WARNING THIS IS TOTALLY A JOKE NONE OF THIS IS REAL. READ MOD NOTE HERE

I'm sure most people are aware of the concept of press gangs, but for those that aren't I'll briefly explain. The Royal Navy would often send a detail of 6-10 men ashore with the assigned task of collecting as many able bodied men and boys as young as six years old for the ships company using whatever means necessary. Coercion and incitement of adventure and a large share of prize money were used for the most part to get new recruits, but getting men drunk and bringing them aboard passed out, or outright kidnapping boys wandering alone were not unheard of either.

For awhile, the Royal Navy turned a blind eye to this issue as they felt it was a necessary evil in order to ensure they had sufficient manpower to man their fleets, especially in times of war. Families often weren't aware their loved ones were gone until the next day and by that time, the ship had left port. Neither the pressed sailors family nor he could really do anything about it aside from deserting at the first port of call (and this was a very common occurrence, and thus a vicious cycle).

Families in Cornwall and other coastal areas, who came from a rich tradition of sailing and manning the majority of the Royal Navy's ships for many years, were wise to the risk press gangs posed on their loved ones. Press Gangs only sought to actively press men and boys who were not currently members of another RN Ship or in the service of his or her majesty (so soldiers, marines, etc). This was followed strictly by press gangs as impressment of current members of another ships company would be detrimental in that officers would be constantly poaching the resources of each other or other branches of the military, effectively causing manpower issues that were easily avoidable.

So in order to prevent one's child from being taken by a press gang, families began to dress their children at a young age in sailor outfits, especially during the wars of the French Revolution, as the Royal Navy began a massive recruitment drive in order to man their ever increasing navy. Soon, press gangs were at a crossroads when confronted with the fact that most children in port cities would be dressed in sailors garb when rumors flowed that the press gangs were about and there was no real way of telling if the child was already in another ships company aside from checking muster rolls. Soon this was no longer an issue as the First Sea Lord, Sir George Cockburn, ordered that press gangs no longer press any man under the age of 15. At that point though, the fashion stuck, and soon families would dress their children in sailors garb during family events and when Fleet Weeks were occurring. This continued to be a tradition primarily in England but also in the Northeastern United States until around the first world war, where the fashion began to decline.

Now you're probably thinking, well why didn't the men do this. Simple reason, men if suspected of impersonating an officer or sailor in the royal navy without actually being one, could be jailed or even hanged for the offense, though typically the punishment was just being pressed into the navy's service anyways.

Sources:

The Effects of the Battle of Sluys upon the Administration of English Naval Impressment by J.S. Kepler, Speculum Vol. 48, No. 1 (Jan., 1973), pp. 70-77

Subjects vs. Citizens: Impressment and Identity in the Anglo-American Atlantic by Denver Brunsman Journal of the Early Republic, Vol. 30, No. 4 (Winter 2010), pp. 557-586

The Royal Navy since 1815 : a new short history by Eric Grove

Tars : the men who made Britain rule the waves by Tim Clayton