Figure 1.--This CDV portrait shows two unidentifed children who look to be about 3-6 years of age. The older child is clearly a boy wearing a snazzy sailor suit complete with cap. Notice that mother has added a small Eton collar. The younger child wears a dark dress, but we think the child may be a boy. The portrait is undated, but we think it was taken about 1880. CDVs were common in the 1880s unlike America, And the mount style (simillar to a cabinet card) looks more like the 1880s than the 70s as does the boy's cap. The cap tally is for the 'HMS Serapis'. This refers to the 'HMS Serapis' which was an iron screw Euphrates-class troopship in service from (1866 to 94). This would also fit with the 1880s. The studio was W. Atkinson in Barnard Castle, Durham.

It is in the 1880s that the sailor suit becomes a major fashion for boys. We do no longer see a dew boys wearing sailor suits, we begin to see realy large numbers of boys wearing sailor suits in the decade. And we begin to see a wider range of boys wearing the. Rather than a smart style for fashionable families, the sailor suit was becoming a standard style for boys. It was no longer a style for the monarchy or even aristocracy. It was a major style adopted by the middle-class. And we see the sailor suit spreading overseas. We see some foreign boy, especially in America, France, Germany, and Russia wearing sailor suits. At least in Europe, royal families were very important in populaizing the style. Not inly are more boys wearing sailor suits, but we see girls wearing sailor dreses as well. And of course it was Queen Victoria and Prince Albert that started the sailor suit fashion for boys. Almost all of Europe except republican France at the time was ruled by monarchies. But even in France the sailor suit ws popular. England set the standard and styles just as it did for actul naval uniforms. Each individual countries made some stylistic changes, but the basic Royal Navy uniform was the base for all of them. We do not know of a Navy that did not have uniforms based on the Royal Navy uniform. And we begin to see increasing stabdardization in the sailor suit styles worn by boys. The basics were a middy or sailor top with knee pants or long pants. Girls wore a skirt in place of pants. And in the 1890s we increasingly see the classic traditional styling, sailor suits that look like Royal Navy uniform. The children�s sailor suits might have additions to the basic naval uniform such as embroidered stars, anchors, and eagles. Styles in the 1870s and 80s were similsr with a trend for increasingly tradition (Royal Navy styling) styles in the 1890s. A notable development in the 1890s is that we begin to see boys wearing short pants and knee socks rather than knee pants with long stockings.

The 1880s

It is in the 1880s that the sailor suit becomes a major fashion for boys. We do no longer see a dew boys wearing sailor suits, we begin to see realy large numbers of boys wearing sailor suits in the decade. And we begin to see a wider range of boys wearing the. Rather than a smart style for fashionable families, the sailor suit was becoming a standard style for boys. It was no longer a style for the monarchy or even aristocracy. It was a major style adopted by the middle-class. In countries like England and Germany, it was asttement of mddle-class support for the momarchy. A good example is the Shepperd brothers. We also note the Gardner brothers 1888-89). And we see the sailor suit spreading overseas. We see some foreign boys, especially in America, France, Germany, and Russia wearing sailor suits. At least in Europe, royal families were very important in populaizing the style. Not only are more boys wearing sailor suits, but we see girls wearing sailor dreses as well. And of course it was Queen Victoria and Prince Albert that started the sailor suit fashion for boys. Almost all of Europe except republican France at the time was ruled by monarchies. But even in France the sailor suit ws popular. England set the standard and styles just as it did for actul naval uniforms. Each individual countries made some stylistic changes, but the basic Royal Navy uniform was the base for all of them. We do not know of a Navy that did not have uniforms based on the Royal Navy uniform. And we begin to see increasing stabdardization in the sailor suit styles worn by boys. The basics were a middy or sailor top with knee pants or long pants. Girls wore a skirt in place of pants.

The 1890s

The popularity of the sailor suit continued to grow in the 1890s. While very popular in Britain we note a subtantial difference from other European countries. English boys from affluent families tended to go to privae boarding schools. By the 1890s preparatoty schools for the youngr children were well established. And many of these schools by the 1890s were requirng uniforms. And inthe 19th century it ws the affkent that set fshion trends. The schools varied but by the 1890s, age 8 years was becoming increasingly common as the entry age. As a result, we see fewer Engish boys older than 8 years wearing sailor suits as was the case in France, Germany, and Italy. And in the 1890s we increasingly see the classic traditional styling, sailor suits that look like Royal Navy uniform. The children�s sailor suits might have additions to the basic naval uniform such as embroidered stars, anchors, and eagles. Styles in the 1870s and 80s were similsr with a trend for increasingly tradition (Royal Navy styling) styles in the 1890s. We continue to see sailor its with both long pants and knee pants. We seem to note kneepnts becoming more commo in thee 90s, but our acive is still limited so we cannot make any defnitive statement yet. A notable development in the 1890s is that we begin to see boys wearing short pants and knee socks rather than knee pants with long stockings. Before the 1890s, almost all of the boys wearing sailor suits either wore long pants or knee pants and long stckings that cobered their knees. Now we see boys wearing knee socks. Knee socks were not new,bt untilthe 189s we mos woren with kilts raher than knee pants, alhough ths is a little complicatedto follow becuse until the 1890s, knee pants tended to be cut long covering the knee, often at calf level.

Other Related Pages:
[Sailor suits] [Kilts] [Smocks] [Pinafores] [Sailor Hats] [Blouses]
[Ring Bearers] [Long hair] [Ringlet curls] [Hair bows] [Bangs] [Collars] [Bows]

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[About Us]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries] [Girls]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossary] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]

Created: 7:11 AM 12/29/2014
Last updated: 9:47 PM 5/6/2019