Belgian School Uniform Chronology: The 20th Century


Figure 1.--Here we see a class portrait from the 1975-76 academic year. Notice the long hair. This was a year 6 class from the Dutch-speaking area of Belgium. The warm woolen cardigans and jumpers in this picture suggest this was taken in the winter. That may even be some kind of Christmas trees behind them. 

There have been great changes in Belgian boys' school clothing during the 20th centurty. We have more 20th century photographs taken at Belgian schools. These available images clearly show the trends in Belgian schools. We believe that smocks were still commonly worn at Belgian schools in the early 20th century. Some were worn with Eton collars and floppy bows. Sailor suits were also very popular. Short pants appeared in Belgium with the Scout movement in the 1900s. We have no information on shorts being worn in Belgium before the advent of Scout shorts. Short pants appeared with the Scout movement in the 1900s. I have no information on shorts being worn in Belgium before the advent of Scout shorts. Most boys at the turn of the century wore kneepants. Sailor suits were very popular for schoolwear. Shorts had begun replacing kneepants by the 1910s. We have few details on Belgian school uniforms at mid-century. Smocks were still commonly worn in the 1940s, although I do not know if schools required them. We do not think that state schools required uniforms, but some private schools did have mandatory uniforms. Most Belgian boys at mid-century wore short pants. Smocks declined in popularity in the 1950s. Some conservative schools still required shorts pants in the 1980s, but this had largely disappeared by the 1990s. While there were no uniforms, Many primary boys in state schools did wear short pants to school in the 1970s. Wearing shorts to school even in primary schgools declined in popularity during the 1980s. This was especially true of the colder Winter months.

The 1900s

We notice Belgian boys wearing a variety of shirts, blouses, and jackets. Sailor suits were also very popular. Short pants appeared in Belgium with the Scout movement in the 1900s. Scout shorts were very long, rather like knee pants. We have no information on shorts being worn in Belgium before the advent of Scout shorts. Most boys at the turn of the century wore knee pants. They were almost universal among school age boys. Most boys seem to have worn three-quarter socks. Long stockings were presumably worn during the winter. Sailor suits were very popular for schoolwear.

The 1910s

Short pants began replacing kneepants by the 1910s, although this is difficult to track brcause short pants were very long. School uniforms were not common in Belgium, but were required by some private Catholic schools. We do have some information on smocks. We believe that smocks were still commonly worn at Belgian schools in the early-20th century. The boys here appear to be wearing dark school smocks with wide white collars and floppy bows. Some were worn with Eton collars. We are not yet sure anout Peter Pan collars. The boys here look to be wearing dark blue or black smocks. One bow looks like it might have been red. The styles we see at the turn-of-the century seem all back-buttoning smocks. Other images show boys wearing light-colored smocks without collars. Our archive is very limited so we are not sure about which was more prevalent. We see light and dark colors. Some images suggest that they were not required. HBC believes that the styles and popularity was similar in France and Belgium, at least among French speakers. We are sure, however, to what extent French styles were worn by Flemish boys and if this changed over time.

The 1920s

Short pants appeared with the Scout movement in the 1900s. I have no information on shorts being worn in Belgium before the advent of Scout shorts. Most boys at the turn of the century wore kneepants. Sailor suits were very popular for schoolwear. Shorts had begun replacing kneepants by the 1910s. School uniforms were not common in Belgium. but were required by some private Catholic schools. Boys in the 1920s might wear a wide variety of clothes to school. Most boys wore short pants, but knickers were also worn. Sailor suits were still popular, although not as much as at the turn of the century. Many types of hosiery were worn. Boys wore both ankle and kneesocks. White socks were popular. Some boys wore long over the knee stockings. Shorts were very commonly worn by the 1920s. Older boys might wear knickers. Smocks were commonly worn by school children through the 1940s. Several school photographs show the range of uniforms worn by Belgian boys in the 1920s and 30s.

