Spanish Royalty: Clothing for Alfonso XIII's Children


Figure 1.--As in other European countries, sailor suits were commonly worn by the Spanish princes. As far as I can see they were always short pants sailor suits. This is Prince Alfonso and Jaime in 1916.

We have no written information on the clothing worn by the children. Available images show that the boys when they were younger wore a variety of short pants outfits. Some appear to be simple jumpers and shorts. Other outfits appear to be button-on suits with blouses and shorts. White socks were normally worm with shorts. At a slightly older age they began wearing long pants sailor suits with wide-brimmed sailior hats. As older boys they wore knicker suits and Eton collars.

Boys' Clothes

Dresses

The boys probably wore dresses as infants, but appear to have been breached at avery young age.

Headwear

The boys commonly wore wide-brimmed sailor hats when they were younger and with their sailor suits. We have noticed the children wearing both regular wide-brimed hats and hats with turned down brims. They seem to always wear the more formal hats rather than caps commonly worn by the princes in other country's who commonly worn the same headwear won by sailors in the navy. The Spanish pronces seem to have worn children's hats rather than the hats and caps worn by Spanish sailors.

Blouses

As younger boys they wore white blouses. It is hard to make out the details in the available images. Some of the blouses appear to be open necked with large collars.

Short pants outfits

We have no written information on the clothing worn by the children. Available images show that the boys when they were younger wore a variety of short pants outfits. Some appear to be simple jumpers and shorts. Other outfits appear to be button-on suits with blouses and shorts. White socks were normally worn with shorts.

Sailor suits

At a slightly older age they began wearing long pants sailor suits with wide-brimmed sailor hats. They wore both blue and white suits and also blue blouses with white pants. The mixed suits were always worn with long white pants. The suits were worn with short scarves with a ring holder. In some photographs they are not wearing dickies. Available images suggest they wore sailor suits through about age 12-13 years. Photographs with other members of the Spanish royal family also commonly wore sailor suits and some of the younger boys did wear short opants asilor suits.

Knicker suits

As older boys they wore knicker suits and kneesocks with Eton collars.

Hosiery

The children all appear to wear shite socks of various lengths, including kneesocks.

Girls' Clothes

The girls appear to have worn extensive head gear out of doors. I think the fashion at the time was to avoid getting any kind of tan


Figure 2.--Queen Ena appars to have liked dressing the children in identical outfits. In many photographs the boys of similar age are dressed identically, often in pairs. Simalarly the girls of comparable age are dressed alike.

Identical Styles

Queen Ena appars to have liked dressing the children in identical outfits. In many photographs the boys of similar age are dressed identically, often in pairs. The youngervand older siblings do tend to war different outfits, unlike the German princes at about yhis time who might all be dressed alike. Simalarly the girls of comparable age are dressed alike.






Christopher Wagner








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Created: June 29, 2001
Last updated: November 27, 2002