Figure 1.--This Belgian boy was photographed in his school clothes in 1927. Note the large hat. He wears a short pants suit with white kneesocks and British-style school sandals. This looks like it could have been his first day of school. Note that he is not wearing a collared shirt which seems rather strange with a suit.

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.

Garments

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. 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.

Uniforms

School uniforms were not common in Belgium. but were required by some private Catholic schools. These Catholic uniforms seem more common after World War II. We have little information on provate schools in the inter-war period. Some schools while not having iniforms, may have had dress codes, but we are unsure about the nature of such codes and to what extent schools enforced them.

Decades

The 1920s

Boys in the 1920s might wear a wide variety of clothes to school. Most boys wore short pants, but knickers were also worn, usually by older boys. Sailor suits, often short pants suits, were still popular, although not as much as at the turn of the century. The sailor suit styles were more traditional than in the 1910s. We se a variety of suit styles. Standard single breasted suit jackets seem the most common, but double breasted suits were also worn. At the beginning of the decade boys always wore closed collars, usually with ties. By mid-decade the new style of a wide white collar worn open and out over the lapels begin to apper. A few boys at first added a tie and closed this collar, perhaps just for formal portraits. Short pants suits were normally worn with kneesocks. Darker colors were common in the early 1920s, but lighter colors began to be worn as the decade progressed. By the mis and late 20s we see boys wearing white kneesocks. High-top shoes were common in the early 1920s, but low cut oxfords gradually became more popular as the decade profressed. Some boys wore sandals.

The 1930s

School Photographs

Several school photographs show the range of uniforms worn by Belgian boys in the 1920s and 30s.

1926 class

We note a class in 1926. We do not know the name of the school or what kind of school it is. The boys all look to be younger teenagers, about 13-14 years olds. All of the boys wear suits. We see primarily single breasted, but some double breasted jackets. A few of the boys wear the new open neck short with wide collars worn over the lapels of suit jackets. It seems to be a new style. One boy tries to wear a tie with obe of these wide collared shirts. Two boys still wear traditional sailor suits. All of the boys appear to be wearing short pants suits and kneesocks.

1928 class

We note a class in 1928. We do not know the name of the school or what kind of school it is. The boys all look to be younger teenagers, about 13-14 years olds. Almost all of the boys wear suits. The most popular style is a open neck short with wide collars worn over the lapels of suit jackets. So many boys wear this style that it almost looks like a uniform. At least two boys still wear sailor suits, perhaps more as two boys wear reefer jackets and you cannot see what they are wearing underneath.