"Flap?...., Flap!...."

The young landlubber asks, "Why do you have such a large flap upon your shirt?"

The Old Salt retorts, "Flap?...., Flap!...., don't be so pert, ya little squirt"

"Since ya be a lubber,

I'll tell ya about flap and the Sailors collar!"

"Flap!"
"An Angel flaps its delicate little wings to fly in the heavens above,"
"From there, a Sailor will be watched over, protected and loved!"

"Flap!"

"That's what yer blubbering lip does when ya leave the comforts of yer mothers skirt!"
"That's what yer soft little hand does when it gets hurt!"

"Flap!"

"That's what yer feet do as ya run off

as ships sail to sea!"
"That's what ya fall when you need to pee!"

"That Collar!"

"That collar shields the Sailor from the cold as he sails upon the sea!"
"That collar, shields him from the rains, ice, and gales that be!"

"When the blanket covers yer delicate little face, and ya sleep, all safe like a babe may."
"That collar protects and keeps the Sailor warm as he sails into harms way!"

"Now do ya see?

That collar is no flap to me!
Nor to the men who dare go to sea!"

LS

Does the Sailors jumper have a

Collar or a Flap?

Contemplate this,

If the flap on your trousers have 13 buttons, where would your head be if you had a flap around your head and neck?

Terminology is important for the sake of clarity.

LS

Sailor Uniform Lore & Myths

  There are many false truths when talking about the Sailors uniform.  Time and time again these myths are perpetuated by old and young Sailors alike.  Many of these Sailors have unwittingly discovered information, be it from word of mouth or even written, that is derived from sources that were unverified thru period etchings, daguerreotypes, or historic documentation.

  Over many years of research I have compiled here information that has been verified thru historic documentation or period paintings, etchings and photography. 

  Here is where you will be provided the truth about US Navy uniforms, facts that cannot be repudiated, not hearsay from some repeated fable based upon the many inaccurate articles, books and stories.

   I hope to to dispel some of the false history that has been repeated for too many years.  Even that Old Salty Chief may have been unwittingly passing on lore that he received thru unsubstantiated hearsay-history.

  Starting from the hat and working down to the shoes we'll look into some uniform facts.

The Sailors Hat
  The “White Sennit Hat” is woven from braided sennit that is made from natural fiber.  Then the braided cord is made into a fabric.  Sennit  can also be braided from grass, palm or straw.

  The "Black Hat" can be made of canvas, leather, or sennit that has been japanned or a white sennit hat covered with a japanned canvas cover.  Japanning the hat was used to create a water proofing for inclement weather.

  Either made of sennit, leather or tarpaulin the Sailors hat of this period would have had a distinctive style.  A low crown and a tally or ribbon that gives it a maritime appearance.

Crown height 3.15 – 3.75inches. 

Brim diameter 12-13inches.

  Other nautical covers in history include the Flat Hat that came into use between the years 1852-1963.  Often associated with Donald Duck who wore the flat hat.  The Flat hat was introduced as a uniform hat in the 1850's.  It was similar to the officers flat cap of the same period, but the enlisted flat cap was wider and had no brim to help distinguish it from such.

  The naval flat hat had a low crown and no bill to possibly help accommodate its storage.

  The White Canvas “Dixie Cup” Hat  emerged in 1886.

  Since its introduction as a working cap, it has been made of differing colors.  Thru the years blue, grey and white dixie cups were seen upon the heads of Sailors of the US Navy.  This style of canvas working hat slowly changed over a few decades.  By adding more and more stitching to keep the brim stiff , the hat brim has stood up more and more until it stands erect as we see in todays Dixie Cup.

The Collar
  The Sailors collar is quite distinctive because of its great size.

Passing through several generations of Sailors, the only thing that is greater in size than the collar is the myth about it's purpose.

  This uniform design feature has been debated for many years, but there are indisputable  facts, and period daguerreotypes available as visual evidence of the truth.

  When one looks into history about the Sailors collar, the "tar flap" lore is the most profound false truths readily found. 

  The "tar flap" lore is absolute rubbish.  It is not nor has it ever been a flap used to protect the wearers shirt from "tarred hair". 
  When Sailor's tarred and or bound their hair it was a time when the blouse collar was small.   By the 1800's, Captains of US ships were requiring their Sailors to keep short hair to reduce the spread of lice, fleas and other pests.  In 1841, Navy  Uniform Regulations specified hair "is to be kept short".

  Since the blouse collar was relatively short prior to then, an elongated collar for protecting the blouse from hair tar is a myth, plain and simple.

  The facts are simple and quite obvious.  Sailors are a working class, continually exposed to weather, and as such they tend to wear a large collar to protect themselves from the elements and, at times, they wore their blouse collar open to dissipate heat.

  Although the collar was large compared with civilian fashion trends, Sailors were not subject to changing fashion trends since they were underway and away from home for such long periods.

