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The New Zealand school uniform garments have remained remarkably standard over time. They include all the basic school uniform items worn in Britain and other countries. Traditionally, New Zealand schools have adopted British school uniform garments. New Zealand uniform styles once followed British styles with the students wearing blazers, ties, and even caps. As in Britain, traditional school caps have disappeared in New Zealand, except at a few private preparatory schools. The primary change in past few years is that most schools have discontinued the once common school caps. A few private schools continue to require them. Many schools have, however, begun to rethink the cap question because of the hole in the ozone layer and increasing levels of solar radiation. Other schools uniform garments including blazers, jumpers (sweaters), shirts, ties, pants, socks, and shoes or still widely worn. Girls wear dresses or blouses and kilts and sometimes tights. The most destinctive aspect of New Zealand school uniform garments is that short trousers and kneesocks are till commonly worn, even at secondary schools. There are substantial differences, however, from school to school. There have also been a gradual shift from the moral formal items like ties and blazers to more informal garments. There are garments for formal occassions as well as for seasonal wear. There has been a gradual trend to replave traditional British-style uniform garments with less expensive and more casualkl options including: polo shirts, fleece tops. Relatively few schools have completely abndoned school uniforms. Some uniform items are worn by both boys and girls. Other items are exclisively worn by one of the other. New Zealand uniforms for boys are now quite different than in Britain. The blazers and ties still common in Britain are now not normally worn for everyday wear in New Zealand schools. British secondary students do not wear shorts. The uniforms worn by girls, however, continue to be quite similar to British styles.
Virtually all New Zealand schoolboys, like their British counterparts, wore peaked caps as recently as the 1950s. Caps began to become less common in the 1960s. Both state and private secondary schools once required them. A great variety of colors were used. As the fashion of wearing caps and hats wained, school caps began to disapear in the 1960s. By the 1980s only a handful of privateschols still required them. The primary change in past few years is that most schools have discontinued the once common school caps. As in Britain, traditional school caps have disappeared in New Zealand, except at a few private preparatory schools. While caps are still not commonly worn, many New Zealand schools have now begun to rethink the cap question because of the hole in the ozone layer and increasing levels of solar radiation. Many schools are attempting to inform the students and parents about the dangers of over exposure to the sun. Caps are not, however, generally very popular with students. Bicycle helmets were once a rarity. Saftey approved helments are now a legal requirement in New Zealand for all students who cycle to and from school. The schools insist on them. The Police will stop a child who is no wearingone and give them a stern lecture. Even at home while playing, children almost always wear them.
We noted some British school with uniform coats. Often it was gabardine rain coats, although this was less common by the 1980s. We are not sure if New Zealand schools once also had the gabardine raincoat as part of the school uniform. We did not notice neing worn in the 1980s. We did notice that several schools, mostly state secondary schools, had casual nylon jackets which they wore on cool days. Most New Zealand school uniform garments have a British look to them. These casual jackets have more of an American look. Otherwise the children could wear what ever coats or rain gear they had handy. The relatively mild climate means that cold weather coats are rarely necessary.
A great variety of colors and stripped blazers were worn by British boys from the 1920s through the 1970s. The cost of the blazers and a trend of simplyfying the uniform as well as New Zealand's warmer climate caused many schools, especially the boys' schools to discard them for every day school wear. There have also been a gradual shift from the more formal items like ties and blazers to more informal garments.
At some schools the older boys may still wear them. Many of the private preparatory schools continue to require blazers. The blazers almost always are worn with the school crest.
We see a few schools which adopted suits as the school uniform. While blazers are relatively common in New Zealand schools, a few schools have suits rather than a blazer. One school wears a blazer badge on the suit jacket. Another just has a suit without the badge. Suits were worn at both state and private schools. This was not a very common option. The suits as far as we know are only grey. Of course while girls wore blazers, there was no comparable outfit for girls.
Sweaters are widely worn at New Zealand schools by both boys and girls. Unlike mot other garments, the same sweaters wee worn by boys and girls at many schools. While it never gets really cold in New Zealand,it does get chilly asnd it can even snow, especilly on South Island. Thus sweaters are habfy garments during the Winter term. Blazers are not commonly worn at many schools. Instead the children commonly wear sweaters. The most common sweaters were grey sweaters, usually with colored trim. At the schools where boys wore blue short pants, the standard sweater color was dark blue. We also notice schools with other colors such as brown, green, and red. Usually these colored sweaters did not have colored trim. Sweaters as in Britain might be called jumpers at New Zealand schools. Some schools have replaced sweaters with sweatshirts.
The standard school boy shirt after Eton suits disappeared during the 1930s were grey straight collared shirts. Grey was considered practicalmfor boys as theyvdid not show the dirt as much as white shirts--an important consideration in the era before washing machines and was and wear fabrics. Grey shirts continue to be be very commonly worn, but a wide variety of school uniform shirts have appeared at New Zealand schools. The standrd grey shirt is still common for everday wear. There are grey cotton shirts for summer and heavier shirts often dne in a blended fabric for the winter. Sone of these shirts are done in the Rugby style. Many schoolsd require white shirts for dress occasions. In recent years, a number of schools have adopted polo shirts for the summer term. Some of the schools wear the boys wear dark blue shorts have matching shirts. For dress occasions a white shirt was substituted. Some elementary schools in recent years haveintoduced more casual white or blue polo-style shirts. There are also blouses for the girls. Girls wear long or short sleeved polyester cotton blouses. They may have shirt-type collars or Peter Pan collars. Some schools have Winter uniforms of blouses worn with kilts for the girls.
