Figure 1.--This Americam boy in a photograph taken in the 1910s wears a plain styled sailor suit with full-cut kneepants. |
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American boys continued to wear sailor suits during the Edwardian period, following the turn of the century. The sailor suit was probably the most popular style for boys in the 1900s and only slightly less so in the 1910s. Many boys wore sailor tunics rather than actual sailor suits. Many American boys wore sailor suits in the early-20th century. They seem most common for younger primary-age boys. Many catalogs offered sailor suits and sailot blouses from about 2 to 8/10 years of age. At the turn of the century a new style appeared for younger boys, the tunic or blouse suit suit. These suits came in many styles, but the sailor style was one of the most popular. The classic suits with sailor blouses blouses and pants (long pants and knee pants) were also available. Detailing varied a good dea, but the style had become very standard. American boys commonly wore sailor suits in both the 1900s and 1910s, although I think that they were somewhat more common in the 1900s. There were many sifferent styles in the 1900s as there had been in the 1890s. By the 1910s we note a trend toward more traditional styling, that is styles based on the actual uniforms worn by American sailors. Boys tended to wear knee pants sailoir syits, but they were also made with long pants. The white or light-colored sailor suits became increasingly popular after the turn of the century. I am not positive about this, but I believe some silor suits began to appear in colors besides blue
during this period.
Many American boys wore sailor suits in the early-20th century. They seem most common for younger primary-age boys. Many catalogs offered sailor suits and sailot blouses from about 2 to 8/10 years of age. We do not see teenagers wearing them. We note a Best sailor blouse for boys in sizes 2 1/2 to 8 years of age. We note Sears sailor suits in 1902 offered a wide range of styles. They were for boys 3-10 years of age. We note pre-school and school-age boys wearing sailor suits in this general age range during the 1900s abd 10s. The photographic record is very extensive so we have a very good idea as to the popularity among age groups. The photographs generally confirm the catalog offerings. A good exmple of a younger boy is Japper Barnes about 1910. Younger boys might wear sailor styled tunics while older boys wore middy blouses with matching pants. After about 1910 and especially after World War I (1914-18), the sailor suit was seen as a style for a younger boy. The age of boys wearing sailor suits started to decline, especially in the 1910s. They were still commonly worn by primary-age boys to school and for dres-up occasions.
We see a range of sailor styles in the early-20th century. By this we mean the style of the top. There were different types of pants, but almost all of the styling was done on the top. We note variouly styled separate sailor blouses as well as a range of sailor suits. We see some of the styles worn in the late-19th century. There were not as many different styles of sailor suits as in the late-19th century. At that time catalogs had whole apges, sometimes two or more pages, with different styles of sailor suits. There were differences in the detailing and fabric. Selectiins in the early-20th century was much more limited. Even so, the sailor suit was still a popular style for boys. And of course many girls wore sailor-styled dresses. We also notice some new styles. Th most impprtant was sailor styled tunics. At the turn of the century a new style appeared for younger boys, the tunic or blouse suit suit. These suits came in many styles, but the sailor style was one of the most popular. The classic suits with sailor blouses blouses and pants (long pants and knee pants) were also available. Detailing varied a good dea, but the style had become very standard.
Kneepants were still commonly worn at the turn of the 20th century. Gradually knee pants began to be replaced with knickers and to a lesser extent shortpants. For most of the Edwardian era, however, most sailor suits were still most commonly worn with knee pants during the Edeadian era. At the turn of the century, long stockings were commonly worn, even during the summer. The stockings were held up with stocking supporters worn around the waist or over the shoulders. Three-quarter and kneesocks gradually increased in popularity, especially during the summer. During the winter, however, long stockings still predominated.
American boys commonly wore sailor suits in both the 1900s and 1910s, although I think that they were somewhat more common in the 1900s. There were many sifferent styles in the 1900s as there had been in the 1890s. By the 1910s we note a trend toward more traditional styling, that is styles based on the actual uniforms worn by American sailors. Boys tended to wear knee pants sailoir syits, but they were also made with long pants. We are not yet sure how pants type varried during the two decades. The Navy was much in the news during this period. The Navy played a major role in the Spanish American War (1898-99) and Theodore Roosevelt when he became president (1901) he gave considerable emphasis to the Great White Fleet. World War I broke out during the 1910s. The War began in 1914, but America did not enter the War until 1917. I'm not yet sure how this affected the popularity of sailor suits.
The white or light-colored sailor suits became increasingly popular after the turn of the century. I am not positive about this, but I believe some silor suits began to appear in colors besides blue
during this period.
We note considerable variety with the headwear worn with sailor suits. We see both sailor and non-sailor styles. Wide-brimmed sailor hats continued to be worn for dress occasions in the early-20th century, but mostly by younger boys. The wide-brimmed hats ywere particularly popular in the late-19th century, worn with formal outfits like Little Lord Fauntleroy suits as well as sailor suits. Wide brimmed sailor hats were still popular in the 1900s. We see them worn with Fauntleroy suiys in the very early-1900s , but Fauntleroy suits were going out of style. we also see thewide-brimmed hats worn with sailor suits. Especially by the 1910s, boys were more commonly wearing less formal caps with their sailor suits, especially by school age. The wide brimmed sailor hats that were worn in the 1910s were often worn tuned down or up, a verydestinctive 1910s style. Caps were much more commonly worn being worn. We note both sailor caps and non-sailor styles. Unlike the wide-brimmed hats, sailor caps were only with actual sailor suits. Non sailor caps include both peakred ronded-croen caps and flat cap. With silor suits the peaked caps seem the most popular even though flat caps were becoming ubiquitous in the 1910s.
American boys wore a wide variety of hair styles with sailor suits in the Edwardian era. Most boys wore short hair styles with sailor suits. Many of them had worn long hair as younger boys, often with dresses or kilt suits. By the time that had graduated to more mature sailor suits, they had short hair. Not all boys had short hair. The fashion of long hair, often ringlet curls, began to decline in popularity after the turn of the 20th century, but it was still fairly widespread in the 1900s. Curls were increasingly a style for boys from aflluent families. Never very popular with boys, as fewer boys wore long hair, ringlet curls became even more unpopular. Curls for boys declined in popularity substantially in the 1910s, and for the most part diappeared except for very young children in the 1920s.
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