German Sailor Suits Gender Trends: Chronology--The 1900s


Figure 1--These unidentified German siblings look to be about 6-8 years old. They wear double-breasted sailor suit jackets and white dickies. For some reason, the caps are different. The cabinet card is undated, by we would guess was taken about 1905. The studio was Fritz Keiner in Tuttlingen / Spaichingen.

We notice both German boys and girls commonly wearing sailor suits in the 1900s. In fact we find more of these portraits with all the children wearing coordinated sailor suits in Germany than in any other country during the early 20th century. We have found numerous examples in the photigraphic record. Boys and gurls wire identical blouses and jacket tops as well as headdwear. We note the increasing popularity of traditional styles. We notice many boys wearing traditional white middy blouses with blue collars. Girls wore the sailor suits with skirts rather than pants. he photographic record suggesrts that they were very widely worn. As far as we can tell, this was the same middy blouse worn by boys. They were commonly worn by sisters and in some cases all of the children in the family. We not only notice individual portraits, but fmily portraits with the boys and girls wearing identicl sailor tops, This varried from family to family.The white middy blouses were worn during the summer. There were also dark middy blouses, but the photographic record suggests thst they were not quite as popular. We see fewer girls wearing them. We note girls of all ages wearing these middy blouses. Most of the portrait show the style ised to outfit the whole family was the basic blouse with a range if variaions, We also see sailor jackets like the ones the children here are wearing (figure 1). The jackets were less common for outfitting the whole family, but we do see examples.

Popularity

We notice both German boys and girls commonly wearing sailor suits in the 1900s. In fact we find more of these portraits with all the children wearing coordinated sailor suits in Germany than in any other country during the early 20th century. We have found numerous examples in the photigraphic record.

Outfits

Boys and girls wore identical or coordinated blouses and jacket tops as well as headdwear. In many cases the outfits are identical, clearly purchsed at the same time. In other cases we see small differences, perhaps meaning the outfits were purchased at different times and we notice small differences

Styles

We note the increasing popularity of traditional styles, meaning styles adopting the styling of actual naval uniforms.

Garments

Several dfifferent garments were involved in these marching or coordinted sailor outfits. We notice matching headwea, both hats and caps, but the caps were by far the most common. Not all the portraots pictured the headwear, but a mumber did. We notice many boys wearing traditional white middy blouses with blue collars. As far as we can tell, this was the same middy blouse worn by boys. Here there were several different options. with the boys and girls wearing identicl sailor tops, This varried from family to family. The white middy blouses were worn during the summer. There were also dark middy blouses, but the photographic record suggests thst they were not quite as popular. We see fewer girls wearing them. We note girls of all ages wearing these middy blouses. Most of the portrait show the style ised to outfit the whole family was the basic blouse with a range if variaions, We also see sailor jackets like the ones the children here are wearing (figure 1). The jackets were less common for outfitting the whole family, but we do see examples. Some children wore sailor jackets. And we notice outerwear like peacoats. Boys wore pants, either kne onts or long pnts. Girls wore their sailor suits with skirts rather than pants. The girls always wore skirts. Girls at the time did not wear pnts. While not part of the actual sailor suit, the chuldren commonly wire the same hosiery and footwear.

Ages

These sailor outfits were commonly worn by broyjers sisters and in some cases all of the children in the family up to a certain age. Here there was a gender differebce. Boys for the most part stopped wearing sailor suits after their earlyvteens wuth relatively few excepotions. Girls on the other habd might wear sailor syuts throughout theirvteeens. It was somewhat less common for the older girls to wear sailor suits, but we see quiteca few examples. We not only notice individual portraits, but afmily portraits







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Created: 4:59 AM 3/7/2013
Last updated: 4:59 AM 3/7/2013