  During the 1820's and 30's, Sailors tended to wear a large collar as it was the mens fashion trend of the period, but, as a sign of distinction, some Sailors tended to wear a collar an inch or two larger than landlubbers .

  Many daguerreotypes show this large collar similar to that of 1970's Elvis Presley (maybe he secretly wanted to be a Sailor).    In those pictures, all Sailors are wearing their hair much too short to have a tarred ponytail.

  It wasn't until the 1850's that Sailors began to elongate their collar to what we're familiar with today.  You can see it in the many photos of Civil War Sailors. 

  On long voyages the Sailors would decorate their large collars with nautical motifs and the white piping.  These anchor and star motifs would further identify them as Sailors, proud of their trade.

The Black Silk Neckerchief

  The neckerchief is used as a means to close the collar and at times, was used to absorb perspiration.
  This black silk neckerchief had its practicality.  The silk allowed for fast drying, thus had a cooling effect from evaporating water and sweat, but it also keeps the wearer warm in cold weather and it was used to close the collar.  The color black hides dirt, grime and even stray tar rubbed of the rigging from the wearers working hands.
  The silk neckerchief, rolled up under the large decorated collar and tied in a square knot, has become a symbol of the maritime man of navies around the world.

Sailors Lanyard

  Almost all Sailors used a lanyard draped around their neck to keep their knife in their breast pocket.  Without a means to attach a knife to themselves it may have been lost overboard or even worse, when working in the rigging above, it could be dropped into an unsuspecting shipmate below.
  In today's navy, it's a bosuns pipe carried at the end of the lanyard which is draped about the Boatswains mates neck.

Roundabout Jacket

  This is a close fitting short jacket worn by men during the late 18th and thru 19th century.  As a double breasted jacket, the Sailors roundabout had two rows of  brass buttons.  Normally worn unbuttoned and open, this jacket would have had two exterior welted pockets and maybe an inside pocket or two.

  The term "Monkey Jacket" comes from the dress of the pet monkey of the organ grinder street musicians, and not because Sailors climbed and scampered in the rigging of tallships like monkeys. 

  The term "monkey jacket"  coming from the mouth of a landlubber just might be considered an insult to any Sailor, past or present.  

Bell Bottom Trousers
  The wide legs of the trousers originated in the early 1800's, i.e., around 1817 out of practicality. 

  When laying out the trouser pattern on a bolt of serge-clothe that was 54-60 inches wide, the trousers would be laid out the length of the bolt. Doing so is the simplest and most economical way to cut out a pair of trousers with minimal waste.  One leg of the pattern would be cut out of one piece of cloth, folded over and stitched to create each leg.  That's why we have one leg, one seam.  Each leg would be stitched to the other creating the waist.  

  Adjustments to differing waste sizes would be made to fit the wearer.  The waist could be tailored narrower but each leg would retain the large straight diameter, not belled as we see in the future bell bottoms.

The added small fall or later broad fall front was provide as an access for the wearers comfort.  The trousers front fall would usually be held by 2-15 buttons.  The trousers are also known to use a button fly opening for frontal access.

  The white canvas trousers would also follow the same pattern as the worsted wool blue trousers.

  Every day the wooden deck would be "holy-stoned" and washed by the crew.  The wide and straight legged trousers would be pulled up over the sailors thighs and given additional rolls near the knee to prevent them from falling to their feet.

  Since most Sailors didn't or couldn't swim, there is no evidence that they were designed as a flotation device or as an easy way to disrobe if the wearer fell into the sea.  It appears, from the imagination and ingenuity of sailors, mother of invention devised a way to assist the Sailor who created a floatation device out of them during the many ship sinkings of WWI and WWII.

Thirteen Buttons
  Thirteen colonies...  not true.

  The only thing the 13 buttons represent are the number of buttons used to close the broad fall trousers. 

  History has shown that the trouser fall has used anywhere between 5-15 buttons decided by the wearer or tailor.
  The small fall pantaloons of the late 1700's to the trousers of the early 1800's used as few as 2 buttons to as many as 7 to hold up the fall, with 5 buttons often found.
  By the 1830's the broad fall trousers were using 7-11 buttons to secure the front and fall with instances of as many as 15 buttons.
  In 1883 the US Navy set the standard of 11 buttons, then in 1893 it was increased to 13 buttons and remains today as US Navy tradition for the broadfall bell bottom trousers.

Shoes
First thing is "Sailors wore shoes".

  The shoe protects the feet not only during the cold but also on hot wooden decks.  They're also worn in the rigging where the heel can help prevent slippage when aloft. 

  There were instances when shoes were not required to be worn as directed by the Ships Captain.  And there were times when shoes were not practical apparel, ie. when the feet were to be inundated with water as the case of  scrubbing the deck with holy-stones or paying the devil. 

  The Purser would buy clothing items for voyages that included;  hats, shirts, neckerchiefs, trousers, buttons, jackets, stockings and shoes or boots.

Below is an example of slop clothing put to bid proposals that was posted in 1837.

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