Women's (more usually girl's) dress with a sailor collar
A sailor suit dress is a traditional English civilian clothing piece that follows the styling of the British Royal Navy's sailor suit (which also originated in england), particularly the bodice and collar treatment. A sailor-collared blouse is called a middy blouse ("middy" derives from "midshipman").[1] In early 20th-century America, sailor dresses were very popularly known as Peter Thomson dresses after the former naval tailor credited with creating the style.[2]
Peter Thomson dress
Peter Thomson (sometimes spelled Thompson)[3] had tailoring establishments in New York and Philadelphia in around 1900.[4] His original sailor dresses and suits, for both women and children (including young boys), are represented in several American museum collections including the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute,[5] and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.[6] The 'Peter Thomson dress' was made from cotton or linen for summer wear, or wool in winter.[7] It was promoted as an ideal costume or uniform for female students and schoolchildren, and was popular with those trying to establish a "standardized style" of clothing.[8][9] By 1919, the Peter Thomson dress was regarded as a valid option for school uniforms, and was described as synonymous with "good taste for girls of 14-18 years old for many years."[9] Peter Thomson styling was also applied to the bodices of early bathing costumes.[10]
Dresses with sailor styling were known before the Peter Thomson design took hold. In Sweden in 1887, a sailor dress with natural waist and pleated skirt was among the designs promoted by the dress reform movement as appropriate for young girls.[11]
Late 20th century and early 21st century
Although sailor styling is sometimes seen on women's dresses, since the mid-20th century it is mainly associated with dresses for babies and small children.[12] During the late 20th century sailor styling became associated with maternity dresses, which has led to some negativity towards sailor styles for womenswear and the general idea of a woman dressing 'like a child'.[13] The maternity clothing designer Liz Lange declared "She shouldn't have to dress like a child just because she's having a child; it's one thing to put a toddler in a sailor suit but it's another thing completely to condemn a grown woman to such a fate."[14]
^Brooks Picken, Mary (1923). Textiles and sewing materials: Textiles, laces, embroideries and findings, shopping hints, mending, household sewing, trade and sewing terms. International textbook company. p. 250. A kind of dress worn by young girls, the waist of which is made in exact imitation of a sailor's blouse. This style of dress derives its name from its creator, Peter Thomson, who was a tailor in the navy...
^Mrs. Mathews (January 1916). "Neglected Fraternity Opportunities". The Anchora of Delta Gamma. Delta Gamma Fraternity. p. 168. (originally printed in The Alpha Phi Quarterly
^Przybyszewski, Linda (2014). "Much for Little". The Lost Art of Dress The Women Who Once Made America Stylish. New York: Basic Books. p. 1944. ISBN9780465080472.