*** English school uniform: garments--trousers






English School Uniform: Garments--Trousers

English corduroy school shorts
Figure 1.--Man English primary and preparatory schools had short pants uniforms. This prep schools had cord shorts as part of the everyday uniform.

Trouser styles have changed significantly over time. Many boys wore knickers in the late 19th century. Short trousers began to appear after the turn of the 20th century. Senior boys wore long grey or black trousers. Most elementary boys and some secondary schoolboys (at least in the first two years) wore short grey trousers. These were worn both in the summer and winter term, with no seasonal change. Apparently the English until the 1960s did not think it unusual to send boys off to school in short pants in the middle of the winter. Private schools in the 1970s began intoducing summer and winter uniforms. A few private schools kept even older boys in shorts. Various materials were used, including flannel, rayon-nylon, and terylene worsted. Flannel was especially common un the early 20th century. Some schools adopted cotton corduory, usually in grey but sometimes blue or brown. A few schools even adopted cord jackets to wear with the cord shorts. Cord shorts, however, were generally considered a less dressy style. Terrelyn worsted became common in the 1970s. School shorts were usually made without back pockets, I'm not sure about longs.

Chronology

English boys have worn a variety of different trousers to school. These trouser styles have changed significantly over time. Boys in the early 19th century wore long trousers. Many boys wore knickers in the late 19th century. We note kneepants less commonly. Short trousers began to appear after the turn of the 20th century. They were very common in the first half of the 20th century. Senior boys wore long grey or black trousers. Most elementary boys and some secondary schoolboys (at least in the first two years) wore short grey trousers. Short trousers for school wear were very common inter the inter-war era and continued into the 1950s. Gradually in the 1960s more boys began wearing long trousers, although some primary schools and most preparatoty schools required short trousers into the 1970s. Long trousers became increasingly common in the 1980s. One English reader reports in 2002, "Nowadays hardly any boys wear grey shorts for school in the U.K., even during the summer. Even the little boys 5-6 years old wear long trousers."

Ages

The trousers worn by English schoolboys at diiferent ages have varied over time. The type of school attended was another factor. Boys of all ages wore long trousrs for school until the late 19th century. An exceotin here was a few special schools, the famed hospital schools where the boys wore nreeches as part of a traditional uniform. We see some private schools adopting knickers as the uniform trousers for younger boys. Generally speaking from this point younger boys often wore various types of shortened-length trousers. By the 1890s, British boys commonly wore kneepants to school. This gradually shifted to short pants in the early 20th century. After World War I, only a few schools still had knickers uniforms. Short pants became very common for primary-age children. They also became very common at preparatory schools. The younger boys at grammar schools (selective secondaty schools) and public schools (private secondary schools) often wore short pants. A few private schools made short pants the uniform for the entire school. Short pants were still very common in the 1960s, but graduallu long pants became more common. Shorts were still quite common at prepschools into the 1980s, although usually the older boys were allowed to wear long pants. The ages involved varied from scgool to school.

School Types


Seasonal Trends

English boys until the 1970s commonly wore short pants both in the summer and winter term, with no seasonal change. Apparently the English until the 1960s did not think it unusual to send boys off to school in short pants in the middle of the winter. Private schools in the 1970s began intoducing summer and winter uniforms. A few private schools kept even older boys in shorts.

Materials

Various materials were used in England for school trousers, including flannel, rayon-nylon, corduroy, and terylene worsted. Flannel was especially common during the early 20th century. Flannel became a material commonly associated with schoolwear. Some schools adopted cotton corduory, usually in grey but sometimes blue or brown. A few schools even adopted cord jackets to wear with the cord shorts, I believe beginning in the 1920s. Cord shorts, however, were generally considered a less dressy style. Some schools had cord shorts during an ordinary school day and fllannel short or long trousers for special occasions. Terrelyn worsted became common in the 1970s. Terrelyn was popular because it held the creases without ironing.

Type and Length

English school boys over time have worn all the differentv types of trousers, including knee breaches, kneepants, knickers, and long and short trousers. Their use has of course varied chronologically along with prevailing fashion trends. The primary variable has been the length of the trousers. Boys in the 18th century wore knee breeches. Long trousers and knickers were worn in the 19th century. Kneepants may have also been worn in the 19th century, but HBC has little information on this. After the turn of the century short trousers also appeared, especially after World War I (1914-18). Short trousers were very common through the 1950s, but began to decline in the 1960s. Currently most boys wear long trousers to schiool, especially during the winter. Short trousers are more common in the warmer months, especially for younger boys. Most secondary schools do not now allow boys to wear shorts.

