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Prince's sailor suit sparked 'early' fashion trend

Leeds City Council A woman wearing glasses and a floral dress holds up a children's white sailor suit top. It has navy blue trimmings, a v-neck and a bow tied across the chest.Leeds City Council
Gemma Brown, of Leeds Discovery Centre, with one of the Victorian sailor suits

A collection of diminutive sailor suits dating back to the Victorian era is to go on show.

The nautical fashion trend became popular in 1846 after Queen Victoria had a child’s sailor uniform made on board the royal yacht for her son Albert Edward, Prince of Wales.

The Leeds Discovery Centre is to showcase the outfits as part of an exploration of tailors from the city and their influence on "style and manufacturing over the centuries".

Natalie Raw, a curator at Leeds Museums and Galleries, said sailor suits were a "fascinating early example" of how a distinctive outfit worn by a public figure "can spark a popular and enduring trend".

Leeds City Council A Victorian, sepia photograph showing three young children wearing fashions from the era, including sailor suits.Leeds City Council
An event at Leeds Discovery Centre will also include Victorian pictures

The collection includes a range of blue and white outfits, dresses and bell-bottom trousers, which became popular for children from wealthy families during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, is said to have been so enamoured by the suit she had made for their son that he commissioned a painting of the Prince of Wales wearing it. This in turn sparked a trend among wealthy families for dressing their young boys in similar attire.

By the late 1800s, sailor suits had become more mainstream, a spokesperson for Leeds Museums and Galleries said.

Leeds City Council A woman wearing glasses and a floral dress examines a children's sailor suit within a museum storage area. The suit has blue and white pin-stripes, medium-blue trimmings and a blue tie.Leeds City Council
Children's sailor suits became popular after Queen Victoria had one made for her eldest son, Prince Albert Edward, in 1846
Leeds City Council A woman wearing glasses and a floral dress examines a gold-coloured shirtLeeds City Council
The event celebrates tailors from Leeds

Tailors such as John Barrans, of Leeds, began specialising in making children’s clothes, with the company becoming affectionately known as the "little boys tailor".

Councillor Salma Arif, the executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture at Leeds City Council, said it was "fascinating to see examples of outfits made here in the city, which have played their part in creating historic trends and styles".

"Our collections give visitors the opportunity to learn more about the city’s unique story and to be inspired by the creativity of those who lived here in the past and helped make modern Leeds what it is today," she added.

Leeds City Council A woman wearing glasses and a floral dress holds up a children's navy blue sailor suit top.Leeds City Council
By the late 1800s, sailor suits became more mainstream

A workshop will be held at Leeds Discovery Centre on 31 July, between 10:00 and 12:00. The collection will also be part of a wider exhibition of children’s clothing taking place at Lotherton Hall, Aberford, in March next year.

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