Figure 1.--.

The gaberdine raincoat came both with and without a hood. The author of this article tells us that the hooded coats were for girls and not commonly worn by boys. A HBC reader takes exception to this and reports that boys also wore the hooded versions. HBC suspects that the hooded version was more commonly worn by girls, so the two reports are not as conflicting as one might imagine. HBC does not want to be "sexist" here, but we suspect that female observers may not be as atunded to sometimes strongly perceived gender based differences in the part of boys as male observers. At any rate here we will be interested to see observations from other British readers. Notably the hood was not always popular with the girls, perhaps because some schools required that it be used in inclemant weather--a not infrequent occurance in Britain.

Versions

There were many different versions of the gaberdine raincoat. One of the most obvious variations in these different versions is whether the coat came with or without a hood. The gaberdine raincoat came both with and without a hood and with a variety of variations in the hood itself.

Size

The size of the hood varied markedly, and not just with the size of the coat (age of child). The larger hoods tended to have more button attachments. With the larger hoods, you could disappear inside in bad weather, although some people preferred to fold back say 2 or 3 inches around the face and show the contrasting lining.

Buttoning Arrangements

Some hoods attached with just two buttons, but most with three. Often four or even five were used on the larger hoods. In addition to buttons that attached the hood to the coat some had a button on the inside of the hood just below the collar to which the open edge of the hood could be buttoned so as to hold it neatly when not worn over the head. A HBC reader reports, "This was actually fiddly to do behind your back and generally was ignored allowing the hood to hang open and display the lining, looking more attractive in my opinion." [Clifford] In reference to the 'extra' button for holding the hood neatly when not worn, sometimes on the smaller hoods attached with three buttons the button under the collar served this purpose also. This didn't work when there were only two.

Strings and Tabs

Hoods could be fastened when worn over the head either by tie-strings sewn inside the hood, or a sort of 'threaded' drawstring that was 'laced' through the open edge of the hood, mostly on the larger hoods, or by a buttoning tab more common also on duffle coats.

Gender

There appear to have been some gender conventions concerning the wearing of hoods.

Preferences

One HBC reader reports that the hooded coats were for girls and not commonly worn by boys. [Smith] Here there appears to be a difference of opinion. One HBC reader takes exception to this and reports that boys also wore the hooded versions.
Not restricted: One reader reports, "I note that in the main gaberdine raincoat page you refer to the double breasted (button-either-way) gabardine raincoat. This was indeed extensively worn, by both boys and girls. However, the detachable hood was not restricted to the girls as you state on one of the pages, especially when the coat was transferred from an older to a younger sibling." [Clifford] HBC suspects that the hooded version was more commonly worn by girls, so the two reports are not as conflicting as one might imagine. HBC does not want to be "sexist" here, but we also suspect that female observers may not be as atunded to sometimes strongly perceived gender based differences in the part of boys as male observers. At any rate here we will be interested to see observations from other British readers. The same HBC reader reports, "Interestingly my husband says that he did wear a hood on his coat if the weather was really bad as he had just over a mile to walk (two round trips per day as he did not have lunch in school) but did have to put up with a certain amount of teasing and being called 'sissy' to the extent that he might take it off just before he got into the school grounds." [Clifford]
Restricted: Another British reader reports, "The remarks by Jane Clifford on gaberdine school raincoats with hoods provide a valuable commentary on a once familiar aspect of British schoolgirl uniform-- and indeed of British girlswear in general. As such, they are a useful contribution to the history of British children's costume. But the claim (disputing what I originally wrote on the topic) that the version with a hood was 'extensively worn 'by both boys and girls' would be very difficult--or, as I believe, impossible--to substantiate. Some very tiny boys at infant school (aged 5-7) may have been dressed in this way. But it would have been extremely rare for junior schoolboys (aged 7-11) to have been clothed in such a manner, and no self-respecting senior schoolboy (aged 11 upwards) would have wished to be seen in such a garment. Of course, there may have been a few parents who, for whatever reason, made their sons wear them, just as there were a few who kept their sons in short trousers long after the age (varying over the years) at which boys generally went into long trousers. But such cases must be regarded as exceptions--even as aberrations--rather than as the rule."

Duffle coats

While many boys for some reason considered the hood on the gaberdine coat a bit 'sissy', it was not the hood itself that was apparently objectionable. Boys had no problem, for example wearing hoods with duffle coats. The duffle coat commonly came with detachable hoods and they ere worn by both boys nd girls. One reader uggests, "Perhaps the difference is because at the time of its general introduction, the duffle coat was considered modern whereas the gaberdine was archaic." [Clifford] HBC tends to beliv that the duffle coat with hood was seen as acceptable as servicemen during World War II wore them, sometimes with hoods. On the otherhand there were no masculine images of men wearing hooded overcoats thus making it less acceptable to boys, especually as many girls did wear the coat with hoods.

