*** Indian school uniform -- garments







Indian School Uniform: Garments

Indian school uniform

Figure 1.--Indian schools have strict rules concerning hair styles. While girls wear some destinctive styles, boys wear standard European school garments.

Indian school uniforms appear to be strongly gender based. Interestingly India has some destictive girl's uniforms, strongly based on traditional styles. Boys' uniforns are more European based. I'm not sure why this is. The uniform for boys is usually a buttoned-shirt with short sleeves, a pair of plain-colored short pants, socks (often knee socks) and dark lace-up dress shoes. The uniform for girls is normally a "salwaar kameez" very popular throughout India, which is a combination of a knee-length tunic with short or long sleeves, baggy pants,and dark lace-up shoes. OR a combination of buttoned-shirts + knee-length skirts, socks, and dark lace up dress shoes. The uniform for sport activities is mainly : a T-shirt, short sport pants and white canvas and rubber tennis shoes.

Gender Based

Indian school uniforms appear to be strongly gender based. Interestingly India has some destictive girl's uniforms, strongly based on traditional styles. Western uniform items are more common. Boys' uniforns are almost entirely European based. I'm not sure why this is. Children and adults in many areas of India wear traditional clothing.

Boys

Many Indian boys wear school uniforms at both public (state) and private schools. Not all schools require uniforms, but many do. School uniforms are commonly Western-styled clothes even though traditional clothing is still common in many areas of India. Boys in primary school generally wear a simple shirt and short pants. Caps are not common. And because of the climate neither are ties. The uniform for boys is usually a buttoned-shirt with short sleeves, a pair of plain-colored short pants, socks (often knee socks) and dark lace-up dress shoes. Private schools in particulasr tend to have uniforms with an English look. It is not uncommon for boys to go to school barefoot. This is most common at public schools, but not unkown at private schools.

Girls

The uniform for girls is normally a "salwaar kameez" very popular throughout India, which is a combination of a knee-length tunic with short or long sleeves, baggy pants,and dark lace-up shoes. OR a combination of buttoned-shirts and knee-length skirts, socks, and dark lace up dress shoes.

Common Items

While there are many gender-based school uniform styles, there was also some common or at least coordinated styles. At some schools the boys and girls wore the same color uniforms. The difference being that the boys wore short pants and the girls skirts. Hosiery was often identical. And the attitude toward footwear identical as well. Commonly footwear was up to the children. This to an extent may reflect the economic situation of the family, but some children prefer to go barefoot. Another common item is the umbrella which seasonally is quite important.

Sports Uniform

The uniform for sport activities at Indian schools is mainly a T-shirt, short sport pants and white canvas and rubber tennis shoes. Unlike the regular uniform, boys and girls wear the same sports uniforms.








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Created: 3:52 AM 9/30/2004
Last updated: 5:37 AM 5/24/2008