Army Influences on Boys' Clothes

Figure 1.--Some continental boy choirs before World War I wore army-style uniforms. The sailor suits worn by many choirs were not adopted until after the War.

Booys have worn army uniforms, but not very commonly. Especially compared to all the boys who wore sailor suits. Army uniforms would seem to have had much less influence on boys' clothing styles than has been the case for navy uniforms. That is because of the enormous popularity of sailor suits for about a century. We are not sure why sailor suits were considered acceptable boys wear, but not army uniforms. Here we can probably thank Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Victoria did not dress the princes in army uniforms, but more than that must be involved. Cerainly army uniforms did not the romance and adventure that sailor suits projected, but in fact it is not precisely clear to me why the influence of army and navy uniforms has been so different. Actually army uniforms have had more impact than is readily available. No because boys wore army uniforms, but boys and men wear were influenced by stylistic touches picked from army uniforms, but to a lesser extent navy uniforms.

Actual Uniforms

Boys have worn army-styled air inflouenced military uniforms.. The most cimmon incidents are choir. schools, and youth groups.

Bands

Marching bands were a military creatrion. We are not sure when they first appeared. Many of the instruments are modern, but drums surely predate civilization. Why marching bands awere oprimarily military., in America they are oprimarily school baserd and wear elabirate, mostly army inspired uniforms.

Choirs

Choir groups like the Vienna Choir Boys wore army uniforms before World War I. I am not sure how common this was. Boy choirs except in England appear to have disappeared from most European countries. So the Vienna Boys' Choir may have been the only one to have worn army uniforms. Choir boys wearing army uniforms seems rather strange to us today as German and Austrian boy choirs are now so identfied with the sailor suit. I am not entirely sure why this change took place, but asssume it was part of a general public revulsion to militarism following World War I. Somehow the public did not reject the equally military sailor suit, perhaps because it was so identified with children's fashions.

Orphanages

Schools

Boys have not commonly worn actual army uniforms like they have worn sailor suits. A small number of boys did wear army uniforms at military schools and academies, mostly in America, Austria, and Germany. Some Frebnch dchools sdopted military unifirms, but were not military schools. Many private schools im American were for some gime were military academies, more so thn in Europe and we are not sure why. This seems strange as America was a much less militarized society than Europe. America maintained only a small military force in sharop contrast to Europe where conscription was common. Since World War II this has become much less common. Private schools have grown in in importance, bu military schools are now a much smaller compondent.

Youth groups

Youth groups are a modern creation. And beginning with the Boys' Brigade in Britain. And many were created with military connections in mind. This was the case iof he Boy Scouts who were founded by a Bruitish general whi=o was concerned that so much of the British male population was unfir=t for militry service. Almost all imprtant groups chose to have military styled uniforms abnd untilwell after wirkld war II, cionsuderable attention was given to the uniforms. . This was the case in both democratic and totalitarian countries which nbegan to appear after World War I.

Figure 2.--This boy wears a suit modeled on the uniforms of Zouave units in the Civil War. The zouave uniform was based on a French-inspied uniform and had much of the appeal that the French Foreign Legion has to more modern readers. Instead of the billowy pants worn by the soldiers, he wears a skirt. Many military styles for boys employ a blouse or jacket similar to soldiers, but pants or skirts commonly worn by contemporary boys.

Fashion Impact

Army uniforms would seem to have had much less influence on boys' clothing styles than has been the case for navy uniforms. That is because of the enormous popularity of sailor suits for about a century. We are not sure why sailor suits were considered acceptable boys wear, but not army uniforms. Here we can probably thank Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Victoria did not dress the princes in army uniforms, but more than that must be involved. Cerainly army uniforms did not the romance and adventure that sailor suits projected, but in fact it is not precisely clear to me why the influence of army and navy uniforms has been so different. Actually army uniforms have had more impact than is readily available. No because boys wore army uniforms, but boys and men wear were influenced by stylistic touches picked from army uniforms, but to a lesser extent navy uniforms.

Figure 3.--This 1850s photograph taken before the Civil War shows a boy wearing a jacket with a row of military looking buttons.

Created: September 4, 1998
Last updated: 1:36 AM 9/26/2022