Stern Brothers Sailor Suits and Reefer Jackets (1890)


Figure 1.-- Here we see three suits. The suit on the right (No. 104) looks to be a standard winter-weight sailor suit worn with a sailor cap.

We Note the Stern Brothers offering two styles of dark sailor suits. As this was the Winter catalog there were no light-weight whire suits. The sailor suits here look to be heavy-weight suits, probably in a fabric like serge. Both suits are kneepants suits. We also notice what looks like a reefer jacket.

Stern Brothers

The Catalog here is from Stern Brothers, No. 66, 1890 Fall & Winter 1891, Fashion Catalog. The Stern Brothers Department Store in New York was founded by the sons of German Jewish immigrants that began selling dry goods in Buffalo, New York. From these humble beginnings the Stern Brothers became an important merchandising family in New York City. The entire family worked in this store, which carried both luxury goods and merchandize for the working classes. It was an elegant store noted for its fashionable clothes. This enterprise was distinguished by its elegant door men in top hats and by the generous and friendly service of the Sterns themselves. It eventually was taken over by Federated Stores and the various Stern stores were converted into Bloomingdakes and Macey stores.

Sailor Suits

The sailor suit is one of the most suceesful boys styles of all time. It was one of those rare coincidences of an outfit which both boys amd mothers liked. The style was conceived in England, but proved popular in America and coincided with the emergence iof America on the world scene as it was building a powerful navy. Paradoxically, the sailor suit continued popular in the anti-war environment of the post-World War I era and mothers continued willingness to dress small boys in the sailor suit. As sailor styles became increasingly popular with girls, fewer boys wanted to wear them.

Sailor Suit

We Note the Stern Brothers offering two styles of dark sailor suits. As this was the Winter catalog there were no light-weight whire suits. The sailor suits here look to be heavy-weight suits, probably in a fabric like serge. Both suits are kneepants suits. We also notice what looks like a reefer jacket.

No. 104

The suit on the right here (No. 104) looks to be a standard winter-weight sailor suit (figure 1). The suit is worn with a sailor saucer-style cap based on the uniform of the U,S. Navy at the time. The suit looks to have a plain dickey and a vest (waistcoat). There is a jacket rather than a middy blouse. The jacket is work fasented under the scarfe and the buttons are left undone. Like the other suits for boys, it is made with kneepants.






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Created: 6:18 AM 10/5/2004
Last updated: 6:18 AM 10/5/2004