Figure 1.--This Estonian boy had his portrait taken in 1929 with the family pooch. He wears a traditional white sailor blouse with blue detailing. There is a message on the back, we think identifies the boy as well as some oyher information inclusing the date. Perhapa an Estonian reader will be able to translate it for us. Put your cursor on the image to see the back.

Sailor suits were worn by Estonian boys in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. We are unsure how common sailor suits were in Estonia or how this changed over time. They seem to have been popular for middle-class boys in the late-19th century. We also see them in the early-20th century and the inter-war era. This is of course a common pattern throughout Europe, although their variations from country to country. In Estonian and the Baltics, fashions were affected by the large ethnic German population in the cities. But the smaller Russian popularion was also mostly middle class and had a predelection for sailor suits, a fashion begun by the royal fmily as in Grmany. What we do not know is what was fashionalble with the larger Baltic population in the countryside, in this case Estonians. The Estonians innthe cities would probably have dresed much like the Germans and Russians, but we are unsure about the countryside which was more solkidly Estonian in ethnicity. . Sailor suits continud to be worn after World War I when Estoniaa and the other Balts achievd their independence. Fashions underent the same trends we observe in Germany. The Russian influence declined. They still seem common in the 1930s. We see Soviet boys wearing sailor suit in the intet-War era. This surprised us as the sailor suit has such a upper-class and middle-class image. The Russian fashion indudtry declined after the Revolution. The popularity seems to have declned, but we se quite a few boys wearing sailor suits in the soviet Union. The suits seem even mote populatity onthe Baltics, presumably because of the German influence. The German influence disappeared during World war II when Hitler ordered the Baltic Germans "home to the Reich" (1939). After the War, Estonian was again absorbed in a Russian empire and styles were generally the same throughout the Soviet Union. After the War, however, we rarely see sailor suits, both in Soviet Estonia and the Soviet Union at large. Curiously they occasionaly appear in Soviet fashion magazines, but were rarely actually worn by boys. we suspect that the sailor suits that were worn were worn bu mothers who were capable seanstresses.

The 19th Century

Sailor suits were worn by Estonian boys in the late-19th century. We are unsure how common sailor suits were in Estonia or how this changed over time. The sailor suit for boys was of course begun at mid-century by the British royal family, Queen Vicoia and Prince Albertand was subsequently eargely adooted by the Russian and German royal families after which it became popular with the middle classes. The silor suit seems to have been popular for middle-class boys in the late-19th century, although our photographic archive is still limited. In Estonian and the Baltics, fashions were affected by the large ethnic German population in the cities. But the smaller Russian popularion was also mostly middle class and had a predelection for sailor suits, a fashion begun by the royal fmily as in eGrmany. What we do not know is what was fashionalble with the larger Baltic population in the countryside, in this case Estonians. The Estonians in the cities would probably have dresed much like the Germans and Russians, but we are unsure about the countryside which was more solidly Estonian in ethnicity.

The 20th Century

We also see them in the early-20th century and the inter-war era. This is of course a common pattern throughout Europe, although their variations from country to country. Sailor suits continud to be worn after World War I when Estoniaa and the other Balts achievd their independence. Fashions underent the same trends we observe in Germany. The Russian influence declined. They still seem common in the 1930s. We see Soviet boys wearing sailor suit in the intet-War era. This surprised us as the sailor suit has such a upper-class and middle-class image. The Russian fashion indudtry declined after the Revolution. The popularity seems to have declned, but we se quite a few boys wearing sailor suits in the soviet Union. The suits seem even mote populatity onthe Baltics, presumably because of the German influence. The German influence disappeared during World war II when Hitler ordered the Baltic Germans "Home to the Reich" (1939). After the War, Estonian was again absorbed in a Russian empire and styles were generally the same throughout the Soviet Union. After the War, however, we rarely see sailor suits, both in Soviet Estonia and the Soviet Union at large. Curiously they occasionaly appear in Soviet fashion magazines, but were rarely actually worn by boys. we suspect that the sailor suits that were worn were worn bu mothers who were capable seanstresses.

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Created: 5:20 AM 8/3/2014
Last updated: 5:20 AM 8/3/2014