Figure 1.--Here we see an unidentified school which looks like a private prep school. The photograph is undated, but looks like the late-1950s to us. All we know for sure was that it was located in or near East Grinsted athis was the 4th class. The children look about 9 years old. Several boys wear knickers which was unusual at the time. We are guessing that this was an option made available by the schools because knickers were no longer widely available in Britain. It is an unusual school, noy only because of the knickers, but because there is no uniform and it is coed, that was not common at prep schools in the 1950s. While there is no uniform, the school is obviously influcing clothing choices. The girls all wear tights and most of the children wear sandals. The studio was Harold Connold in East Grinsted. Put your cursor on the image to see the rest of the class.

We contunue to see boys wearing knicker uniforms in private schools and grammar schools at the turn-of-the 20th century. At state schools we nostly see knee pants at the turn-of-the century. Knickers were much less common. This began to change in the 1910s and after World War I (1914-18) in the 1920s knickers became quite rare as a school uniform item. Most boys wore short pants or the older boys wore long pants to school. We note that in period catalogs that short pants were referred to as knickers. We no longer see boys wearing knicker uniforms after World War I. We see some older boys wearing knickers as sort of smart country wear, but not as part of school uniforms. We have seen a few boys wearing knickers to school in the post-War era, but it was not common. And as far as we can tell this was almost entirely at private schools. One London private prep school was known for making corduroy knickers an optional part of the uniform. Many of the boys preferred them to short pants. It was a well-known school because Prince Charles went there. When the school went coed, even the girls could wear knickers. We also see an East Grinsted school where some of the boys are wearng knickers, we think in the late-1950s. Again it looks like a private school. We note an older class perhaps a little earlier, but no one was wearing wearing knickers.

The 1900s

We contunue to see boys wearing knicker uniforms in private schools and grammar schools at the turn-of-the 20th century. At state peimary schools we nostly see knee pants at the turn-of-the century. Knickers were much less common.

The 1910s

The popularity of knickers began to change in the 1910s and after World War I (1914-18), but they were still a common uniform item at private schools and grammr schools. They were much less common as a clothing item chosen when not mandate by school. It is a little diffucult to tell, but the knickers xseem to have been worm with long socks that were pulled up over the bottom of the knickers like the breeches American Boy Scouts wore. American boys at the time commonly wore knickers, but with long stockings.

The 1920s

Knickers during the 1920s became quite rare as a school uniform item. Most boys wore short pants or the older boys wore long pants to school. We note that in period catalogs that short pants were still often referred to as knickers. We still see knickers at the beginning of the decade. They were work with long socks pulled up over the bottm of the knickers. While we still see knickers at the beginning of the decade, they rapidly went out of style and by the end of the decade we no longer see boys wearing knickers in England any more. The photographic record mostly shows boys wearing short pants in the 1920s. Nor do we commonly notice knickers in catalogs by the end of the decade. Some school photographs still show knickers at the bginning of the decade, but only the private and grammar schools that had set uniforms. In the state primary shools whee children wore their own clothes, knickers are very rare.

The 1930s

We no longer see boys wearing knicker uniforms to any extent by the 1930s. We see some older boys wearing knickers as sort of smart country wear, but not as part of school uniforms. We have seen a few boys wearing knickers to school in the post-War era, but it was not common. And as far as we can tell this was almost entirely at private schools.

The 1950s

We see an East Grinsted school where some of the boys are wearng knickers, we think in the late-1950s (figure 1). It appears to have been optional, but almost surely an option oromoted by the school. Again it looks like a private school. We note an older class perhaps a little earlier, but no one was wearing wearing knickers.

The 1970s

One London private prep school was known for making corduroy knickers an optional part of the uniform. We are not sure when the school was founded, but we still note knickers in the 1970s and 80s. Many of the boys preferred them to short pants, butquite a few chose knickers. It was a well-known school because Prince Charles went there. When the school went coed, even the girls could wear knickers.

Created: 3:15 PM 6/30/2017
Last updated: 5:22 PM 9/9/2017