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The British call gym uniforms Physical Education (PE) kits. Americans may recall the phrase "kit bag" in the song "Pack of your troubles in your old kit bag," here referring to a duffle bag for an army uniform. An English reader tells us, "At all the schools I attended the pe kit was white t shirt, white nylon shorts, no underwear in the junior schools then at senior school we had to wear an athletic supporter for pe and football and a cricket jock and a box for cricket. All sports were followed by showers. I enjoyed pe and cricket but wasn't keen on football, as we were coverd in mud and sometimes played in the rain." Other reader report different practices, especially in their primary (junior) schools. Often boys in primary schools just wore their ordinary school shorts. A reader has provided us an account of gym in his primary school. Anoter reader tells us about his school PE kits in the 1950s ahd 60s. Many schools had regulation black plimsols (tennis shoes) for gym. There were also a range of sports or games uniforms. These varied depending on the particular sport. The major sports played in England are cricket, football (soccer, hockey, and rugby. Cricket uniforms were destinctive because they were white. Hockey uniforms varied. Rugby uniforms are more colorful. Many other sports are played, but this varied from school to school.
The British call gym uniforms Physical Education (PE) kits. Americans may recall the phrase "kit bag" in the song "Pack of your troubles in your old kit bag," here referring to a duffle bag for an army uniform.
Other reader report different practices, especially in their primary (junior) schools. Often boys in primary schools just wore their ordinary school shorts. A reader has provided us an account of gym in his primary school. We noticed that at prep schools that the children changed into PE uniforms. There were, however, many exceptions. Some schools without sports fields or changing rooms would have the boys do PE in their school uniforms, perhaps chanhing into trainers/plimsols. We see boys doing PE still wearing their ties. At other schools there seems to have been times when the boys did not chsnge depending on the schhedule. This often occurred when their was not a full afternoon for games. And some times the particular acrivity affected if they changed. They would always chsnge for Rigby, but sometimes not for cricket.
There were also a range of sports or games uniforms. These varied depending on the particular sport. The major sports played in England are cricket, football (soccer, hockey, and rugby. Cricket uniforms were destinctive because they were white. Hockey uniforms varied. Rugby uniforms are more colorful. Many other sports are played, but this varied from school to school.
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