Nautical Fashion
Nautical fashion is perhaps the most timeless aesthetic in childrenswear. Loved by adults for its fresh, polished look, this clothing style is also practical enough to accompany kids during playtime.
A Brief History
The origin of sailor clothing for children dates back in 1846, when Edward, Prince of Wales and son of Queen Victoria, during a royal cruise off the Channel Islands, wore a miniature version of the Royal Navy sailors’ uniform. Partly thanks to a portrait painted by Winterhalter, the image of the four-year-old prince spread widely and helped establish the sailor suit as a staple of childrenswear, particularly among the European elite.
At first, the style was praised for the way it conveyed an orderly and polite image of childhood, reflecting the values of aristocracy and the emerging middle class.
The sailor-collar dress, with its dropped waist and pleated skirt, became a genuine fashion trend in the United States, during the early twentieth century, thanks to former naval tailor Peter Thomson, who promoted it as an appropriate style for girls, embodying practicality and good taste.
This dress quickly spread as a school uniform and is still worn in several countries around the world today.
Another piece of this style is the marinière, the blue-and-white striped shirt that was the French sailors’ uniform. It was Coco Chanel who introduced it into the world of fashion, where it has since become a timeless wardrobe staple.
Throughout the twentieth century, aided by artists and film stars, nautical fashion also found its way into adult wardrobes, becoming synonymous with the relaxed elegance associated with seaside holidays.
The style underwent a further transformation in the 1980s, when Jean Paul Gaultier made it one of the defining features of his collections and the marinière shirt became a provocative and ironic fashion statement.
Today, classic nautical fashion—with its large square collars and its strict blue-and-white palette—is rarely seen in adult fashion collections, where only its more refined references and the timeless striped shirt have endured.
In childrenswear, however, it continues to reappear season after season with enduring success. Its versatility allows it to be interpreted in a more traditional way, with the classic sailor blouse and navy jackets with gold buttons for formal occasions, but also in a more contemporary style, through playful prints on T-shirts or even subtle references such as a simple horizontally striped sweater.
Key Elements
Colours
White and navy blue, complemented by touches of red, are the defining colours of classic nautical fashion.
To create different variations, designers can also experiment with shades such as bright blue, yellow or pale blue for softer newborn collections.
Staple pieces
There are just a few essential pieces to define the nautical style; we've already mentioned a few:
- The striped T-shirt — usually featuring either a boat neckline or a round neck — is a simple and versatile garment that can be incorporated into both traditional and more contemporary collections, where it adds a nautical touch when paired with clean-cut garments.
- The sailor-collar dress, with its dropped waist and pleated skirt, is a true classic. In boyswear, sailor blouses or shirts with sailor collars are traditionally paired with shorts.
- The navy blazer with gold buttons, another iconic piece associated with this style, is particularly suitable for more traditional and formal collections.
- The look can be accessorised with child-sized sailor or captain hats.
Graphic Motifs
To clearly pinpoint this style — even without features such as the sailor collar, which may feel too traditional in certain contexts — alternating white and navy blue (or another colour) horizontal stripes are essential.
Alongside horizontal stripes, decorative motifs that draw on the imagery of the nautical universe are often employed: anchors, lifebuoys, ship’s wheels, ropes and knots, boats, signal flags, and more. The decorative motifs are often embroidered, and the style is simple and linear.
For a more contemporary nautical fashion interpretation, you can experiment a little more with both the motifs and the aesthetic of the prints and embroidery.
Although it is most strongly associated with summer and seaside holidays, nautical fashion includes many elements that can easily be incorporated into everyday wear as well as winter outfits. In this case the colour palette can shift towards more muted shades and garments include turtle neck sweaters and warm and comfortable trousers.
In conclusion, nautical style is undoubtedly very traditional, yet it includes elements that lend themselves to reinterpretation and can be incorporated into a wide variety of collections.
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Are you designing a childrenswear collection and looking for the perfect inspiration to combine tradition with a contemporary touch?
Nautical style is a timeless classic, and for that very reason it can sometimes be challenging to reinterpret it in a modern way.
To help you with this process, I have created a guide that explores the defining features of nautical style and offers plenty of creative inspiration for designing nautical-inspired garments that are distinctive and aligned with your brand identity.
