Figure 1.--This cabinet card portrait shows two unidentified brothers wearing very similar striped sailoe suits which look to be done in different colors. The stripes were probably blue, but there were other colors. Note the embroidered anchor on the older boy's dickie, probably dine in the same color as the stripes. These were summer suits, but the boys wear them with long stockings. The portrait was taken by Smith in Syracuse, New York. The portrait is undated, but the outfits and mount style look like the late-1890s or very early-1900s.

We notice some American sailor suits done as patterns. This was motly stripes. The ones we notice are summer suits. From a distance they look like light-colored suits. They seem to be white suits with thin colored stripes. Blue stripes were the most common, but they were not the only stripe color. This can not be determined from the photographic record, but we can find color information in the mail-order catalogs that had become very popular by the 1890s. These stripe suits were very popular for summerwear in the 1890s. There were other patterns, but none were nearly as common as the stripe suits. The stripes were done on both the blouse and pants. The 'V' sailor collar was often not striped, but a solid color for contrast. The dickey also was not done in the striped material. We notice the striped suits worn without the scarves. We are not sure if this was very common.

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Created: 2:42 AM 10/15/2011
Last updated: 2:43 AM 10/15/2011