The 1930s

We have some limited infornation on Belgian schoolwear during the 1930s. Boys in primary school tended to dress more casually. We aee not yet sure about the Catholic schools. Belgian boys commonly wore short pants to school. They were almpst universal in primary schools. Boys still tended to wear suits to secondary school, There were still significan class differences. Working-class boys still mostly did not progress beyonf primary school. Short pants were also commonly worn in secondary schools. Most younger boys in secondry schools wore them up to about age 15 years. Families varied as to when boys made the transition from short to long pants. We are not sure at this time how this varied among the different types of school. It may have been more common in Catholic schools. Conservative families were more likey to chose Catholic schools. As best we can tell short pants were also common in the state schools. We do not have information about girls yet. Most schools seem to be single gender schools, especially secondary schools. Most boys wore short pants with knee socks to school. We are not sure about differences between Walonia and Flanders.

The 1940s

We have few details on Belgian school uniforms at mid-century. Smocks were still commonly worn in the 1940s, although I do not know if schools required them. We do not think that state schools required uniforms, but some private schools did have mandatory uniforms.

The 1950s

Most Belgian boys at mid-century wore short pants. Smocks declined in popularity in the 1950s. Shorts dominated boys' wear throughout the 1950s.

The 1960s

Belgian boys still commonly wore short pants to school in the 1960s, especislly the early-60s. were commonly worn in primary schools. And we also see the younger boys in secondary schools wearing them. A reader has provided us some information about his private Catholic school in Antwerp during the early-1960s. Our reader tells us, "Uniforms were not mandatory at our school, but it was rather an elite school, jeans were strongly discouraged. Many of us wore suits. Boys wearing short trousers were not the majority, but were not uncommon."Short pasnts began to be , but began to be replaced by long pants in the late 1960s. The French student movement and Paris student riots in 1968 were very influential in both social attitudes and fashions. The trends in conservative Belgium were slower to develop. We see many French boys wearing jeans and long pants in the late-60s even in primary schools. This was slower to develop in Belgium.

The 1970s

We see a class portrait from the 1975-76 academic year (figure 1). This was a year 6 class from the Dutch-speaking area of Belgium. The warm woolen cardigans and jumpers in this picture suggest this was taken in the winter. That may even be some kind of Christmas trees behind them.

The 1980s

Some conservative schools still required shorts pants in the 1980s, but this had largely disappeared by the 1990s. While there were no uniforms, Many primary boys in state schools did wear short pants to school in the 1970s. A Belgian reader tells us, "Although schools didn't have uniforms, it was very common for many boys to wear very short shorts at school and out of school, even up to the age of 14, sometimes even right through the winter. (Boys wouldn't wear shorts to school once they were in secondary school though they would often change into shorts once they got home.) It was not uncommon in winter, even in snow, to see boys in town and around shops with wrapped up in balaclavas, scarves, gloves, warm coats... and completely bare legs, with shorts so short that with their coats on it looked as if they'd forgotten to put their trousers on!". Wearing shorts to school even in primary schgools declined in popularity during the 1980s. This was especially true of the colder Winter months.







HBC-SU







Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Belgian pages
[Return to the Main Belgian school chronology page]
[
Main Belgian page] [Belgian royalty] [Belgian youth groups]
[French school smocks] [Belgian choirs] [Belgian families] [Belgian sailor suits]


Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing smock pages
[Main smock page] [Main school smock page] [French school smocks] [Italian school smocks] [Other school smocks]



Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Main Chronology Page]
[The 1880s] [The 1930s] [The 1940s] [The 1950s]
[The 1960s] [The 1970s] [The 1980s]



Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Smocks] [Berets] [Long pants suits] [Shortpants suits]
[Socks] [Eton suits] [Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer] [School sandals]



Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing School Uniform Pages
[Return to the Main Belgian school uniform chronology page]
[Australia] [Belgium] [England] [France] [Germany]
[Ireland] [Italy] [Japan] [New Zealand] [Scotland]
[United States]



Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Page
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Dutch Glossary] [French Glossary] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]




Created: 9:16 PM 12/2/2004
Last updated: 6:08 AM 2/23/2013