Figure 1.--This American brother and sister were photographed in the late 19th centuiry, we would guess in the 1880s. Note that the boy is wearing a classic sailor suit. The girl wears a dress with destinctive sailor elements.

Sailor styling and garments became important for boys and girls for about a century. A range of garments became important, including head wear, outfits, and coats. Popularity and conventions varied greatly over time and between countries. The head wear included caps and hats. The same head wear was worn by both boys and girls although the chronology varies as did the national styles. The major garments were outfits. Here the tops were the same for boys and girls. The bottoms differed with the girls wearings skirted bottoms rather than pants like the boys. There were two basic types of girls sailor outfits, dresses and blouses. The bodices of sailors dresses were comparable to the blouses often called middy blouses. The royal princes began wearing sailor suits (1840s). The style for boys was quickly picked up by the general public. The girls began wearing sailor dresses after a decade or two (1870s). We not only see sailor dresses, but dresses with sailor influences, but not full implementation of the sailor styling. This was the more common fashion for adult women, but we see it fir girls as well. Sailor suits were at first more common for boys, but in the 20th century this began to change, but in modern times as boys stopped to wear sailor suits, we see sailor styling persisting much longer for girls. The other major sailor outfit was a middy blouse and skirt. Eventually girls not only wore sailor dresses, but middy blouses and skirts. Middy blouses became very popular for girls in the early 20th century. They were commonly worn to school. Of course when girls began wearing middy blouses, they became less popular with the boys. This was surely a factor in the declining popularity of sailor outfits for boys. Of huge importance was the adoption of the middy blouse for gym uniforms at school. For some time these gym outfits were worn with bloomers rather than shorts. When these outfits were most popular (late-19th and early-20th century), the blouses were worn by both boys and girls, although the popularity varied widely from country to country. The other popular sailor garment was the sailor coat,. The came in two styles, the pea jacket and the double breasted style. The popularity of pea jackets continued into the 20th century.

Head Wear

The head wear included caps and hats. The same head wear was worn by both boys and girls although the chronology varies as did the national styles.

Outfits

The major garments were sailor outfits. Here the tops were the same for boys and girls. The bottoms differed with the girls wearings skirted bottoms rather than pants like the boys. There were two basic types of girls sailor outfits, dresses and blouses. The bodices of sailors dresses were comparable to the blouses often called middy blouses. The royal princes began wearing sailor suits (1840s). The style for boys was quickly picked up by the general public. The girls began wearing sailor dresses after a decade or two (1870s). We not only see sailor dresses, but dresses with sailor influences, but not full implementation of the sailor styling. This was the more common fashion for adult women, but we see it fir girls as well. Sailor suits were at first more common for boys, but in the 20th century this began to change, but in modern times as boys stopped to wear sailor suits, we see sailor styling persisting much longer for girls. The other major sailor outfit was a middy blouse and skirt. Eventually girls not only wore sailor dresses, but middy blouses and skirts. Middy blouses became very popular for girls in the early 20th century. They were commonly worn to school. Of course when girls began wearing middy blouses, they became less popular with the boys. This was surely a factor in the declining popularity of sailor outfits for boys. Of huge importance was the adoption of the middy blouse for gym uniforms at school. For some time these gym outfits were worn with bloomers rather than shorts. When these outfits were most popular (late-19th and early-20th century), the blouses were worn by both boys and girls, although the popularity varied widely from country to country. >br>

Coats

The other popular sailor garment was the sailor coat,. The came in two styles, the pea jacket and the double breasted style. The popularity of pea jackets continued into the 20th century.

Navigate the Historic Boys' Clothing Web sailor pages:
[Middy blouse] [Reefer jackets] [Sailor dresses] [Other sailor styles] [Sailor hats]
[Middy suits] [National sailor suits] [The Royals] [Ring bearer/page costumes]

Created: 4:15 AM 6/20/2004
Last updated: 6:32 AM 5/24/2024