Figure 1.-- |
French boys commonly wore sailor suits for more than a century. HBC does not know of French boys wearing sailor suits before the 1840s and Queen Victoria began dresing the princes in sailor suits. I am not sure just when sailor suit crossed the Atlantic and began catching on as a boy's fashion. I have not noted French sailor suits and hats in the 1840s and 1850s, but that may because of the limired available information. The sailor suit as a boy's fashion seem to have caught on in France by the 1860s and had become one of the most popular boys' fashions by the 1870s. I currently have only limited information on French sailor suit fashions. French syles do not seem to have followed British styles as closely as in some countries, in part because French naval uniforms varied more from English styles than is the case in many countries. Older French boys wore knickers in the 1920s, but not with sailor suits. Boys commonly wore sailor suits at ages up to 12-13 years, with
both short and long pants--some suits came with both. This suggests a somewhat different approach to long and short pants than in England and America. Most French boys stoped wearing sailor suits after World War II, especially in the 1950s. Some younger boys did continue to wear them. Almost always the younger boys wore short pants sailor suits, often with quite short shorts. They are now not commonly worn, but still have not totally disappeared.
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HBC does bot not know of French boys wearing sailor suits before the 1840s and Queen Victoria began dresing the princes in sailor suits. I am not sure just when sailor suit crossed the Atlantic and began catching on as a boy's fashion. I have not noted French sailor suits and hats in the 1840s and 1850s, but that may because of the limired available information. . In fact, boys clothes showing an influence of army uniforms, such as double-breasted jackets with rows of buttons seemed popular. The sailor suit achieved immense popularity in France. France was not noted for a poweful navy, but it did have a navy and a naval tradition. Unlike other European countries (Austria, England, Germany, Itlay, Russia, etc.), there was no royal family to help popularize the fashion. Even so, as in the rest of Europe, the sailor suit in France developed as an important boys' style. Unfortunately imahes during this period are relatively rare until the 1860s shen photography became more afforable and common. Sailor suits were especially popular for French boys during the Edwardian period. The sailor suit was one of he principal French styles for boys. Bloomer-styled knickers appear to have been particularly popular in France. I'm unsure as to just why sailor suits were so popular in France. Knee pants were replaced with knickers and shortpants.
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The sailor suit as a boy's fashion seem to have caught on in France by the 1860s and had became a popular boys' fashions by the 1870s. It was widely worn by the 1890s. We currently have only limited information on French sailor suit fashions during the late-19th century. Older boys wore sailor blouses with knee pants, bloomer knickers, and long pants. Most sailor suits feature stripe decorations. We even notice a stripe on the pants. Dickies commonly had horizontal stripes, a style used in ctual naval uniforms. French syles do not seem to have
followed British Roiyal Navy uniform styles as closely as in some other countries such as Germany and the United States. This may be in part because French naval uniforms varied more from English styles than is the case in many countries. Also clothing designers appeared to have experimented more with styling. This seems to have been the case with other garments as well. French boys'sailor suits diverted more from the traditional copy of the actual uniforms. At first boys wore sailor suits with long bellbottom trousers like the ones worn by sailors. As the 1870s progressed a variety of different styles emerged. Boys dresses appeared in sailor styles. Younger boys wore sailor suits with skirts, a kind of kilt suit style. Especially elaborate outfits were decorated with lace and ruffles and had a decidely un sailor look. Knee pants and knickers became ncreasingly common, but did not replace long pants entirely. By the 1870s sailor suits were one of the most popular styles for boys up to 12 or 13 and even older ages on the Continent. Boys, especially younger boys, increasingly wore their sailor suits with knee pants. We also notice girls wearing sailor styles as well, primarily sailor-styled dresses.
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Sailor suits were especially popular for French boys during the
Edwardian period. The sailor suit was more popular in the Edwardian era than any other period. The sailor suit was one of he principal French styles for boys. I'm unsure as to just why sailor suits were so popular in France. France had a navy, but of course did not rival the British and unlile the Germans were not planning to buld one to rival the Royal Navy. Despite this, the sailor suit was enormously popular for French boys in the early-20th century. Sailor suits consisted primarily of a middy blouse and pants, but other garments were also involved. There were a variety of headwear in addition to the wide-brimmed hat that is coommonly associated with it. Knee pants were replaced with knickers and shortpants. Younger boys wore sailors suits with lace trim and ruffles in the 1900s, but became much less fancy in the 1910s. The tunic sailor suits style was very popular, but boys also wore suits similar to the tunic style, but with middy blouses rather than tuncs. As with tunics, belts were often an important stylictic feature of these suits. The sailor collars often had non-traditional styling, such as all white rather than with the three decorative stripes. Often the material was not just a solid white or black, but a variety of colors and stripped patterns. In the 1910s suits with more classic styling became more common.
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Older French boys wore knickers in the 1920s, but not with sailor
suits. Boys commonly wore sailor suits at ages up to 12-13 years, with both short and long pants--some suits came with both. This suggests a somewhat different approach to long and short pants than in England and America. There boys would be likely to wear either shotrt or long pants, but not both. Once a boy was allowed
to wear long pants, most no longer wanted to wear short pants. Sailor suits with two pairs of pants, a pair of shorts and longs
suggest that boys' attitudes may have been some what different in France. I'm not sure how both shorts and longs would be worn. Presumably the mother would decide on which days and for what events shorts would be worn and when longs would be more appropriate. Longs might be worn more during the winter, but both blue flannel suits and lighter white summer suits came in both shorts and longs. Sailor suits continued to be popular in the 1930s when they were made in sizes to 12 years in both short pants and long pants styles. This meant French boys through about 13 wore sailor suits. Several different styles were worn. The most common were pullover middy blouses, but some had buttonup jackets, mostly double breasted
styles. Bows were only worn with the middy blouse style. Sailor suits by the 1930s had become a less common outfit for boys who would more commonly wears suits or sweaters to school and for dressup. They were still worn, however, and photographs of
French childrem during the 30s will show some boys still outfitted in sailor suits--even boys of 12 and 13 years of age.
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Most French boys stoped wearing sailor suits after World War II, especially in the 1950s. Some younger boys did continue to wear them. Almost always the younger boys wore short pants sailor suits, often with quite short shorts. They were mostly worn for dressy occasions. I'm not sure why the sailor suit went out of fashion in France, but today it is no longer routinely worn. French bouys whononce so proudly wore sailor suits now seem to have begun regarding it as only suitable for small boys. The only older boys wearing sailor suits by the 1950s were Sea Scouts. HBC also has reports that some boys still wear sailor suits for First Communion, but does not yet have confirmation of this. A french reader writes, "The sailor suit in France was not very common after World War II. Someyounger boys wore them, boys about 6-10 years old, mostly of especially cultured families. These suits could be have short or long pants. I remember a time about 1950 we were visiting with several others boys at a Navy base in France. We were and dressed in sailor suits. These suits had short pants. We were all about 7-11 years old. The French mothers were prefering much more the suits with button-on ; with bib or with suspenders; or the rompers for the little boys. Sailor suits were still worn for First Cummunion."
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