German Sailor Suits: 20th Century--Edwardian Era/World War I Era (1900-19)


Figure 1.--These two German boys were photographed with their mother wearing identical sailor suits in 1914. These boys wear identical sailor suits. Other mothers might vary the outfits, depending on the age of the boys.

The sailor suit appears to have been the most popular outfit for boys by the turn of the century. The sailor suit became the most popular and best-loved outfit for boys among the bourgeoisie and well suited the culture of militarism and nationalism that flourished at the end of the 19th century when the German navy rose to become one of the major navies in the world--challenging the British Royal Navy for supremecy. The sailor suit turned into something of a status symbol for the middle classes and was at the same time both a comfortable and practical way of dressing boys. Virually every German boy in the late 19th and early 20th century wore a sailor suit, especially middle-class boys. They were commonly worn to school by German boys.At this tine, however most of our information on German sailor suits is limited to the 20th century. The suits were worn primarily with short pants as the knee pants style disappeared after the turn of the century. I believe long pants sailor sits were less common than in England and France. The sailor suit was worn by much older boys than in England. Most English boys stopped wearing sailor suits when they began boarding school. Less affluent boys followed this change at about the same time. German boys, however, continued wearing sailor suits well passed 8 years, in many cases into their early teens. German schools did not require school uniforms. Boys wore their own clothes to school. In many cases this meant sailor suits, usually with short pants.

Popularity

The sailor suit appears to have been the most popular outfit for boys by the turn of the century. We note countless portraits in the photographic record with German boys wearing sailor suits. At this time we have much more nformation on German sailor suits in the 20th than the 19th century and it is very clear that the sailor suit was imensly popular in the early 20th century.

Sailor Suits and the Imperial Navy

The sailor suit was well suited the culture of militarism and nationalism that flourished at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century when the German navy rose to become one of the major navies in the world--challenging the British Royal Navy for supremecy. The battleship was the super weapon of the age. No country could aspire to great-power status without a fleet of battleships and Imperial Germany aspired to great power status. Surely this must have been a factor in the popularity of the sailor suit.

Middle-class

The sailor suit became the most popular and best-loved outfit for boys among the bourgeoisie. The sailor suit turned into something of a status symbol for the middle classes. The sailor suit had been popularized by royalty. The royal family, however, wee very popular with the German middle class. And the sailor suit had the advantage of being seen as symbilizing Germany's great power status. And after the war, this association with the middle-class was one reason that the sailor suit was not popular with the NAZIs. Hitler desired to create one, united German Volk without internal cl;ass divisions.

Usuage

The sailor suit in the early 20th century was a very utilitarian garment. Many boy wore it as their best dress-ip garment. It could be worn to formal wedduings and church. It could also beworn to school or as a play garment. It was a comfortable and practical way of dressing boys. Virually every German boy in the late 19th and early 20th century wore a sailor suit, especially middle-class boys. They were commonly worn to school by German boys.

Decade Trends

We know that sailor suits were very popiular in Germasny during the early 20th century. We do not yet, however, have any good ideas as to how German sailor suits varied during the erarly 20th century. we have began to collect some images from the 1900s and 10s which hopefully will provide some information on trends during the two decades.

Seasonality

Sailor suits were made for seasonal wear. We note heavy suits made for cold weather. They may have been made in material like serge or flannel. Most were made in dark colors, primarily navy blue. These winter suits may have been worn for school or when dressing up. We also notice summer suits. They were usually white suits or striped suits. We notice both all white suits and suits with white middy blouses and dark pants. These mixed suits were always white suits with dark pants, never dark blouses with white pants. We are unsure why this convention was so strictt. We alsi notice striped suits. We believe that these were mostly blue stripes, but there may have been other colors. Blue stripes were definitely the nost common. These summer suits were worn for school, play, and dressing up. We are not sure about the material, but they were mostly light-weight cotton fabrics. Some better blouses mightb have been linnen. The summer suits were often worn without dickies. Many were made with removable dicklies.

Pants

The suits were worn primarily with short pants as the knee pants style disappeared after the turn of the century. We believe long pants sailor sits were less common than in England and France.

Age

The sailor suit was worn by much older boys than in England. Most English boys stopped wearing sailor suits when they began boarding school. Less affluent boys followed this change at about the same time. German boys, however, continued wearing sailor suits well passed 8 years, in many cases into their early teens. German schools did not require school uniforms. Boys wore their own clothes to school. In many cases this meant sailor suits, usually with kneet pants.

Age Conventions

Some moythers might dress all of the children in sailor outfits. Dressing children identically or in coordinsted outfits were very popuilar at the time. And sailor suits were ideally suited for this. Sometimes mothers used idential sailor suits. Even boys and girls might be dressed alike, onlt the girls wearing skirts rather than tousers. The two German boys were photographed with their mother here wear identical sailor suits in 1914 (fogure 1). These boys wear identical sailor suits. Other mothers might vary the outfits, depending on the age of the boys. There were various ways of doing this. Younger boys might wear sailor tunics, for exmple, rather than a standard sailor suit. Even if the children were all dressed in standard sailor suits, there were ways of varying the outfits for children of different ages. Thst said, more often tsan not the sailor suit wasc used for dressing children of different ages similarly






HBC





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Created: 9:22 PM 10/22/2007
Last updated: 8:57 PM 7/14/2010