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Sailor suit styles and conventions varied from country to country. There were, however, limits on national styling because all sailor uniforms and children sailor outfits are based on the uniform style set by the British Royal Navy. As a result different styles could be elborated around the margins, but not the basic style. Thus we see most such outfits with V-fronts and back flaps and with stripes as the principal decorative device. This was true for both boys and girls. The only major dofference was thebottoms, pants for boys and skirts for girls. There were greater variations in other garments, especially the dresses that the girls wore. While we have looked into variationjs in country trends that has been primarily for the boys. We need to look at countrty trends for the girls' sailor outfits as well. HGS knows little about how girls sailor outfits varied from country to country at this time styles. We are not yet sure about the late 19th century. We know that sailor suits began as a boys' style in Britain (1840s). We have Queen Victoria to thank for this. We see children includiung girls wearing sailor styles throughout Europe and America by the 1870s, but mostly by well to do fashionsnle families. We see more girls wearing sailor dresses suits and dresses with sailor elements (1880s). It is later that we see sailor outfits becoming standard garments in most countries (1890s). They seem especially popular in America, England, France, Germany, Italy, and curiously Japan. We are, however, just beginning our country assessments. By the turn-of-the 20th century, the sailor suit was no longer seen as primarily a boys syle. It had become an acceotable style for girls. And as the new century progressed, in some countrues we see more girls wearing sailor styles than boys, especially school-age girls. This seems especially pronounced in America. One interesting dynamic is that boy's rejected wearing girls',styles. While many girls were open to boys' sdtyles. This is part of the dynamic here. Girls wanted in on the fun of wearing sailor styles. This dynamic became very important in the 20th century. Another factor was that the sailor outfits were an expression of nationalism and patriotice feeling. Ironcically it is fascinating that so many children werewearing similar styles to express natiioanlist, patriotic feeling.
America of course picked up the style from England. Dress styles were strongly influenced by France, but this was a girl's dress style from England. By the turn-of-the 20th century, the sailor suit was no longer seen as primarily a boys' syle. It had become an acceptable style for girls. And asc the new centuryn progressed, in some countrues we see more girls wearing sailor styles than boys, especially school age girls. This seems especially pronounced in America. As few schools had unifiorms in America, it was up to mparents to choose schoolwaer with in put from the children. Thuis we see some sailor dresses in the dresses abnd blouses Amerucan girls wore tio school, reflectuing the general popuarity of school styles. Three important dynamics were involved here. First the influenmce of English styles on fashion. Second, the appealm of boys' styles. Third, the sailor suit was anexpression of patriotic feeling at a time that America was enmerging on the world scene as a major power.
We know that sailor suits began as a boys' style in Britain (1840s). We have Queen Victoria to thank for this. We first see non-oyal children includiung girls wearing sailor in Britain and it became an established style (1870s). At first it was mostly by well to do fashionsnle families. Gradually it became a popular middle-class style. We see more girls wearing full sailor dresses suits and dresses with sailor elements (1880s). It is later that we see sailor outfits becoming standard garments (1890s). A factor limiting popularity in England was the importance of school uniforms. Sailor styles were not adopted as school unifirms in privatev schools. This is wearunifiormks werev worn At it was thesevschools that adopted school uniforms and set the standards and styles for school uniforms when state schools began to adopt uniforms. Even before this many parents began to choose uniform style garments. And this was before for schoolwear even if the school did not have a uniform. This this mitigated agains sailor dresss and blouses at state schools, but did not precklude them. Of ciourse while private schools set school uniorm style the vast majority of children went to state schools. Nationalism was involved here, even though a single navy, the British Royal Navy, set the standard for the style. The sailor suit was part of an expewssion og patriotic feeling. It is a reason that boys' liked it and the girls were also caught up in this feeling.
The sailor garments became populoar at the same time Germany united and enerrged on the internatiional scene as a world power. The sailor styles were enormously popular with the middle- and upper-classes as an expression of nationalism and patriotic feeling. Motice what wev beliece isn an Austrian example here (figure 1). (Austria was poart of the German cultural world.) It is curious that a country rising to challenge British hegemony would adopt the same fashion style for its children as the enemy that it was challenging.
Few Japanese girls wore Western styles in the 19th century. There was one exceoption, we see some Japnese school girks wearing sailor dresses. With was the first vpopuklar Western style for girls. It was as in Germany in part a a nationalist, patriotic style. At about the same time, both Germany and Japan began buulding modern navies. The very British-styled sailor dress was chosen despite it woud bve te Brutush Riyakl navy that Japan woulod have to challenge.
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