Figure 1.--This American boy about 1905 wears a sailor cap with his sailor suit. Notice the cap bow. The boy's suit looks very plain, but notice the embroidery. |
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American boys wore a variety of sailor headwear. We notice various styles of hats and caps. Sailor hats were more commonly worn by younger boys. Hats were also more common for girls. It is of course sailor-styled headwear that is most associated with sailor suits. In real life, however boys, did not always wear sailor hats with their sailor suits. Headwear often did not come with the suits. This left mothers various options. They could buy and coordinate sailor headwear, they could buy headwear they liked better, or they could save money and have their sons wear headwear they already had. As a result, boys contrary to preconceptions did not always wear sailor headwear with their sailor suits. We in fact see a range of different headwear. But of course matching sailor headwear was often chosen to go with sailor suits. Some suits came with matching headwear, but the headwear was often purchased separately.
The sailor suit developed as a major syle for boys in the late-19th century. It developed first in Britain and then spread to America. British styles were very influential in America, but sailor suits and caps became a standard for children throughout the Western world. There was sailor headwear worn with the suits. We note a variety of sailor-style headwear. There were both sailor caps and sailor hats. The hats were popular in the 19th century, but we mostly see caps in the 20th century. The most common headwear for younger boys in the late-19th century was the wide-brimmed sailor hat. While the wide-brimmed sailor hat may have originated in England and appeared later in America, it was very popular in the 1880s-1900s.
While boys are almost always depicted wearing sailor headwear with sailor suits, in real life boys this was not always the case. Boys did not always wear sailor headwear with their sailor suits. Headwear often did not come with the suits. This left mothers various options. They could buy and coordinate sailor headwear, they could buy headwear they liked better, or they could savecmoney and have their sons wear headwear they already had. As a result, boys contrary to preconceptions did not always wear sailor headwear with their sailor suits. We in fact see a range of different headwear, both boaters and different kinds of caps.
Several decorative items are associated with sailor headwear. The most common are: chin straps, tallies, and streamers. They are used with other headwear, but are perhaps most strongly associated with sailor headwear, both caps and hats. We have some information on sailor cap chinstraps.
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