Figure 1.--This postcard back post card shows an American boy wearing a white sailor tunic with matching bloomer knickers. He looks to be about 6 years old. The V-collar looks more like a sports collar, but you can see it leads to a back flap. Also motice the large tie-like scarfe, alittle difficult to see because the outfit is all white. The girl wears a basic frock with ahair bow. Notice she has waist band rather than a belt like her little brother. Both children wear black long stockings. Te CYKO stamp box doesn't help much with daring, but we would guess the 1910s.

Sailor-styled tunics were very popular, picking up on the styling of boys' sailor suits. Most collars had the prominent "V" front and back flap and were the mosy popular style of tunuc suit. We see countless tunics during the 1900s and 10s with these V-front sailor tunics done in a variety of styles. We almost always see the front-V, but rarely back views to see the back flap. Sometimes the front-V is shallow looking rather like a sports collar which were becoming popular for blouses and shirts, but this is less common than the full-frontal V-collar on sailor tunics. We commonly note dickies, except withb the tuics done similar to sportys collars. Many of these tunics had other features of sailor styling. Other sailor tunics only had the basic "V" feature. Many had matching sailior scarves, but done looking somewhat like a short, wide tie rather than the loosely tied scarfe more commonly worn with American sailor suits. There were substantial variations in the styling of the sailor tunics. Some were done with traditional styling or some resemlance to it. We also note sailor tunics done with elaborate lace and ruffle trim. Russian blouse tunic did not have collars. Buster Brown tunics had a wide white collar. Many tunics including the sailor tunics had prominent belts. They were oramental without any real purpose. One rarely sees tunics without the belts, regardless of the styles. Less common than the V-front sailor tunics weresailor tunics sithout the V-front. They still are obviously sailor tunics betcause they had some combination of other forms of large collars, stripe detailing, and back flaps, and other sailor features.

Sailor Styles

Sailor-styled tunics were very popular, picking up on the styling of boys' sailor suits. We note three basic styles of sailor tunics: 1) V-front collars, 2) sports collars, and 3) non-V front collars. The stylistic features were primarily but not exclusivelu employed on the collar. Most collars had the prominent "V" front and back flap and were the most popular style of tunuc suit. We see countless tunics during the 1900s and 10s with these V-front sailor tunics done in a variety of styles. The vast majority were done with the V-front from British Royal Navy uniforms. There were countless versions of this basic style. While the V-front collar was the most common, it was not the only style of sailor tunics worn. We see both sports collars and non-V front collar sailor tunics, but in much smaller numbers.

V-front Styles

Sailor-styled tunics were very popular, picking up on the styling of boys' sailor suits. Most collars had the prominent "V" front and viryually always the back flap and were the mosy popular style of tunuc suit. The great bulk of sailor tunics were done with V-front collars so associated with the sailor suit thanks to the British Royal Navy. We see countless tunics duting the 1900s and 10s with these V-front sailor tunics done in a variety of styles. These V-friont sailor tunics were, g\however, mostly readty-made itens offered in storesand catalogs and thus done in great numbers. This made for a degeee of standardization. We almost always see the front-V, but rarely back views to see the back flap. We commonly note dickies, except with the tunics done similar to sports collars and non-V-front collars. Many of these tunics had other features of sailor styling. Other sailor tunics only had the basic "V" feature. Many had matching sailior scarves, but done looking somewhat like a short, wide tie rather than the loosely tied scarfe more commonly worn with American sailor suits. There were substantial variations in the styling of the sailor tunics. Some were done with traditional styling or some resemlance to it. We also note sailor tunics done with elaborate lace and ruffle trim. Russian blouse tunic did not have collars. Buster Brown tunics had a wide white collar. Many of the sailor tunics look very silmilar to sailor blouses only extending longer and worn with an ornamental belt one in diffeent iths, material, and color. These V-front sailor tunicswere the most likely to be worn by some sort of sailor headwear, something matching headwear.

Sports Collars

Sometimes the front-V is shallow looking rather like a sports collar which were becoming popular for blouses and shirts. These collars are called Schiller collars in Europe after a poet. They were, however, less common than the full-frontal V-collar on sailor tunics. We are not yet positice how the back of the collar was done. The tunic suit the boy here is wearing here is done with a sports collar (figure 1). These were much less common than the "V"-front sailor tunic, but we do see some boys wearing them. It seems to be a later stylistic development. Most of the examples we have found to date from the 1910s rather than the 1900s when sailor tunics first appeared. They also were worn with ornamental belts. We do not notice these tunic styles in Europe, but this may reflect our smaller European archive. The sports collar itself sone in blouses and shirts was very popular.

Non-V-Front Collars

Less common than the V-front sailor tunics were sailor tunics without the V-front. They still are obviously sailor tunics betcause they had some combination of other forms of large collars, stripe detailing, and back flaps, and other sailor features. These like the sports collar sailor tunics were much less common than the V-front sailor tunics. were much less common than the "V"-front sailor gunic, but we do see some boys wearing them. They also were worn with ornamemental belts. As best we can tell, these non-V front collar tunics were not ready-made garments, at least non commonly offered as ready-made items in stores and catalogs. These were home-sewn items, we think because the sailor collar was a little difficult to sewn at home. Some mothers of course were more skilled than others. And because they are not mass-produced ready-made garments, each of these non-V front sailor collars were little pieces of art to which different mothers could apply what ever fashion touches which they wanted. This we see awude range of fabruc abd patterns as well as lace and ruffles added.

Common Stylistic Features

While there were three destinct styles of sailor tunics. There were common featyres with all these sailor tunics. These include the absence of front-buttons, ornamental builts, similar lengths, and pants, usually but not alwats bloomer knickers. Many tunics including the sailor tunics had prominent belts. They were oramental without any real purpose. One rarely sees tunics without the belts, regardless of the styles.

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Created: 6:35 PM 9/10/2012
Last edited: 8:55 PM 9/15/2012