Living History Personas
1770's Sailor
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Sailors of the mid to late 18th century had a very specific set of clothing that was adapted for a seafaring life.
The Short Jacket
was a sleeved waistcoat that stopped at or a little below the waist for easy movement.
It was worn before the Revolution by sailors and laborers, and remained in common use through the early 19th century.
The sailor’s slops or trousers were specifically designed for greater movement and for protection. Most of the time,
these pants were worn over standard knee breeches to protect the breeches from getting dirty. Underneath these items, the standard checked workshirt was popular.
Sailors wore many types of hats, but knitted caps were some of the most popular. Long cotton stockings and shoes completed the sailor’s wardrobe kit. *
*This information is only intended to serve as a general recommendation.
If you belong to a reenacting group or work for a historic site,
we strongly recommend you check with your group first before purchasing this outfit.
HAT
Pictured Left: MC-216 Monmouth Cap.
Alternatives: WC-923 Work Cap,
also H-2401 Fur-Felt,
HL-913 Heavy Wool-Felt,
or HL-902 Standard Wool-Felt Hat Blanks with brims trimmed to 2-3” to form a round hat,
or any of our Tricorn Hats worn forward or backward.
SHIRT
Pictured Right: CK-124 Blue-Checked Workshirt.
Alternatives: RS-124 Red-Checked Cotton Workshirt,
SH-124 Cotton Workshirt,
LH-124 Linen Workshirt,
or our OH-124 Cotton Osnaburg Workshirt.
NECKWEAR
SC-369 Black Silk Cravat.
Alternatives: Any of the Cravats or Neck Stocks
we offer will work, though we would recommend you avoid the
RS-373 Ruffled Neck Stock for this persona.
WAISTCOAT
Pictured Left: WJ-155 Woolen Short Jacket.
SLOPS
DT-107 Cotton Canvas Sailor Slops.
Alternative: Fall-Front Breeches in any fabric option.
STOCKINGS
SP-754 Cotton Stockings of any color.
Alternatives: Any Cotton or Wool Stocking.
SHOES
Pictured Right: CS-925 Men's 18th Century Buckle Shoes.
BUCKLES
SB-929 Shoe Buckles.
Alternatives: Any of our men’s shoe buckles,
or the tabs on our Straight-Last Shoes can be folded back or trimmed, then punched with two holes on each side for lacing.