Figure 1.--This CDV is the first day school portrait. By the 1890s, the sailor suit was one of the nost opular outfits fir German school children. The portrait is undated, but looks like the 1890s to us. The goodie cone is what children received from their parents on their first day. Taking a portraitwas a common family tradituon The studio was Ad. Richter, in Leipzig-Lindenau.

We know little about the early use of the sailor suit in German boys' clothes during thre mid-19th century. It does not appear to have been a common style, but our archive of 19th century German images is still limited. Certainly the attire of the British royal family was followed even in Germany as advances in publishing and printing illustrations made fashion magazines available to virtually any woman. The Germans do not appear to have been fashion setters. It was inspired by English aristocratic fashions for children and it was first adopted by German aristoctratic families. The appearance of the style in England and subsequently France introduced the style to the Germans. The marriage of the Princess Royal Victoria into the German royal family certainly was a major factor in bringing English fashions to Gemany. The clothing of royal families in the 19th century were major fshion influences. We have little information about the early development of the sailor suit for boys in Germany. It does appear, however, that German boys in the 1870s and early 80s were not yet being worn by German boys. Marine blue sailor suits became very popular for young boys of all ages after 1889, when Kaiser Wilhelm II started to stir up the enthusiasm for a German navy with his new naval policy. Sailor suits were practical, durable, and could be worn for all occasions. Even girls began wearing them. The pattern for the German sailor suits and the material of the suit have their origin in the uniforms of the British naval forces. The characteristical three white stripes on cuff and collar recall the three famous sea battles of Nelson. At the end of the 19th century, textile factories for sailors' clothes were established in the naval port of Kiel, from where Germany pursued its colonial and imperialistic policies. The real 'Kieler' (meaning Kiel or naval oufit), also among the favorite clothes of the emperor's children, became an expression of national pride for the bourgeoisie. by the 1890s German boys were also commonly wearing sailor suits.

Early Victorian Era (1840s-60s)

We know little about the early use of the sailor suit in German boys' clothes during thre mid-19th century. It does not appear to have been a common style, but our archive of 19th century German images is still limited. Certainly the attire of the British royal family was followed even in Germany as advances in publishing and printing illustrations made fashion magazines available to virtually any woman. The Germans do not appear to have been fashion setters. It was inspired by English aristocratic fashions for children and it was first adopted by German aristoctratic families. The appearance of the style in England and subsequently France introduced the style to the Germans. The marriage of the Princess Royal Victoria into the German royal family certainly was a major factor in bringing English fashions to Gemany. HBC have limited informatio suggesting that German boys had begun wearing sailor suits by the mid-19th century. We know that some German boys began wearing sailor suits in the 1860s, but believe the number was limited. The fact that the wife of the crown prince Frederich was the eldest dauther of England's Queen Victoria who had first dressed the princes in the uniform of enlisted sailors brought the style to Germany. Thus Kaiser Wilhelm II himself wore one of the earliest German sailor suits as a boy in 1862--a suit given him by his English aunt. Following this style, Wilhelm's children also wore sailor suits. It was only the Imperial family that adopted the sailor suit, but the other German royals and aristocratic families also adopted sailor suits for their children--especially the boys.

Late Victorian Period (1870s-1900s)

We have little information about the early development of the sailor suit for boys in Germany. It does appear, however, that German boys in the 1870s and early 80s were not yet being worn by German boys. Marine blue sailor suits became very popular for young boys of all ages after 1889, when Kaiser Wilhelm II started to stir up the enthusiasm for a German navy with his new naval policy. Sailor suits were practical, durable, and could be worn for all occasions. Even girls began wearing them. The pattern for the German sailor suits and the material of the suit have their origin in the uniforms of the British naval forces. The characteristical three white stripes on cuff and collar recall the three famous sea battles of Nelson. At the end of the 19th century, textile factories for sailors' clothes were established in the naval port of Kiel, from where Germany pursued its colonial and imperialistic policies. The real 'Kieler' (meaning Kiel or naval oufit), also among the favorite clothes of the emperor's children, became an expression of national pride for the bourgeoisie. by the 1890s German boys were also commonly wearing sailor suits. Germany became a united country in the 1870s and the use of the sailor suit in the Holenzorian ruling family by the 1890s, influenced by Queen Victoria, was a major factor. Political developments, however, made it even more popular. Prussia and the other German states had no navies of any significance. The German decission to begin building a major navy was a matter of imense national pride and must have been another factor in popularizing the sailor suit for boys. I have little information on styles. They seenmed to have been worn primarily with knee pants.

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Created: 12:35 AM 8/21/2017
Last updated: 12:35 AM 8/21/2017