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The modern styles of school uniform generally appeared in the 20th century, mostly after World War I. Trends varied substantially among countries. England was by far the most important country. After the War Eton collars and knickers gave way to soft collars, blazers, and short pants. Until after World War II, however, school uniforms were primarily worn at English private schools. Educational authorities varied on the value of school uniforms. Countries varied greatly as to their approach. American boys rarely wore school uniforms, with the exception of private schools and parochial schools. This general objection to school uniform, however, began to change in the late 1980s. English private schools insisted on uniforms and after World War II this also became common in state schools. French and Italian boys never commonly wore uiforms, but did commonly wear smocks, although this began to decline in the 1960s.
School uniform trends have varied substantially among countries over time. American boys rarely wore school uniforms, with the exception of private schools and parochial schools. This general objection to school uniform, however, began to change in the late 1980s. English private schools insisted on uniforms and after World War II this also became common in state schools. French and Itlaian boys never commonly wore uniforms, but did commonly wear smocks.
Schoolwear in the 1910s was similar to the 1900s, but there were some changes. Uniforms were still not very common and were mostly worn at private schools. We till see boys wearing a variety of caps, esoecially sailor caps. Youngr boys might wear wide-brimmed sailor hats. Children continued to wear smocks in several countries. We see boys in Europe beginning the shift fom knee pants to short pants. We note hosiery changing with British boys beginning to wear knee socks rather than long stockings. Three-quarter socks were still very common with long stockings worn seaonally. This varied from country to country. Long stocking were still common in North Ameica and nothern Europe while socs wre worn in southern Europe. The most pronounced chnge during the decade was the huft in America from knee pants to knickers. Knickers became almost universal for American boys, commonly worn with flat caps. Boys wore knickers with long socks, usually black long stockings. Suits were still common at school, at least urban schools. Boys in rural areas began wearing overalls. Of course the decade was dominated by World war I and by the end of the decade we begin to see a trend toward more informal styles, including schoolwear.
The modern styles of school uniform generally appeared in the 20th century, mostly after World War I. Knickers had become standard in America during the 1910s and this continued during the 1920s. Younger boys might wear short pants, but cord knickers were standard schoolwear. Boys and girls still commonly wore long stockings, especially black long stockings. Short pants became very common in Europe, although they tended to be very long like knee pants. England was by far the most important country in imfluencimng school styles such as peaked school caps. School sandals also became very common. After the War, Eton collars and knickers/knee pants grdually gave way to soft collars, blazers, and short pants. Most English bopys wore short pants and knee socks to school. Until after World War II, however, school uniforms were primarily worn at English private schools. Even so, they influenced styles in the state schools. German schools did not have uniforms, but many boys wore a military style peaked cap. Many French amd Italian children wore smocks. Italian children had wide white collars, but this was les common in France. Educational authorities varied on the value of school uniforms. Countries varied greatly as to their approach. While short pants were standard for schoolboys throughout Europe, hosiery was more varied, here climate was a factor. Knee socks were common, but long stockings widely worn in northern Europe wuth its cooler climate. There were also seasonal differences. Secondary education wasstill not common for working-class children. It was most common in America where coeducation was also most prevalent. .
Schoolwear trends were still quite varied around the globe during the 1930s. Trends varied substabtially from country to country. American boys were less commonly wearing suits to school. Boys often wore corduroy knickers to school at the beginning of the decade and knee socks were replacing long stockings. Younger boys might wear short pants. Knickers were going out of style by the end of the decade. More and more boys were wearing long pants including some younger boys. Almost all older boys wore long pants. Weaters were popular during the winter.
Older boys wore long pants and younger boys short pants. Further north in Canada, knickers continued to be popular. Short pants were common throughout Europe. English boys continued wearing the same styles as they wore in the 1920s. Peaked caps, blazers, short trousers, and knee socks were widely worn. French children commonly wore smocks. German boys continued wearing short pants to schoo with both knee socks and long stockings. Suits were less commoin than in the 1920s. We still see boys wearing sailor suits to school at the beginning of the decade. A good example is an unidentified secondary school. We see far fewer sailor suits by the end of the decade. The NAZIs looked on them as too middle class for the unified Reich thst Hitler was building. Many Italian children also wore smocks.
