Figure 1.--This boy wears a dressy knee pants sailor suit. The post card image is unidentified, but we think the boy is Belgian. The portrait was probably taken about 1930. The long stockings here were worn for formality and not warmth. |
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The sailor suit was the most utilitarian of garments. It was one of the most widely worn garments for boys and was popular for about a century. It was worn for just about every conceiveable purpose. Boys in the 19th century did not have large wardrobes so the sailor suit was worn for both everyday war and dressing up. There may have been one suit for best wear and and as that began to show a little wear it was used for everday wear. The dress up sailor suits were thus styled like and made in the same material everyday suits. There were some exceotions. We see some suits done in luxurous fabrics like velvet. These would have been only worn voir best. Dressy sailor suyits would have been worn to church and to parties. Boys also wore sailor suits for everday wear. And after the turn-of-the 20th century, wash play suits became available. The difference would have been the material and styling. They were in expensive sailor suits made for everyday wear for play. The sailor suit was commonly worn to school. This varies by country abnd chronologically. This was particulzrly common in Europe. A sailor suit school unuform was not common, but individual boys wearing sailor suits to school was very common. We note European boys wearing boys wearing dressy sailor suits special in the early 20th century for dressy sailor suits. Even in the 20 century, the tradituinal sailor suit was such a versital garment that it could be worn for special. occassions, school, or everday wear.
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