Pockets

Pockets are an important part of the pants and trousers. Thiswas especially the case for boys because they liked to pick up all kind of little treasures and pockets were a great place to store them. Short pants and trousers come with some variation in the pocket arrangements. The standard arrangement was two front pockets and no back pockets. There were differences between short anf long trousers as well as tyoes of trousers. School shorts were usually made without back pockets. Boys did not normally have wallets, thus there was no real need for back pockets. I'm not sure about the long trousers. Here the pocket arrangements varied as to the type of schools. Stylistic changes affected the pockets, especially the size of the pockets. Shorts at mid-century tended to be long and baggy. This allowed for large, voluminous pockets. Shorts in the 1960s began to become both shorter and more snug fitting. This mean that much less could be fitted into the pockets. In addition to the existence of pockets and the pocket arrangements, one interesting question is just what boys carry in their pockets. We have collected some accounts.

Number and arrangement

Pants and trousers come with all kinds of pocket arrangements. There were differences between short anf long trousers as well as tyoes of trousers. School shorts were usually made without back pockets, I'm not sure about longs. Here the pocket arrangements varied as to the type of schools. A reader writes, "In the 1950s longs had a back pocket (right-hand side) - that was part of the excitement of this rite of passage, in that one felt even more grown-up. 20 years on, as children got into longs earlier and earlier, they tended to come without the back pocket and even with elasticated waistbands like those of school shorts for really young boys. Sizes for mid-teens and older, however, would still be styled conventionally, as for adults."

Size

Stylistic changes affected the pockets, especially the size of the pockets. Shorts at mid-century tended to be long and baggy. This allowed for large, voluminous pockets. Shorts in the 1960s began to become both shorter and more snug fitting. This mean that much less could be fitted into the pockets.

Contents

In addition to the existence of pockets and the pocket arrangements, one interesting question is just what boys carry in their poclets. We have collected some accounts.

From my son's pockets, on leaving prep school, I unpacked the following items (from one pair of short trousers): 2 tennis balls (1 yellow, one black with no fluff); 3 ping-pong balls; dirty handkerchief; page of geometry and football teams; 2 broken pens and 2 pencils; penknife; plastic lemon full of water; 1 new penny and 1 cent; parking ticket; letter in envelope; lump of blue billiards chalk; pair of nail-clippers; 6 inch length of chain; 2 plastic 'heads' reading T.Cooper; plastic whistle; 1 skull key-ring; button off shorts; plastic frog's leg; assorted cornflakes coupons; assorted cardboard badges. Although it was many years ago now, I kept the list.

During my brief teaching career in the 1960s I once saw a boy who disliked eating fish put into the pocket of his grey flannel shorts a pilchard in tomato sauce.

I hated pumpkin and would slide it off my plate at school and into my pocket, later to dump it after school.

Gender

We first notice Englishg school girls wearing trousrs in the 1980s at a prepschool in Hampsire. They optionally wore blue corduroy trousers like the boys. This may have begun earklier in state primary schools, but we do not yet have any information on this. An English reader tells us, "Some years ago was reported that the mother of a girl at school in or near Newcastle (in the north-east of England -- where winters can be bitterly cold) won the right for girls to choose to wear trousers. The school decided that, for sex equality, boys could wear skirts if they wanted. (Note that this is NOT Scotland, which has the tradition of kilts for males.) Unfortunately I don't have a reference to the news article. Allowing girls to wear trousers in schools has now become quite common: a combination of sex equality and not discriminating against muslim modesty." [Hunt] The Equality Act 2010 has institutionalized this as a matter of law. [Bell and Khan] Our reder tellus us, "I don't believe that many boys have yet chosen to wear skirts. However, as awareness and acceptance of gender reassignment / gender dysmorphia grow in schools, this will doubtless change." HBC-SU doubts that it will change much. The trend beginning in the early-20th century (during World ar I) has been for girls to have more freedom to wear boys clothes, but not for the boy to wear girls clothes. Many girls today prefer to wear trousers for many occassions. Thi varies from individual to individual. Almost universally, however, most boys would not be caught dead in anything that might be called girls' clothes.

Sources

Bell, Bircham Dyson and Lillian Khan. "School uniform policies and the Equality Act 2010" (July 5 2012). The authors tell us that "... Under the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 schools must not discriminate on grounds of age, sex, gender reassignment, race, disability, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief or sexual orientation. The leading cases challenging uniform policies have tended to focus on racial or religious matters."

Hunt, Rev. Dr. John. Email message (July 8, 2012).








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Created: August 11, 2001
Last updated: 10:34 AM 5/15/2022