Sailor's Hornpipe

The Sailor's Hornpipe is a highland dance that mimics the actions of a sailor at sea.  The dance includes movements like hauling in the ropes, climbing the ships rigging, looking out at sea, swabbing the deck and hoisting the sails.  The hornpipe is danced in a sailor's uniform (either white or navy blue). It was named the hornpipe because it was originally danced to hornpipes rather than bagpipes.

Here's our American Girl version of the outfit worn for the Sailor's Hornpipe.  Our dancer wears a white hornpipe outfit made from gabardine.  The outfit has a top with a a v-front neckline and attached collar. Under her top she wears a white dickie with a black ribbon trim, and a black ribbon tied in a bow is attached to the front of the top.  The sleeves extend to the dancer's wrists and the top rests at her hips. The pants are made from the same white gabardine material and have an elastic waist and bell-bottoms. The hornpipe hat is a circular white sailor's cap with a blue band. Our doll's outfit is completed with a pair of white socks and her black dance ghillies.

The collar was the most difficult part of this outfit to make. The navy blue collar is a double thick collar with white stripes. Three stripes are regulation for a competing dancer's outfit, but our doll models a collar with two stripes due to the petite size of this outfit.

I love the detail of the collar; it's my favorite part of this outfit!