Popularity

Notably the hood was not always popular with the girls. A reader reports, "Personally I would not have been without it, but opinions were divided and I remember pupils who would make a point of deliberately getting well-soaked even when the hood was on the coat in order to show their independence." [Clifford]

Regionl Trends

A HBC reader reports, "I believe I commented before that the hoods were probably more common, if not standard wear as you went further north." [Clifford] Note the reference below to a Scottish school, of course located in the north of Britain.

School Regulations

Some schools required that it be used in inclemant weather--a not infrequent occurance in Britain. Although detachable, some schools insisted on the hood being kept on the coat and it could be a disciplinary offence to remove it from the coat, or not to wear it over the head when the weather was bad. I believe these were girls' schools. I am not sure whether any boys-only schools insisted on the hood, but use of the hood was more common as you went north even when not compulsory. A HBC reader reports, "I know some boys wore the hood (my husband for example) and I recall seeing a few others occasionally. I am fairly sure that for some co-ed schools the uniform regulations probably specified the double breasted coat with hood and left it optional for the boys and possibly the girls as not all girls schools insisted on it (or actually enforced it even if it was specified). I do not know if any school made the boy's hood compulsory. I guess not as there would presumably have been more wearing them if that was the case." [Clifford] Some memories from the Lawnsdale High School for Girls in Leeds has details on the uniform and memories submitted by former students. Notice the references to gabardines with and without hoods, and to the practice of sewing a fur trim around the edge either of the gabardine hood or a duffle hood.

Headwear

At some schools, the girls did not have a hood on the coat. In some cases this was probably because the schools had a wide-brimmed 'pudding basin'-type hat as a compulsory part of the uniform, and the hood would not have fitted over the brim if they had indeed had one on the coat. In contrast, many girls schools had a beret as the standard headgear, and the hood, especially in the larger 4- or 5-button sizes, would have fitted over that. [Clifford] An Englush reader comments, "Interestingly, an acquaintance I spoke to says she was once reprimanded for wearing the hood without the beret underneath. A bit petty, in my view." She adds, "This constraint may also have applied to many boys schools who would have worn the usual peaked cap, and this might explain why comparatively few boys had the hooded coats." HBC is not convinced of this because a peaked cap even more than a beret would fit easily under a hood

I have noticed that some airlines, notably British Airways and Air France, but probably others, have a hooded coat for their female staff. These have very large hoods, and I am told that this is to allow the hood to be worn comfortably over the standard headgear. These look quite smart when not worn over the head, especially when there is a contrasting lining as the open hood resembles the gaily coloured scarves or headsquares that many women wear as a decorative fashion accessory.

Pranks and Complications

The detachable nature of the hood on the school coat meant that it lent itself to being the subject of pranks. Several people have told me that when the coat was left in a communal cloakroom (as distinct from a secure locker)the hood would sometimes be removed and hidden, or removed and attached inside out (more obvious when there was a contrasting lining), swapped from one coat to another (perhaps resulting in somebody having two hoods attached), buttoned across the front of the coat rather than the back and making it impossible to put on, or even used to bridge two coats on adjacent hangers and thus fasten them together! Probably sufficiently annoying to discourage people from keeping the hood on the coat.

It seems that sometimes someone who had not worn their hood to school decided to 'borrow' one when they found it was raining heavily as they prepared to leave. Yet another variation was that close friends would exchange hoods - a bit bizarre that one, and presumably only obvious if they were in some way different, otherwise how would anyone know?

Uniform Shops

Some shops handling school uniforms (stockists) would keep the hooded gaberdines but sell without the hood if required. This was sometimes favoured as it reduced the cost somewhat, but not sure what the stockist did with the spare hoods, perhaps used them to replace lost hoods Or providing an alternative colour lining if a child changed schools or the younger sibling went to a school with a different specification for the hood lining colour, perhaps).

Siblings

Boys wearing the hoods were especially common if they had older sisters. Some boys, perhaps with older siblings would have the gaberdine with the hood even if they attended a different (non-coed) school. You would sometimes see the hood worn, i.e. attached to the coat, but sometimes just see that the coat had the buttons in place (i.e. they had removed the hood), but that also happened with regard to girls as well unless wearing the hood was compulsory.

Current Trends

A reader writes, "I think you may be interested to see the following webpages from the George Herriot School in Edinburgh which described their current (2003) school uniform regulations. Some suppliers also are listed and they may also have webpages. You will see that for both boys and girls, junior and senior, one option is the gaberdine with or without hood. This is stated quite explicitly and bears out what I have told you previously. I will try to check what the regulations were 20 years ago, but would imagine they were similar." [Clifford]

Sources

Terence Paul Smith provided the initial draft of main Gaberdine raincoat page which is for the most part the text is still largely his work.

Jane Clifford has provided much of the information here on hoods.