Figure 1.--This prep school boy wears a purple blazer. Note the marching purple stripped tie and grey school shirt. |
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Virtually all preparatory school boys wore blazers by the 1920s. A few schools still had Eton jackets and collars. Most schools, however, had adopted soft collars and colorful school blazers. English streets in the morning and afternoon when the children were trudging to school were a bright display of the many differently colored blazers topped weith matching caps. Secondary schools, both private and state, also required blazers although they were often not as colorful as the prep school blazers. Prep school boys
continue to wear blazers with a tie, although the current blazers are usually less colorful than was the case in past years. A few have discontinued them, but most schools still have blazers. The boys mostly wear them to and from school and while at school mostly wear their jumpers or during the summer just a shirt. An increasing number of schools in the 1990s are dropping the blazer and adopting a more informal uniform including open-necked shirts and sweat shirts.
Virtually all preparatory school boys wore blazers by the 1920s. A few schools still had Eton jackets and collars. Most schools, however, had adopted soft collars and colorful school blazers. By the 1930s the great majority of prep schools had adopted colorful blazers. This was the common standard for prep schools through the 1960s. We notice some prep schools with suits rather than blazers. Some had both blazers and suits. Schools in the 1970s began to elect less colorful blazers. Striped blazers in particular declined in popularity--primarily because of the cost. An increasing number of schools in the 1990s are dropping the blazer and adopting a more informal uniform including open-necked shirts and sweat shirts.
English streets in the morning and afternoon when the children were trudging to school were a bright display of the many differently colored blazers topped with colorful, usually matching caps. Some schools had multi-colored striped blazers. Othr schools adopted blazers with piping, although these appear to have been more common at public (elite private boarding) schools for the older boys. Secondary schools, both private and state, also required blazers although they were often not as colorful as the prep school blazers. Prep school boys continue to wear blazers with a tie, often coordinated with the blazer color. Slowly after thev 1950s, the colorful caps began to decline in popularity. The current blazers are usually less colorful than was the case in past years. The most common color for prep schools was probably blue done in different shades. Others colors include black, brown, burgandy, green, grey, pink, purple, red, and yellow. Black was more common for state secondary schools, but some schools had black blazers as well, like the school the boy here attended (figure 1). Grey was most common for the suits the boys wore, but there were grey blazers as well. Almost always the colorful blazers were accomapnies with grey sweaters, short pants or black long pants, and grey knee socks. This varied somewhat, but grey was the dominat color to go with the colorful blazers.
The boys at prep schools mostly wear their blazers to and from school and while at school mostly wear their jumpers or during the summer just a shirt. Only rarely do boys wear their blazers during the school day. This is especially true at boarding schools. Boys at day schools are more likely to wear their blazers. A few have discontinued them, but most schools still have blazers. Boys at boarding schools usually do not wear their blazers for everyday school. Sweaters, often grey, were more common or just shits suting the summer trm. Colorful sweat shirts have become pooular in recent years.
Related Blazer Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
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