American Sailor Garments: Floppy Bows--Options

boys sailor floppy bows
Figure 1.-- Here we see a small American family, probably about 1920. Unfortunlely the photograph is not dated, but we think the mother'd dress looks more like the late-1910s or early-20s than the 1900s. The boy wears a kne oants sailor suit, but the wide-cut knee pants look more like those worn by younger boys in the 19010s bd early 20s than the straugh-leg knee pants prevalent in the 1900s. Notice the large floppy bow that mother has added. She has placed it mid way betwen the nck and V-apex of the collar whre the sailor scarve was i=usually tied.

The peak of the popularity of the sailor suit closely coincidd with the Fauntleroy craze. This some mothers could not help but add some ornamentation to the standard sailor suit. Given the popular items available, the possibilities were virtually endless. And mothers gave a great deal of thought on how to 'improve' on the basic sailor suit. Some mothers added stiff collaes to the comfortabl sailor collar. Another addition was the floppy bow which was so common with Fauntleroy outfits. Here mothers had a range of options. They could replace the sailor scarve with a floppy bow or they could keep the scarve and add a bow. This affected placement. Relpacemrnt meant that two positions were available, both the neckposition or the V collar apex just above the waitline. And in the age of sartorial over kill we even note some mothers adding two floppy bows, bith at thevneck and the V apex. Adding in contrast meant that the neck position had to be used necause the scarve was at the apex of the V collar. Of course size was an opotion. Bows varied greatly in size. And e note various sizes being used with sailor suits. Color was another factor. Mothr had to decided on matching or contrasting color or even a pattern. And in some cases mothers who couldn't help but add to the sailor suit added both a stiff collar and a floppy bow.







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HBC Sailor Suit Country Related Pages:
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Created: 5:27 AM 12/31/2014
Last updated: 5:27 AM 12/31/2014