Vintage American Sailor Suit (1920s)


Figure 1.-- This is a vintage boy's one-piece short pants sailor suit. It is a cotton, white suit with light-blue trim on collar, sleeves, pocket and belt. We believe it dates to the 1920s. Click on the image for a back view.

This is a vintage boy's one-piece short pants sailor suit. It is a cotton, white suit with light-blue trim on collar, sleeves, pocket and belt. There are pearl buttons down front and also has drop down pants at back. Neck to end of pants 22.5", shoulder to shoulder 11". Chest is 30", waist is 28". I'm not sure about the age. We are somewhat confused about the sizes indicated. Available size information suggest waist sizes of 28" would be for a boy of 14. This suit was clearly for a younger boy. We would guess it would be for a boy about 6 years old, certainly no older than 10 years. We do not understand the size disscrepancy. One factor may be tht this was a one-piece suit without a tight waist fit. It is always possible also that the waist was not measured accurately or if sizing methods varied over time. The seller dated it to the 1910s, but HBC believes that the 1920s is morke likely. The outfit could have been worn as a play suit, but the white color suggests it was worn for more dressy occassions.








HBC






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Created: September 7, 2002
Last updated: June 27, 2003