Figure 1.--Here we see a cabinet card portrait of an unidentified Irish beother and sister. They look to be about 6-10 years old. The boys seems to be wearing a fairly standard velvet knee pants sailor suit. It looks like similar suits we have seen in America and Britain. We are unsure about his cap. Note the fancy hat the girls wears--rather like a dischelved turban. Also note her black fishnet gobes. We do not know ithere was a term for these hats. She also has a large, fringed purse. The studio looks to be something like Hy Holsborn located in Clonmel, County Tripperary. Clonmel was the commercial hub of Tripperary, a county in south centtal Ireland and a center of nationalist sentiment. The portrait is undated, but we suspect it was taken in the late-1880s or early-90s.

Sailor suits were an English creation commonly worn by English boys. Although Irish fashions commonly followed English fashions, we do not yet have information on the popularity of sailor suits in Ireland. We do see a few portraits of Irish boys wearing sailor suits in the 19th century. The suits we see look just like the ones worn in England. The styles and prevalence, however, is difficult to assess because our Irish archive is limited. We do note Irish boys wearing sailor suits. We suspect that the fashion was limited to middle- and upper-class families and was concentrated in the cities. This is suggested by the few images we have archived, but the number of images are too small to provide a reliable sample. And many rural and low-income families could not afford to have portraits taken. Ireland was much less urbanized and industrialized than England and we suspect that sailor suits were less common in Ireland and Britain. And political issues may also be a factor. So far the earlkest sailor suits we have found look to be from the 1870s. We suspect there appeared eralier, but we do not yet have examples from the 1860s. We note a very young family although mother does not look thatv young. There are three childrem who look to be an infant up to perhaps 5 years old. The two older boys are wearing sailor suits complele with caps. The example here looks to date to about 1890 (figure 1). We suspect that after World War I that the sailor suit may have had an English look to it in the pubkic mind. It thus may not have been very popular in the new Irish Free State. And at the time, the sailor suit was declining in popularity in Ireland itself.

Origin

Sailor suits were an English creation commonly worn by English boys. And Irish fashions basiclly followed Ebngklish styles.

Popularity

Although Irish fashions commonly followed English fashions, we do not yet have information on the popularity of sailor suits in Ireland. We have not found mny images of Irish boys wearing sailor suits, but Ireland is a very small country. Thus the small photographic record may simply reflect the smll population. We do see a few portraits of Irish boys wearing sailor suits in the 19th century. The suits we see look just like the ones worn in England. The styles and prevalence, however, is difficult to assess because our Irish archive is limited. And political issues may also be a factor.

Social Class

We do note Irish boys wearing sailor suits in the photograpic record. We suspect that the fashion was limited to middle- and upper-class families and was concentrated in the cities. This of corse meant the children of the Anglo-Irish Protestant Accendancy. English control over Cstholic Ireland, mean that the Cstholic majority was disenfrachised and landless. The photographic record is thus misleading because the Cstholic majority could for the miost part not afford a portait even after albumen photography substantially reduced the cost. The children of the rural Catholic peasantry rarely had portraits taken. Their parents could not affotrd it, especially in the 19th century. Fashionable clothing required families wityh income to aford it. All of this is suggested by the few images we have archived, but the number of images are too small to provide a reliable sample. We have only a small numbrr of 19th century portraits. And many rural and low-income families could not afford to have portraits taken. We do have some 19th century photographs of the rural peasantry. They are not studio portraits, but genre-type photogrsphs of village life. And we have not found examples of any of these children wearing sailor suits.

Demographics

Ireland was much less urbanized and industrialized than England and we suspect that sailor suits were less common in Ireland and Britain.

Chronology

We have a very limited chronology of Irish sailor suits. So far the earlest sailor suits we have found look to be from the 1870s. We suspect there appeared eralier, but we do not yet have examples from the 1860s. We note a very young family although mother does not look thatv young. There are three childrem who look to be an infant up to perhaps 5 years old. The two older boys are wearing sailor suits complele with caps. The example here looks to date to about 1890 (figure 1). We suspect that after World War I that the sailor suit may have had an English look to it in the pubkic mind. It thus may not have been very popular in the new Irish Free State. And at the time, the sailor suit was declining in popularity in Ireland itself.