Anchors Away!
There is nothing like the timeless “sailor suit” made popular by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales in 1846. A the age of four, he was given a miniature copy of the of the uniform worn by the crew on the Royal Yacht.
His wearing of the “sailor suit” delighted his mother, Queen Victoria, and the public alike, and so it did not take long for this outfit to become “the thing” to be worn by all children. Obviously, little girls wore a version of this in a dress as females would never have worn a pair of trousers!
This fashion reminds me of John Masefield’s poem, Sea Fever…..
Just as the sea goes on and on and on, this fashion has lasted and been enjoyed by all since Prince Edward (later to become Edward VII) made it popular. The Victorian age gave us so much – some things we have left behind as they are rather old fashioned and some, like this darling sailor outfit, we continue to enjoy.
Somehow, when I see a child dressed in a sailor type outfit I feel that “all is well with the world” – the tradition lives on and looks just as exquisite today as it did in the mid-nineteenth century. There is something very crisp and sharp and timeless about it – something rather wonderful!
Our family was fortunate enough to have a joyous gathering a few weeks ago at which we took many, many photographs. We set the stage for one such photograph session by asking the little girls to wear a “nautical type” dress and the rest of us to wear navy, khaki, cream or white ……
….what we came away with is, to us, a photograph that will transcend time in the years to come – so full of love and joy!
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Jackie,
Would have loved to have seen the photo! My father being a Navy man, I always liked the sailor’s uniforms and officer’s too. The uniform is iconic and always delightful to see children dressed in a “sailor’s suit.”
Jackie, share that lovely photo with this post!!! Loved it.
I loved putting my little boys in sailor suits:) Its too cute!
Ah, what a story! And to think this little guy lived during the sinking of The Titanic — the end of the most arrogant “Edwardian Era”! But the old sailor outfit lives on, as does the memory of The Titanic. It was an era filled with class separation.
Ah, how our modern times fit the world we live in! Thank goodness that cute little outfit lives on. I was never fortunate nor cute enough to wear one!!
That surprises me, Dick, that you did not wear one. You certainly were and are cute enough! Maybe we need to find one for you now!?