidentified German family. The children are all dressed in sailor suits. We do know that the portrait was taken in 1924. It illustrates the point that at least in some families, sailor suits were appropriate for all the offspring of a family from about 2-16 years of age. The age range varied somewhat over time. In this family snapshot the kids are lined up in the order of their seniority and physical height, making a pattern of conformity that could almost serve as an ad for the famous maker of sailor suits, Beyle. We take the ages of the children to be, in descending order about 15, 12, 10, 5, and 3 years. Click on the image for a fuller discussion.

We see large numbers of German family portraits and snapshots with all or at least many of the children wearing sailor suits--often all of the age appropriate children. We see more of the family sailor suit images in Germany than any other country. They are fairly rare in America and much less common in England, France and other countries. These German famiy photographs include both the brothers and sisters wearing sailor suits--the entire family. The sailor suit was seen as appropriate for boys and girls so it could be used to dress the entire family, although there were age constraints. Age considerations seem the primary considerations in these family portraits. With larger families dressing all the children in sailor suits, this was more complicated with greater age and gender diversity. But even so, we do see some large families with all the children wearing sailor suits as well. This was rather like the Trapp family in the "Sound of Music". It was not very common, but it was not rare either. One variant was gender specific outfitting. Some times it was just the boys and other times just the girls. We are not sure about the families involved. Perhaps it was just that the style was popular. Perhaps they were naval families, but Germany had a very small navy and the sailor suits were very popular in the country. We in particular wonder about families where all the childrebn wear sailor suits, including the older children. Mother of course was usually who decided about the chuldren's clothes, but we suspect in some of these instances, father took a stance. In these instances we believe that often something else was involved than just popular fashion. It is likely that the family was conservative and the parents rather strict.

Popularity

We see large numbers of German family portraits and snapshots with all or at least many of the children wearing sailor suits--often all of the age appropriate children. It was a very popular family style in Germany. We see more of the family sailor suit images in Germany than any other country. Sailor suits were one of the most popular styles for German childre. This was the case for decades. And many German parents liked to dress the children identically or at least coordinate outfits. This it is only ntural that sailor styles were one of the styled used to coordite the outfits of the children in a family.

Other Countries

They are fairly rare in America and much less common in England, France and other countries.

Age Conventions

These German family photographs include both the brothers and sisters wearing sailor suits--the entire family. The sailor suit was seen as appropriate for boys and girls so it could be used to dress the entire family, although there were age constraints. Age considerations seem the primary considerations in these family portraits. With larger families dressing all the children in sailor suits, this was more complicated with greater age and gender diversity. But even so, we do see some large families with all the children wearing sailor suits as well. This was rather like the Trapp family in the "Sound of Music". It was not very common, but it was not rare either. In Germany boys might wear sailor suits up to about 16 years of age, alhough this was not common,. It was fairly connon for younger teens, boys 13 or even 14 years old. This wide age range meant that is was fairly easy to uutfir all the family in sailor suits. A factor here was that there was an even wider age range for girls. Sailor suits were age apporopriate for olders girls, but many older girls wanted to wear mre fashionable clothes. All of this meant that that for quite Germam chldren had a substantial age span during which many families could outfit all of the children in sailor suits.

Gender Conventions

Both boys and girls wore silor outfits. Another variant was gender specific sailor outfitting. Some times it was just the boys and other times just the girls. Depending on the ages, it was the boys who were the most likely to wear sailor outfits, but they were popular for girls as well. There are a vast number of photographs of both boys and girls wearing sailor outfits. We gave found quite a number of family images with the boys wearing suits and the girls wearing regular outfits. We see some family images with the girls wearing sailor outdfits and the boys other outfits. This is, howevr, much less comm than the boys wearing the sailor suit.

The Families

We are not sure about the families involved. Perhaps it was just that the style was popular. Perhaps they were naval families, but Germany had a very small navy and the sailor suits were very popular in the country. We in particular wonder about families where all the childrebn wear sailor suits, including the older children. Mother of course was usually who decided about the chuldren's clothes, but we suspect in some of these instances, father took a stance. In these instances we believe that often something else was involved than just popular fashion. It is likely that the family was conservative and the parents rather strict.

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Created: 6:54 PM 12/18/2010
Last updated: 9:45 PM 4/5/2018