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We boys wore grey kneesocks. Ours had green-colored bands at the top. The girls wore white kneesocks. Our Church of Ebgland primary school require boys wear grey kneesocks with olored loops. These school socks were bought at BHS and were grey with two green hoops around the turnover tops (our school colours being green and yellow). Mum bought a lot of our basic school clothes at BHS. They had reasonable prices. At BHS the school socks were laid out in trays and the boys ones were all grey with all of the various coloured hoops around the tops. When we got home we peeled off these labels and then Mum would sew our name labels onto the very top so that they would be hidden. As I think I have told you I preferred wearing my school socks out of school too regardless of what else I was wearing. It was partly because they were familiar and partly because green was my favourite colour so that suited me. The school was strict about keeping the socks pulled up and the tops turned over neatly so the bands were straight. For this we had garters which Mum made. For some reason the girls white socks did not have turn-over-tops and they always seemed to stay up withour garters! They could wear ankle-socks in Summer too which we couldn't.
As a boy I wore both kneesocks and short (ankle) socks. Our primary school required grey kneesocks with colored loops as part of school uniform. I guess I got used to these as I never cared much for short socks, even during the summer. Left to my own I always put on kneesoks, especially my grey school socks. I also had fawn kneesocks, but I didn't like them as much. Here I ran into trouble with mum as she thought it was healty to get as much sun as possible and thus brought short-sleeve shirts and short socks for summer wear. Curiously mum also ran into trouble as gran didn't approve of short socks. So the whole hosiery situation, at least while I was in primary school got a little complicated. It is true that "school socks" were by far the most commonly worn kneesocks when I was growing up and that goes for out-of-school wear as well as (obviously!) for school. One thing I should say is that kneesocks were always considered as most suitable for "best" wear and not just for school. I think that this was the case for most boys - older boys anyway - and not just with my Mum.
Our Church of England primary school require boys wear grey kneesocks with olored loops. These school socks were bought at BHS and were grey with two green hoops around the turnover tops (our school colours being green and yellow). Very few state primary schools had more than one colour around the tops of the socks (unlike secondary schools and prep schools which might have two or three colours and were more expensive).
Mum bought a lot of our basic school clothes at the British Home Stores (BHS). They had reasonable prices and good quality. At BHS the school socks were laid out in trays and the boys ones were all grey with all of the various coloured hoops around the tops. Mum always bought us half a dozen pairs each to start back at school and I remember they came with each pair held together with a sticky label showing the shoe size they fitted. Actually BHS and the other chain stores olayed a major role in standardising school uniforms in the 1960s. Here I am talking about all school unform garments and not just school socks.
When we got home we peeled off these labels and then Mum would sew our name labels onto the very top so that they would be hidden when we turned over the top when wearing them.You could tell if a boy had put his socks on inside out in the rush to change after swimming or P.E. because the name label would be showing on the outside!.
I can't remember any boys being pulled up for not wearing the correct socks at our primary school, as long as they were wearing grey kneesocks. I do recall very clearly boys being told to pull them up both literally and figuratively! I usually kept my socks pulled up and mum was very concientious about providing us functional garters. But others boys did get into trouble about allowing their socks to fall down. Here it was always the boys and not the girls. This is not to say that all boys always wore the correct socks. I suppose but I don't recall any not wearing them from when I first started to notice these things at about 9 or 10 years. I do recall that when I first started at the school some boys wore hand-knitted socks and I don't suppose that the Mum's/Grans knitted in the green hoops but they may have. I think towards the end of my primary school years BHS were mass producing school socks with all of the different coloured bands and so they were cheaper. I know that we always had the correct socks and Mum also bought us "school" socks with blue bands and so on to wear with our best outfits so they can't have been that expensive or Mum might have bought plain ones.
As I think I have told you I preferred wearing my school socks out of school too regardless of what else I was wearing. It was partly because they were familiar and partly because green was my favourite colour so that suited me. After school I normally just took off my tie and blazer and stayed out playing - getting home just before Mum got in from work. We were meant to go straight home from school and change but I rarely did. Mum was more concerned about us not spoiling our school shoes and shorts by playing in them so as long as I got home before she did and changed into a pair of our playshorts and plimpsoles I was usually alright!. Even at weekends or in the school holidays I would wear a pair of our old school socks for play if they were available.
The school was strict about keeping the socks pulled up and the tops turned over neatly so the bands were straight. For this we had garters which Mum made. Before each school term she'd go to a wool shop near us and buy two yards of white garter elastic. The old woman would measure it out between two brass markers on the counters glass top. Then back at home Mum would measure it around our calves - mark it off and sew us several pairs each. I hated wearing the new garters as they seemed to pinch your legs - and it was true becaus ehwen you took your socks off you'd have a red mark on your skin. Gradually they wore looser though and were easier but then they'd get too loose and Mum would get a new pair out. There was an ideal state where the garters were just tight enough to keep your socks up but not uncomfortable that never lasted long but me and my older brother could usually recognise the ideal garters and it was something else we'd fight over. For some reason the girls white socks did not have turn-over-tops and they always seemed to stay up withour garters! They could wear ankle-socks in Summer too which we couldn't.
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