Figure 1.--Here we see a girls gym class in 1937 at Irwinville School, Georgia. I'm not sure what kind of school this was. Mormally primary schools did not have formal gym clothes. Here the girls have clearly changed into gym suits, although there is no uniform style.

School gym suits varied by gender, although in recent years, perhaps since the 1980s, boys and girls uniforms have become more alike. Boy's from an early time wore "T"shirts and short pants. Girls have had more diverse gtm outfits. In the early 20th century we notice girls wearing middy blouses with long bloomers and long stockings. In the mid-20th century we see girls wearing one-piece suits in either the romper or short pants style. The New York girls in 1943 wear these one-piece suits with short pants legs (figure 1). A reader writes, "I would have guessed the 1930s for figure 1, but note it was dated 1943. Since that is in the midst of WWII and clothes were rationed it is very possible that older styles were being worn by teens." HBC is not sure that we would describe these one-piece suits as an "older style". We note them being worn into the 1960s. The romper style suits were worn, for example, at Wakefield High School in the early 1960s. By this time schools were beginning to shift over to short pants and "T" shirts like the boys wear.

Boys

Boy's from an early time wore "T"shirts and short pants. Girls have had more diverse gtm outfits. We notice some stylistic differences, but the boy's gym uniforms were essentially the same throughout the 20th century.

Girls

In the early 20th century we notice girls wearing middy blouses with long bloomers and long stockings. In the mid-20th century we see girls wearing one-piece suits in either the romper or short pants style. Here we see girls in Georgia wearing a variety of outfits for gym. The one-piece romper suit seems a popular style for gym suits. We also notice them being worn at summer camos. We note New York girls in 1943 wearing these one-piece suits with short pants legs. A reader writes, "I would have guessed the 1930s for figure 1, but note it was dated 1943. Since that is in the midst of World War II and clothes were rationed it is very possible that older styles were being worn by teens." HBC is not sure that we would describe these one-piece suits as an "older style". We note them being worn into the 1960s. The romper style suits were worn, for example, at Wakefield High School in the early 1960s. By this time schools were beginning to shift over to short pants and "T" shirts like the boys wear.

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Created: 2:40 AM 11/16/20044
Last updated: 12:42 AM 11/17/2004