Sailor suit
(c. 1903)
- Medium
- cotton, plastic (buttons)
- Measurements
- (a) 38.0 cm (centre back) 16.0 cm (sleeve length) (blouse)
(b) 33.0 cm (outer leg) 43.0 cm (waist, flat) (trousers) - Place/s of Execution
- (England)
- Accession Number
- D200.a-b-1974
- Department
- International Fashion and Textiles
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
The Schofield Collection. Purchased with the assistance of a special grant from the Government of Victoria, 1974 - Gallery location
- Not on display
- About this work
-
Most children’s clothes in the Victorian era mirrored the fashionable styles worn by their parents. The sailor suit, however, came into fashion as a more informal and practical style for children in the late 1840s after Queen Victoria dressed her young son in a ‘pretend’ uniform while on board the Royal Yacht. By the 1880s the nautical look was firmly established as a craze, affirmed by royal tastes, and adopted by both genders and across classes.
- Physical description
- Little boy’s sailor suit, navy cotton, cuffs of blue and white stripes. (a) Blue cotton blouse with slight gathers at bottom edge, button fastening centre front. Raised round neck. Blue and white striped attached bands at sleeves and squared ‘sailor’ collar attached centre back of striped fabric extending into silk ribbon ties. Machine and hand-stitching. Five mother-of-pearl buttons and hook and eye at bottom edge. (b) Blue cotton trousers with wide waistband gathered by cream cotton tape. Striped lower leg bands attached and gathered lower legs.