|
We have very limited information on Turkish school uniforms at this time. We see some children wearing military uniforms in the 19th century as the Ottoman Empire began to build a public school system in the 19th century. We have found no written material on Turkish school uniforms at this time. All of our infomation comes from the photographic record and we have been able to find very few images at this time. We note primary children, both boys and girls, wearing school smocks. We do not know when smocks were first introduced. We suspect it may have been in the 1920s when the school system was significantly expanded as pary of the Atatürk reforms (1920s). We do not have many may images from the 1920s and 30s, but we see a lot of post-World War II images. This seems to have been an Italisn influence. We say that because the smocks we see look more like Italian than French smocks. The large white collars are an Italian touch. The purpose must have been the samed as in Europe, to cover up the the social class difference that were apparent from the clothes the chilren wore to school. We do not have much information on secondary schools at this time. We do not see older boys wearing smocks, but older girls may have worn them. This was a pattern in Europe and may have been the same in Turkey.
Primary students attend school in uniforms which are usually blue smocks or very occasionally black ones. We are not sure when the smock uniforms were introduced. We suspect it may have been in the 1920s when the school system was sificantly expanded as pary of the Atatürk reforms (1920s). This seems to have been an Italian influence. The large white collars are an Italian touch. This may seem a little strange because Italian Fascism is today seen as such a failed system. This was, however, not the case in the inter-War period befoee World War II. The purpose must have been the samed as in Europe, to cover up the the social class fifference that were apparent from the clothes the chilren wore to school. So far the earliest inages wevhave vfound come from the 1960s. While all the children wear smocks, there appear to be different styles. The smocks are often quite short. Some smocks worn in the 1970s were back buttoning with extensive smocking. Some worn in the 1990s did not have smocking and the buttons were set off on one side at the front. They are characterically worn with wie white Peter Pan collars. Usually they are all white. Some younger boys might have white collars with various designs. I do not yet have details, but this looks to be a national regulation and not a uniform adopted by individual schools. The smocks are always worn with long pants. Parents have to buy uniforms, pens, pencils and notebooks. I am not sure when this style was adopted or why. It shows a clear European influence, either Italian or French. On of the reforms of Ataturk anfd te Turkish Republic in the 1920s was the adoption of western dress. The smock was at the time widely worn by French and Italian school children. It may well have been adopted at that time as part of the western dress reforms. A HBC contributor who traveled to Turkey in the 1970s remembers seeing Turish boys in their characteristic short smocks. All the boys he saw wore long pants with their smock school uniform. He doesn't remember if the girls wore the same uniform. His main recollection is seeing groups of boys all over Turkey. He traveled everywhere, except the Black Sea Coast. All the boys he saw wore shiny black 'mini-smocks'. By mini-smock he meant smocks that obly extended a little below the waistline. They were done with large white Peter Pan collars. The black may have been navy blue. We note different shades of blue. The site he says was so common that it was almost part of the landscape. He is not sure, however, if all of the primary schools adopted them or if there were age rules. They do appear to havebbeen very common. He thinks that it may have been mostly the younger boys. Groups photogaphs sugest tomus that ot wasnall th children in primary schools.
Students in middle and high schools also wore uniforms, however we do not have details on the styles. We see some military uniforms in thev19th and early-20th century. After the Atatürk Revolution I believe that smocks were intoduced as the school uniform with the launch of the new schhol system in the mid-1920s. We can not yet confirm this, but it appears to be the case. Turkish school children have continued wearing smocks with wide Peter Pan collars ti this day. There appear to be some changes in styles with boys now often wearing front buttoning smocks. This appears to have been a primary school style, but secobary girls may have worn them. This was a pattern in Europe and may have been the same in Turkey.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Late 19th century]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Peter Pan collars]
[Smocks]
[Socks]
[Eton suits]
[Long pants suits]
[Knicker suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer]
[School sandals]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Page
[Return to the Main Turkish school page]
[Return to the Main school page]
[About Us]
[Activities]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Debate]
[Economics]
[Garment]
[Gender]
[Hair]
[History]
[Home trends]
[Literary characters]
[School types]
[Significance]
[Transport and travel
[Uniform regulations]
[Year level]
[Other topics]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Return to the Historic Boys' School Home]
