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Short trousers were widely worn at Scottish private schools. Not only did prep schools have short pants uniforms, but many secondary schools also required the older boys to wear short pants as well. Many Scottish schools appear to have been more traditional than English schools in this matter. It was Scottish schools that were the last British secondary schools to continue requiring short pants for secondary level boys as late as the 1980s. Most schools had grey shorts like the English, but several Scottish schools had blue shorts as part of the uniform. The Loretto School near Edinburgh had a major impact on New Zealand school uniforms. A New Zealand educator teaching at Loretto was so impressed with the uniform that he introduced it at Wanganui Collegiate and it was then adopted by many other New Zealand schools. Shorts trousers began to decline at Scottish schools in the 1970s, but have not disappeared. One Scottish observers notes that now and again he sees older boys wearing short trousers on their way to/from school. Most of them look to be in the 12/13 age group. Occasionally older boys wear shorts but most older boys wear long trousers.
We note Scootish sc\hool boys wearing various types of trousers. This has included long pants, knickes, knee pants, short pants, and other types. And of course in Scotland some boys wore kilts. The various types depened on chronological, age, sociasl class, school types and other factors. And some of these conventions varied over time. Long pants were the most important tyoe of trousers. They were commonly worn throughout the 19th century, although our informastion is limited. We see knee pants and knickers at the end of the 19th century century. Long pants were also very common in the 20th century, although in the first half of the century, short pants were common for boys and continued to be worn at some private schools into the late 20th century. For the most part these were the same styles as the boys wore normally, but the adoption of school uniforms meant that at some schools the types of trousers were specified by the school.
This has varied chronoligically. Our information on the 19th century is limited. We thinks boys wore mostly long trousers. Some boys wore kilts, but we are not sure how common this was. Knickers were worn in the late 19th century, but again we are not sure how commonly. Knee pants also appeared in the late 19th century. We know much more about the 20th century. We note knee pants at the beginning of the century. Kiltse worn, but we thinkl mostly at private schools. After World war I we begin to see boys commonly wearing short psnts. After World war II by the 1960s we begin o see more boys wearing long trousers. Private schools had uniforms and thus there were rules abouyt the tyoe of trousers wirn. After world war II, state schools also began estanlishing rules.
The types of trousers worn dependended to some extent on the type of scchool attended. State schools or at least community schools did not generally have uniforms until the second half of the 20th cebntury following World War II. Rivate schools did have uniforms. Many of the uniforms adopted by state schools required short trousers, depending on the age of the boys. Short trousers were widely worn at Scottish private schools. Not only did prep schools have short pants uniforms, but many secondary schools also required the older boys to wear short pants as well. Many Scottish schools appear to have been more traditional than English schools in this matter. It was Scottish schools that were the last British secondary schools to continue requiring short pants for secondary level boys as late as the 1980s.
Most schools had grey or black long trousers or grey shorts. This was basically the same colors as worn in nglish schools. We note several Scottish schools had blue shorts as part of the uniform. The Loretto School near Edinburgh had a major impact on New Zealand school uniforms. A New Zealand educator teaching at Loretto was so impressed with the uniform that he introduced it at Wanganui Collegiate and it was then adopted by many other New Zealand schools. Shorts trousers began to decline at Scottish schools in the 1970s, but have not disappeared. One Scottish observers notes that now and again he sees older boys wearing short trousers on their way to/from school. Most of them look to be in the 12/13 age group. Occasionally older boys wear shorts but most older boys wear long trousers.
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