NMM launches Sailor Chic exhibition

A special exhibition called Sailor Chic celebrating the enduring influence of nautical styles on fashion is on display this week at The National Maritime Museum. As a maritime nation, naval and nautical styles have played an important part in British identity for over 150 years. The image of the sailor has variably been used to suggest obedience, order, bravery and loyalty but also free-spiritedness, independence and rebellion. For these reasons sailor styles have been adopted, imitated and reinvented by various groups designers and the fashion-conscious.

The popularity of nautical styles in mainstream fashion can be traced back to the Royal Family in the mid-19th century. More specifically it began with Queen Victoria, who commissioned a sailor suit in 1846 for her young son, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, to wear on the Royal Yacht. This inspired a trend that soon permeated the wardrobes of affluent families and stylish boutiques in Britain and abroad. Over the following years its influence continued to re-emerge in art and advertising and on the stage, cinema screen, catwalk and High Street and can still be seen in clothing stores and high-end fashion collections today from H&M to Martin Margiela and Vivienne Westwood.

Sailor Chic displays a selection of important pieces from the Museum's rich uniform collections alongside key objects from fashion collections and archives across the UK and Europe. It will explore themes such as patriotism and empire, subversion and rebellion and gender and sexuality. It will also consider the impact of other forms of popular culture - stage, screen and music - on the work of high-end designers and High Street fashion. The exhibition runs until December.