Figure 1.--This English boy looks to be about 5 years old. He was probably photographed in the mid or late 1920s. He wears a standard double breasted short pants suit as an oloder boy might wear. He wears it, however, with some jivenile touches, a blose with a Peter Pan collar, white anklets, and strap Mary Jane shoes./i> |
Many of the clothing styles we think of concerning English boys' clothes were worn during this period, roughly between the two wars (1918-39). The clothes worn by English boys were strongly influenced by social class and age. Wealthy boys were raised at home, with the aid of nannies and governesses. They were often dressed in very juveiles clothes like smocks, rompers, and kilts. Even sailor suits had in England become primarily at outfit worn by very young boys. (Sailor suits were, however, still worn by some older boys in Germany and other continental countries.) Strap shoes were common. Previously younger boys were dressed in Fauntleroy suits, but this generally had gone out of style in the early 1920s, except for special occasions. Once a boy from an affluent family reached about 8 years, he was packed off to a private boarding school. At that point he was generally dressed in cap, blazer, tie, shorts, and knee socks. Any boy arriving at school in more juvenile looking clothes would be teased by the other boys. Thus the age of 8 years was a major diving point in boys' clothing styles. English boys of more modest circumstance would be more likely to wear shorts and knee socks ar an earlier age and would be lesslikely to wear smocks and rompers, although some romper suits were available for very young boys.
The clothes worn by English boys were strongly influenced by social class and age. Wealthy boys were raised at home, with the aid of nannies and governesses. Younger boys no longer wore dresses, except when very young. They were often dressed in very juveiles clothes like smocks, rompers, and kilts.
There were major changes in boys' garments following Workld War I. Some of the garments commonly worn by English boys during this period included:
Many English boys before World War I wore sailor hats and caps. This was especially true of biys from the upper class and confortable middle-class. After the War, sailor headwear becomes much less common. Most boys wear eother flatcaps or peaked school caps. In the 1930s, the peaked school cap greadually replaces the flat caps.
English boys did not wear smocks tomschool like French boys. Boys from wealthy families, howrver, might wear smocks at home before beginning boarding school at age 8.
Romers were another style worn by boys from wealthy families before beginning school.
English boys no longer commonly wore kilts.
Even sailor suits had in England become primarily at outfit worn by very young boys. (Sailor suits were, however, still worn by some older boys in Germany and other continental countries.)
Most British boys wore short pants which they called short trousers in the inter-war years. They were worn for dress, school, and play. Conventions varied from family to family as to the ages boys wore shorts. Many boys got their first pair of long trousers at about 13 or 14 years of age. Some boys wore shorts longer. Many boys wore short until they finished school. Boys from wealthy families might begin wearing wear long trousers at an earlier age. Short pants replaced kneepants in the 1920s, but were generally quite long throughout the interwar period. Flannel was a popular material as was corduroy.
Most boys in the inter-war era wore kneesocks. Which were called turn-over-top socks. We note few images of boys wearing long pver the knee stockings. The images we have noted show boys wearing the turn-over-top socks and not the kneesocks which came to the knee without the cuff. Some boys in the summer with ankle socks or tennis shoes or sandals without socks. Few boys went barefoot. The kneesocks were normally grey with a patterened turn over top. Plain grey kneesocks were less common. We have seen an image of a bioy wearing red kneesocks, but do not believe that this was very common. Boys wearing school uniforms to private school wore grey kneesocks. After World War II, grey kneesocks with school color bands were common, I'm not sure how common this convention was in the inter-war era. Argyle kneesocks were also not common, but might be worn with kilts. Argyle kneesocks were also worn with knickers called plus-fours, but this was more common with adults than boys. Younger boys from affluent families might wear white socks with sandals or strap shoes (figure 1).
Strap shoes and closed-toe sandals were common in the inter war yeras. Strap shoes were worn by younger boys, both for play and for dress. Sandals were widely worn for play and schools by boys into their younger teens.
Although England was one of the wealthiest countries in the world, substantial numbers of the the urban working class still lived in poverty. Many homes in working class neighborhoods did not even have indoors toilets. After World War I in the 1920s there was some improvement, but this varied regionally. Many areas industrial cities such as Liverpool declined because of the loss of large contracts such as naval building. Aftern WorldWar I there was a demand for cuts in military spoending. After 1929, British workers were affected by the growing world Depression.
Britain was a major industrial nation, but many areas of the country remained unttouched by industry with largely agricultural ecnomies. The conditions of the urban working-class has been given considerable attention in English history and literature. Much less known is the conditions in rural areas and small towns. Here we do not have much information yet, but are interested in learning more about conditions for children in rural areas.
Styles continued to be set by the upper class. Previously younger boys were dressed in Fauntleroy suits, but this generally had gone out of style in the early 1920s, except for special occasions. Once a boy from an affluent family reached about 8 years, he was packed off to a private boarding school. At that point he was generally dressed in cap, blazer, tie, shorts, and knee socks. Any boy arriving at school in more juvenile looking clothes would be teased by the other boys. Thus the age of 8 years was a major diving point in boys' clothing styles. English boys of more modest circumstance would be more likely to wear shorts and knee socks ar an earlier age and would be less likely to wear smocks and rompers, although some romper suits were available for very young boys.
Some other interesting web sites have information on English boys
clothing:
English boys clothing:
The 1930s-90s
School Uniform Web Site: Informative review of British school uniforms with some excellent photographs
British prep schools: Prep school uniforms in the 1980s
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
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