Sailor Suit - Origins and History

Origins and History

In the Royal Navy, the sailor suit or naval rig is known as Number One uniform and is worn by Able Rates and Leading Hands. It is primarily ceremonial, although it dates from the old working rigs of Royal Navy sailors which has changed continuously since its first introduction in 1857.

The blue jean collar is perhaps the most recognisable item of the sailor suit, and tradition says that it dates from the times when seamen wore tarred pigtails. This is in fact false, as the collar was not part of uniform until after pigtails disappeared. The three stripes have nothing to do with Nelson's three victories but was simply standardised to three when uniform was regulated. It is often considered lucky to touch a sailor's collar.

The bell bottomed trousers were designed so that they could be rolled up easily when scrubbing the decks. Ratings used to have either five or seven horizontal creases and this did not represent the seven seas or five oceans but depended on the length of the sailor's leg.

The lanyard was originally used to fire the cannon on board ship. Later, a sailor would carry his knife with it.

In the United States, the first standard uniform was issued in 1817. Through government procurement, winter and summer uniforms were provided. White duck jacket, trousers and vest made up the summer uniform, while the winter uniform consisted of a blue jacket and trousers, red vest with yellow buttons and a black hat.

Sailor suits were also worn by sailors in the Royal Canadian Navy and disappeared in when the Canadian Forces was established and uniforms were standardized for the unified forces. Post ranks below officers wear baseball caps as their headgear.