Boy’s sailor suit jacket
This boy’s sailor outfit consists of a pair of trousers and a tunic with a sailor collar. The collar is trimmed with navy blue and an anchor has been embroidered on to the arm. The trousers have a front fall, which means that they have a section that folds down like the men’s breeches and sailor’s ‘slops’ of the earlier nineteenth century.
An outfit based on a midshipman’s uniform or sailor suit became very popular for children’s wear from the mid nineteenth century after Queen Victoria commissioned a portrait of her four year old son Bertie, HRH Prince Albert Edward (the future Edward VII) from the artist Franz Winterhalter in 1846. Bertie is dressed in a white sailor suit for his portrait. Sailor suits were also made with pleated skirts for girls. The white drill outfits were popular summer wear. There were many versions of the sailor suit available and they remained popular for children into the 1920s.
An outfit based on a midshipman’s uniform or sailor suit became very popular for children’s wear from the mid nineteenth century after Queen Victoria commissioned a portrait of her four year old son Bertie, HRH Prince Albert Edward (the future Edward VII) from the artist Franz Winterhalter in 1846. Bertie is dressed in a white sailor suit for his portrait. Sailor suits were also made with pleated skirts for girls. The white drill outfits were popular summer wear. There were many versions of the sailor suit available and they remained popular for children into the 1920s.
Object Summary
- Accession Loan No.
- 71/1961/8/1/1
- Category
- Decorative Art
- Collection Class
- Clothing and accessories
- Material
- drill
- Common Name
- boy’s sailor suit jacket
- Simple Name
- jacket
- Period Classification
- Victorian (1837-1901)
- Production Date
- c 1880
- Production Year Low
- 1880
- Production Year High
- 1900
