Figure 1.--Two German brothers in this photograph taken about 1925 are playing in matching short pants sailor suits. Note the short socks and strap shoes. |
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The garments associated with the sailor suits worn by German boys in the inter-war year were fairly standard. The major items were the middy blouses and pants. Headwear especially caps was also worn by many boys. German boys commonly wore wide-brimmed sailor hats with streamers and more casual caps with their sailor suits before World War I. After the War, the wide-brimmed sailor hats were rarely seen. Caps were worn with sailor suits, but they were much less common than before the war. Boys in sailor suits often appeared with out matching caps in the 1920s and especially the 1930s. This was not common before Word War I. German boys tended to wear traditionally styled middy blouses, both blue and white ones. They normally had the traditional three stripes. Interestingly, the middy blouses were often worn with matching pants or white blouses with blue pants. It was, however, unusualy to see boys wearing blue middy blouses and white pants.English boys wore sailor suits with both long and short pants. In
Germany boys in sailor suits wore long pants much less commonly. Even
older boys wearing sailor suits, commonly wore them with short pants. The short pants in the early 1920s were quite long, rather like kneepants. The shorts gradually became shorter and by the 1930s could be quite short. Sailor suits with kneepants were commonly worn with long stockings.
Sailor hats were no longer commonly worn in the inter-war years, but sailor caps were still worn. Younger German boys commonly wore wide-brimmed sailor hats with streamers before World War I. After the War, the wide-brimmed sailor hats were rarely seen even with the younger boys. Older boys wore caps before the War, but after the War boys wearing sailor suits virtually all wore caps. There were several different styles of sailor caps. Some were soft while others had stiff sides. We notice both white and dark caps. They normally had back stramers of various lengths. Many had tallies with the names of ships. While caps were worn with sailor suits, they were much less common than before the war. Boys in sailor suits often appeared with out matching caps in the 1920s and especially the 1930s. This was not common before Word War I.
German boys tended to wear traditionally styled middy blouses, both blue and white ones. They normally had the traditional three stripes. Interestingly, the middy blouses were often worn with matching pants or white blouses with blue pants. It was, however, unusualy to see boys wearing blue middy blouses and white pants.
English boys wore sailor suits with both long and short pants. In
Germany boys in sailor suits wore long pants much less commonly. Even
older boys wearing sailor suits, commonly wore them with short pants. The short pants in the early 1920s were quite long, rather like kneepants. The shorts gradually became shorter and by the 1930s could be quite short. Sailor suits with kneepants were commonly worn with long stockings.
As shorts became more popular, boys began wearing them with kneesocks and short socks. Gradually the kneesocks became most common, especially with older boys. Kneesocks were mostly solid colors.German boys wore sailor suits with different kinds of socks, short and knee-length white and blue socks. Knee socks became more commin in the late 1920s and 1930s. During the winter, younger boys wore long over the knee stockings.
Heavy boot-like shoes were still common in the early 1920s. Boys by the 1930s were more commonly wearing oxfords. I'm not sure hiw common sandals were. Some boys wore strap shoes, both for play and dress occasions. I'm not sure about the color of the strap shoes, some appear to have been red. Stap shoes were usually worn with white socks.
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