Figure 1.--Here we see a liile Germn boy in a sailor suit. The CDV portrait is undated. We would guess that that the portrait was taken in the 1890s. We do know that the portrait was taken in Dresden. His sailor suit has a button up blouse that was worn open, but looks to have a tab holding the two sides in blace. He wears a kind of vest dickey. Dickeys were made primarily to show just in the center of a sailor "V"-collar. With these sailor blouses worn open, a kind of vest was needed rather than a normal dickey. The garment is not exactly a vest either as it is not done as a "V" front but rather circles the neck like a standard dickey.

This dickey was similar to a vest. In fact we are not sure if it was called a dickey at the time. It was made to be worn with sailor blouses or jackets that were worn open. Many early sailor blouses buttoned up the front or had ornamental front buttons. These were designed to be worn somewhat like a Fauntleroy suit so as to show off a garment worn under the blouse or jacket. These vest-like garments for sailor suits common had an embroidered nautical device. They were commonly worn as a suit abnd made in the same material as the blouse/jacket and pants. It differed from a vest as it was not done with a "V" front, but had a crculasr form around the neck, similar to a dickey. Here we see a liile Germn boy in a sailor suit (figure 1). The CDV portrait is undated. We would guess that that the portrait was taken in the 1890s. We do know that the portrait was taken in Dresden. His sailor suit has a button up blouse that was worn open, but looks to have a tab holding the two sides in blace. He wears a kind of vest dickey. Dickeys were made primarily to show just in the center of a sailor "V"-collar. With these sailor blouses worn open, a kind of vest was needed rather than a normal dickey. The garment is not exactly a vest either as it is not done as a "V" front but rather circles the neck like a standard dickey. In this case mother seems to have added a white coolar which may be a detachable collar.

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Created: 4:14 AM 6/16/2005
Last updated: 4:14 AM 6/16/2005