British schoolboys wore neck ties to school. Both state and private schoolsrequired them. The ties were usually stripped in the school colors. Often prefects or boys who "won their colors" received the honor of wearing distinctive colors or patterns. These "sports ties" are particularly common. This pattern was continued in New Zealand, but generally has been discarded or made optional. Only a few state secondary schools continue to require them, but many private schools still do. British schoolgirls adopted the same boyish style of ties. New Zealand schools adopted the same style for girls and until the 1970s they were commonly worn in New Zealand. Many schools now have open neck styles for girls, but at some schools girls also wear neck ties. At a few schools they wear ties styled destinctly.
The most destinctive aspect of New Zealand school uniform garments is that short trousers and kneesocks are till commonly worn, even at secondary schools. Most secondary school boys have traditionally short trousers. There are substantial differences, however, from school to school. They have been mostyly dark or mid-grey shorts. A few schools influenced by a Scottish school wear dark blue shorts. A few other colors are worn, but they are not common. There are both pants worn for summer and winter seasonal uniforms. A common summer uniform is light-weight cotton drill grey shorts with a matching shirt. A more formal hewvy-weight pair of shorts is worn during the winter. At some schools all boys weasr short trousers, although the dress uniform may include long trousers. Increasing schools are allowing the senior boys to wear long trousers or are making shorts seasonal wear. Thus shorts are becoming the uniform item separating junior and senior divisions. Such conventions vary widely from school to school. Some schools in recent years have made short pants optional. Short pants when worn are worn with either kneesoks or without socks when wearing sandals. We do not notice ankle socks being worn with shorts.
Girls at almost all New Zealand schools wear skirted garments like dresses, skirts, or kilts. At least one high school allwes them to wear trousers like the boys if they so choose. English style jumpers were once common, but now dresses are more common--especially during the summer. Shirtwaister style dresses or common with or weithout buttoned belt. Many schools have skirts worn with blouses or polo shirts as a summer uniform or an option to a dress. Several schools use tartan kilts as a winter uniform.
Many New Zealand schools required boys to wear short pants uniforms. Normally they were worn with kneesocks. The primary exception here was summer uniforms in which Roman sandals were worn with out socks. Most schools had grey kneesocks with colored tops done in the school colors. There were a wide range of color combintions. The colors normally matched the school tie or trim on the school sweaters. Some schools had dark blue kneesocks also with colored tops. A few schools had solid grey or dark blue kneesocks without colored tops, but this was less common. A few schools had light-colored kneesocks. These were often worn by the older boys with walk shorts.
Girls may wear leather, usually brown, lace up shoes with low heals. Other common options are brown leatherm single strap shoes or "T" strap shoes in the English school sandal style. Elementary-age British boys often wore closed-toe brown "T" strap sandals, referred to as school sandals, for normal school wear. Boys gernerally wear black leather shoes althoug a few schools require brown shoes. A lthough once prohibited, some schools now allow boys to wear sneakers (trainers). Some younger boys or girls wore redish-brown or blue sandals or double strap sandals. This style was never as popular in New Zealand, but was common until the 1960s. Currently such sandals are usually only worn by girls, except for a few preparatory school. Brown Roman-style flat heel sandals with out socks are commonly worn by secondary schoolboys as part of the school uniform. At some schools contests are known to see who can continue wearing the summer style of sandals without kneesocksd the longest during the winter. A few schools have the children wear slippers inside to help keep the school clean.
Many schools allow Year 13 students to wear clothes of their owm selection for part or all of the year. Regulations vary greatly from school to school. This is referred to as "mufti". This was a British term refered to civilian clothes as opposed to military unidforms. It originated to the British colonial era. A mufti was an Islamic legal advisor consulted in applying religious law. The British applied the term to clothing as muftis were considered to be civil officials as opposed to British military officials. Most primary children wear their own clothes, byt the term "mufti" is used primarily at schools which have uniforms. Not only are senior students at scome secondary schools granted permission to wear mufti, but many schools also have special days in which all students are allowed to wear mufti. Often a fee is charged and donated to a charity.
There are also uniformn gym suits and sports uniforms. Primary schools do not generally have gym suits or sports uniforms. An exception here are the private scchools, especially the prep schools. Secondary schools have gym suits as well as sports uniforms. Some schools are extrmely flexible about gym suits while others are very strict that the official items be worn. There are also sports uniform for the school teams. Here particular emphasis is give to the rugby and soccer teams. I'm less sure about football.
Schools vary greatly on regulations concerning jewelery. Most schools permit students to wear wrist watches and a small palin ring. Trgulations are more diverse concerning necllaces, braclets, era rings or studs and sleepers. A student may be asked to remove jewellery for some activities such as physical education or workshop if it represents a potentially dangerous situation.
