Scottish Boys' Clothes: Personal Experiences in the 1950s and 60s--Gabardine Raincoats

The standard outer garment for school children in the 1950s was the "regulation" double-breasted and belted gabardine raincoat. In my part of the world it was normally referred to as a "Burberry" although they were by no means necessarily made by the famous company of that name. I possessed and wore a gabardine most of the time I was at school and if there was one item of my school wear that I did not like this was it. My Mother, however, seemed to believe that I was not properly dressed for school without it and would insist on me wearing it even on days when the weather seemed to me reasonably mild.

The Gabardine Coat

The standard outer garment for school children in the 1950s was the "regulation" double-breasted and belted gabardine raincoat. In my part of the world it was normally referred to as a "Burberry" although they were by no means necessarily made by the famous company of that name. I suppose the commercial name simply became incorporated into the language in the same way as "hoover" or "biro". Just about every kid in the country must have had one of these coats. The vast majority were, like mine, navy blue but they did come in other colours and the girls' version came with a detachable hood. They usually had a check or "tartan" lining and some had a removable cold weather liner in them so that they were used not just as a raincoat but as a general winter coat.

My Coats and Mum

I possessed and wore a gabardine most of the time I was at school and if there was one item of my school wear that I did not like this was it. I suppose there were times during the winter or in particularly wet weather that I may have been grateful for its protection but in general terms I would do everything I could to avoid having to wear it. I suspect that all boys don't really mind what they wear as long as it is similar to their peers and I was no exception. If it was raining or during the colder winter weather I had no objection to wearing my gabardine but once the weather improved and I was one of only a few so attired. I was always fighting, and ultimately losing, battles with my Mother over this issue.

The Shabby Blazer

I recall one particular period of strife over the matter when I was about 12 and just before leaving primary school. My mother decided that my blazer had become too shabby for me be moving to Secondary School after the summer it until then. However, although this would be about enough for shirt sleeves and she decided that I should day over my shirt and pullover for travel to and from school. I am to be a reasonable and practical solution to the problem and she song and dance I made at this suggestion. It cut little ice with her I just had to "lump" it and comply.

Other Opinions

I am not sure whether my aversion to this garment was shared by my contemporaries but I suspect that it may have been by some. However, in one of the few conversations I can recall having on the subject of clothes with a schoolmate, I asked one of the few other boys who seemed to wear one as regularly as I did if he had the same conflict with his mother as I had with mine. To my surprise he claimed that he wore his out of choice. He said that he liked to wear it with the collar turned up so he could play at being a private detective! We would be about 8 or 9 years old at this time and I often wondered if, when he outgrew this fantasy, his attitude changed at all. Around this age, too, when playing outside we would sometimes wear them draped over our shoulders with our arms free. The top button would be fastened round the neck like a cape and we were transformed in to miniature "Superman".

My Last Gabardine

My last school gabardine was purchased for me when I was about 15. I really did not want another coat of this kind and tried to convince my Mother that something a bit more grown up or fashionable was preferable but she was adamant. In her view, a top coat to be worn to school meant a navy gabardine and that is what I would have. I recall the visit to the outfitters with my mother to buy this coat quite clearly. The lady assistant, obviously noting my lack of enthusiasm for the purchase, confided to my mother that she had a son about the same age as me who shared my feelings on the matter. The two of them agreed that our attitude was hard to fathom as "they are lovely coats, so smart and practical". Yeuch! As with its predecessors, I disliked it intensely and would not wear it if I could avoid doing so. This coat lasted me until I left school and I even had to wear it on the odd occasion for a year or two afterwards.

Background Information

HBC readers may be interested in additional information about gabardine raincoats. For a period in the middle decades of the 20th century, the gaberdine school raincoat formed a distinctive part of British schoolboy clothing. It was of woollen or cotton gaberdine, a close twill-weave fabric with a smooth finish. The raincoat was frequently worn not only for school, but also as general boy-swear. Interestingly, the gaberdine raincoat is the one major element of British school uniform (other than black leather lace-up shoes) which is not derived from some form of sportswear--not surprisingly since topcoats are not typically worn for games!






Christopher Wagner




Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main account page]
[Return to the Main Scottish page]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Bibliographies] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Saellite sites]
[Boys' Clothing Home]



Created: December 19, 2001
Last updated: December 19, 2001