Figure 1.--This is a typical rural primary school class during the 1920s in rural America. This is a good indicator of how rural children dressed at the time. City boys would have likely been dresses mostly in knickers.

Public school children, however, have never worn uniforms. Elementary school schildren by the 1920s generally wore what they wore at home, but usually better clothes than for play. Actually parents would normally purchase a new clothes for children in August. Those clothes would be saved for school wear and last years school clothes would be used for play. Common boys' clothes were a flannel shirt and during the 1920s and 30s knickers. Elementary school boys in cities dressed more formally than in the country. Beginning in the 1920s school children began to dress more informally. Boys did not normally wear suits to school, but would get dressed up for photographs. Many elementary boys would in the 1920s continue to wear knickers to high school, but this declined as the decade progressed. Boys had mostly worn long stockings and commonly above the knee knickers in the 1910s, but by the mid 1920s American boys were mostly wearing below the knee knickers and kneesocks. Some younger boys might wear short pants, although this varied very much by region. Shorts were most common in the south and California, but much less common in the mid-west and north-east--except in private schools.

Figure 2.--A realistic look at a small rural school and how the children dressed about the 1930s. Notice the three boys dressed in overalls, dungarees (jeans), and knickers.

Chronology

Significant changes occurred in school clothes during the unter-war years. Boys shifted from kneepants to knickers. Above the knee knickers were common in the 1920s, but were mostly below the knee by the 1930s. Younger boys began wearing short pants. Long stockings gave way to kneesocks, but short socks were becoming more common by the late 1930s. Many boys still dressed up for school, but school wear in cities was less formal than in the early 1900s. Boys increasingly began wearing sneakers, although leather shoes were still more common.

Conventions

American public school children did not wear uniforms in the 1920s and 30s. Elementary school children by the 1920s generally wore what they wore at home, but usually better clothes than for play. After World War I (1914-18) destinctive styles began to appear for play and casual wear. This trend, however, was just beginning. Actually parents would normally purchase a new set of clothes for children in August before school began on Labor Day at the beginning of September. I'm not sure just when this became an established ritual, but it certainly was well established in the 1920s, at least for families that could afford brand new clothes for the children. Those clothes would be saved for school wear and last years school clothes would be used for play. This continued to be the case in the 1930s as the Great Depression severely limited family spending for clothing.

Figure 3.--This idealized drawing is how mothers would have liked to have sent theie sons off to school. The drawing appeared in a 1937 advertisement for U.S. Savings Bonds.

Garments

Common boys' clothes were a flannel shirt and during the 1920s and 30s knickers. Elementary school boys in cities dressed more formally than in the country. Beginning in the 1920s school children began to dress more informally.

Caps

Boys commonly came to school in caps. Formal wide-brimmed hats common in the early 20th century were generallu replaced by informal caps of various types.

Suits

Most boys did not normally wear suits to school, but would get dressed up for photographs. Some boys still wear suits, but it was less and less common. It was perhaps an ideal, the way mothders would have liked to have sent their boys to school. Boys at private schools did generally wear suits to school.

Shirts

Pants

Many elementary boys would in the 1920s switched from keepants to knickers. Most boys wore knickers, although younger boys might wear short pants. Boys uo\p to 10 years old, but usually even younger boys, might wear button-on shorts. Long pants were not unknowm, but knickers were much more commom in most areas. Boys had mostly worn long stockings and commonly above the knee knickers in the 1910s, but by the mid 1920s American boys were mostly wearing below the knee knickers and kneesocks. Some younger boys might wear short pants, although this varied very much by region. Shorts were most common in the south and California, but much less common in the mid-west and north-east--except in private schools. Kneesocks were very common, although some younger boys continued wearing long stockings.

Individual Schools

A variety of images taken at different elementary (Primary) schools around the country provide a good idea of what children were actually wearing to school. Unfortunately many of these images are undated and unidentified. Even they offer some fascinating glimpses of American school wear in the interwars years.

Elementary school, early 1930s

A group of younger children, probably second are third graders are seen recreating a passagener ship. Almost all the boys wear short pants. Several wear sailor suits. One boy wears button-on shorts and long stockings. Unfortunately the photograph is undated, but probably was taken about 1933.

Related Links: Careful this will exit you from the Boys' Historical Clothing web site, but both sites are highly recommended.

Apertures Press International Project: Pictures at schools in different countries and a book on British schools
Apertures Press New Zealand E-book: New book on New Zealand schools in progress
School Uniform Web SiteInformative review of British school uniforms with some excellent photographs
Boys' Preparatory SchoolsLovely photographic essay of British preparatory schools during the 1980s containing over 200 color and black and white photographs.

Created: June 5, 1999
Last updated: March 24, 2000