The growth in cheaper printing also made it possible for more of these images and stories of daring sea battles to be distributed.
Artists such as Thomas Rowlandson often painted his sailors in very similar clothes, so while there was no uniform prescribed at this stage, in the public mind at least sailors were easily recognisable. Mostly his sailors are dressed in a blue jacket with red striped or beige trousers, with a scarf or handkerchief around their necks.
Other Rowlandson images such as this one of an old sailor still show similar clothing. Though he wears the older style red knitted hat.
https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/5/collection/810613/a-sailors-will
This image shows a sailor wearing an item of clothing that was synonymous with the Royal Navy Slops or a Skilt. Basically, a very large baggy pair of shorts either worn on its own or over trousers or breeches to protect them. These items of clothing were one of the first items of PPE.
These items were mass produced and purchased by sailors from the ships slops.
Interestingly Issac Cruickshank sailors were dressed almost identically to Rowalandsons sailors as can be seen here.
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O587198/the-sailor-and-the-quack-print-cruikshank-isaac/
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O587197/making-a-sailor-an-odd-print-cruikshank-isaac/
This similar imagery could be down to the artists copying each other as this appears to be commonplace with images often described as in the style of or following …..
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