Figure 1.--This English school boy, probably at a prep school, wears a standard gray shirt and tie. The image is undated, but we would guess it was painted in the 1950s. The artist is not identified.

The standard school boy shirt after Eton collars disappeared during the 1930s were grey straight collared shirts. Gray shirts were considered paractical for schoolwear because they did not show the dirt as much as a white shirt. For dress occasions a white shirt was usually substituted. Some elementary schools in recent years have intoduced more casual white or blue polo-style shirts. Artex shirts were a popular choice. Most shirts buttoned all down the front. A Rugby style which buttoned only part of the way was popular in the 1950s, but were not common after the 1960s. Rugby shirts contine to be worn in Australia and New Zealand during the 1990s. Mongramed shirts have not been common even in private scgools, but some schools have adopted them in recent years. School uniform shirts after the demise of Eton collars were always standard pointed collars. Although the size of the collars have varied slightly with the times, we have never noted styles like button-downs or tabs. While schools had a number of fairly standard shirts, rules about wearing ties have varied substantially, especially sdice the 1960s.

Types

There are various types of shirts and shirt-like tops which were worn by English school boys. They include shirts, shirt-waists, blouses, and casual polo shirts. This is a little difficult to follow because of our relince on the photogrohic record. And often all we can see in the photographic record is the collar becuse school boys commonly wore jackets, vests, and sweters. We have images with the boys just wearing their shirts, but this is mostly in the mid-20th century when shirt-waists and blouses were no longer worn. Shirts are tops with attsched collars and shirt tails. Short waisrs do not have collrs and commonly shirt waists. Blouses were shirt-like garments without shirt tails. Some but not all bloused out at the waist with drraw string closures. A 20th century developmnt was the casual polo shirt which some schools began using in the late-20th century.

Elements

There are several important elemnts to shirts and shirt-like garments. These include the collar, sleeves, cuffs, and the length, specially the shirt tails are the lack of them. The most vissible element in the photographic record is the collar, both attached and detachable collars. The other elements are less vissible in the photographic record, especially in the 19th century when boys did not commonly wear or even less commonly have their portrait taken in just a shirt without jackets and vests. It is sometimes possible to see something of the sleeves because the cuffs might show. All shirts had long-sleeves in the 19th century. Girls had dresses with short sleeves, but shirts had long sleeves. We do not see boys wearing short-sleeved shirts at school until the mid-20th century. Shirt lengths are even more difficult to assess. Althogh it is reasonable to surmise that if a boys is wearing a belt, that he is wearing a shirt with shirt-tails. British boys always wore their shirts tucked in at the waist. This did not chnge until the appearnce of polo shirts as a school garment in the late-20th century.

Colors

We have noted quite a range of colors being used for shirts at English schools. The standard school uniform shirt for years was a grey shirt. This was particularly important when laundry was a lot more labor intensive than is the case today. Gray shirts were considered paractical for schoolwear because they did not show the dirt as much as a white shirt. For dress occasions a white shirt was usually substituted. Some elementary schools in recent years have intoduced more casual white or blue polo-style shirts, especially during the summer. Although not nearly as common, we have also noted green and yellow shirts. Almost always light colors are used. We have noted a few schools where dark blue shirts were worn.

Material

We do not know much about the material used for school shirts. Artex shirts were a popular choice for the spring term when the weather warmed up. Some of the grey shirts were made from a blended cotton-wool fabric. Some were flannel. An English reader recalls that the shirts were nice and warm when worn with sweaters on cold days. Several readers recall the white nylon dress shirts worn in the 1970s. Here there are differences of opinion. One reader, Bill, did not like them at all. He thought that they were cold and clammy. Another boy, Edward also did not like them, although it was not because they were not comfortable. Another reader, Mark, who wore them in his comprehensive school during the 1970s. He rather liked them. I do not knpw much ablout these nylon shirts, but believe that they had generally gone outbof style by the 1980s.

Patterns

A few private schools had shirts with paterns. These were normally checks. An English reader writes, "A photo on HBC shows a boy wearung a shirt with rather large checks. There are several Prep schools in the UK which have checked shirts for the boys which are not dissimilar to the girls gingham school dresses therefore a much tighter checked pattern. Colours tend to be blue, green, yellow but I have also seen pink used. I'd guess that the boys were not too happy about that colour! You would not see such shirts worn in state schools as they are obviously more expensive."

Buttoning

Most shirts buttoned all down the front. A Rugby style which buttoned only part of the way was popular in the 1950s, but were not common after the 1960s. Rugby shirts contine to be worn in Australia and New Zealand during the 1990s.

Monograms

Mongramed shirts have not been common even in private scgools, but some schools have adopted them in recent years.

Ties

While schools had a number of fairly standard shirts, rules about wearing ties have varied substantially, especially sdice the 1960s.

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Created: October 25, 2002
Last updated: 9:30 PM 12/4/2017