Schoolwear was affected in Europe by World War II. Fashion went on hold duringb the war as clothing became increasingly difficult to obtain. Boys wore clothes longer than they might havev in better times. Hand me downs were more commonly worn. Even after the War conditions were very difficult. Economies began to recover in 1948, but conditions varied from country to country. We plan to eventually construct 1940s pages for individual countries. Boys in secondary schools still wore suits to school, especially private schools or older boys in state schools. We note European boys commonly wearing short pants, especially in primary schools, but they were also worn in secondary schools as well as were knivckers. American boys wore a variety of clothes in the 1940s. A few boys wore knickers or short pants, but long pants were more common. This was particularly true of the late 1940s when jeans were becoming increasingly standard for primary school boys. I remember mine during the Winter had plaid flannel linings. Jeans were not allowed, however, when you moved to secondary school.
There were still subsantial difference in school wear from country to country in the 1950s. It was still possible to identify the country by having a look at the garments worn, at least the major countries. American boys mostly wore long pants to school. Primary school boys often wore jeans. Secondary school boys mostly wore slacks, often jeans were still not allowed. Boys in English schools commonly wore short pants and knee socks. Many state primary schools did not have uniforms, but secondary schools did. Smocks were still quite common in French and Italian schools, as were short pants. Japanese boys began wearing short cut short pants, both at schools which required uniform and those that did not.
There continued to be major differences around the world in school wear. American primary school boys commonly wore jeans in the 1960s, but we begin to see short pants appearing once again to a limited extent. Shorts at the time were beconing increasingly worn as caual ear. Jeans were still not allowed in most secondary schools, although this changed as the decade progressed. Schoolwear varies in Europe. Shots pants were still commonly worn in primary schools at the beginning of the decase, but we primarily see long pants long pants at the end of the decade. Belgium tended to be conservative with more boys wearing short pants to school than in most other countries. Knee socks were beciming less common. Among French boys, we rarely see berets and smocks declined sharply in popularity. They were still worn at many Italian schools. English schools differed from other European schools in that uniforms were required at secondary schools abd were worn at some private schools. The boys seen here are a good example (figure 1). Uniforms were less common at primary schools, except private schools. Increasing numbers of English state oprimary school in the 1960s began introducing uniforms. Short pants were very common in Japan. Some primary schoolshad uniforms, but virtully all secondary schools required uniforms. The secondary school uniforms are cadet jackets for boys and sailor suits for girls.
The 1970s was the first decade where most of the children of the world had access to public chool systems. The qualiyty of these schools varied widely, depending to a large degree, but not entirely on funding. this was result if decolonization which had begun to a large extent with African countries in the 1970s. Latin America was little changed with poorly funded public education, even in the more advanced Southerrn Cone continuing to lag behind the rest of the Western world. This was a factor at ll levels including thde politcally ravaged iniversities. America finally completed the desegration of public education. This was part of larger effort to increase opportunities for otther previously disadvantaged minorities, including the disabled and girls. It began an increasing focus on equality and a declining fiocus on achievement. A major change was underway in Asia with the failure of Mao's Red Guards and the Cultural Revolution. The Chinese began to emphaize schoolrshipo and educatuoinal stndards which along with mrket reforms (capitlism) begn to reshpe the country. European countries comntineto have school systems with high academic standards. Btitain largely completed the shift from sdelctive grammar schools to comprehensive schools. Soviet schools maintined high accdemic standards with slectice schools. TheSivits turned out large numbers of highly trane scintists and enguneers, but the country did not bnefit because the socilist systems did not creae the job opportunities and ecoinomic growth neeed. Public schools exusted thriughout the middke ast bd Noirth Africa, but a mix of rab Socilism, religuious fnticism, nd a ficus on destoying Israel mant tht countries chieved little ecinmomic growth nd unlessthere was an oil rsiurce to exploir wallowed in poverty. Oceania was little chbged. New Zeealand lunched an effort to absird many orivte schools into the state sysrem. We begin to see some Americn primary (elementary) schools adopting uniforms, but most children just wore their regular clothes to school. We see some short pants in primry school, but long pants still dominated. We begin to see the modern trend of pan-Europen school fashions take hold un the 1970s. Until the 70s it was often possible to identify the country with unidentifed school portraits. This began to change in the 1970s European children began to dress alike, especially in Western Europe. The fashions becoming popular were basically casual American styles. Britain was a little different because so many schools had uniforms, especially the private dschools. School uniforms were not common in Western Europe. Japan was largely unchanged. Some primary shools and virtully all secondary school chilren wore uniforms.
The general American objective to school uniform, however, began to change in the late 1980s. English private schools insisted on uniforms and after World War II this also became common in state schools. French and Itlaian boys never commonly wore uniforms, but did commonly wear smocks, although this began to decline in the 1960s.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site:
[Return to the Main school uniform chronology century page]
[Return to the Main school uniform chronology page]
[Late 19th century]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Long pants suits]
[Knicker suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
[Eton suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer]
[School sandals]
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