Figure 1.--English state primary schools chools in the early-20th century did not require uniforms. Note the variety of clothes worn by these boys. While Eton collars predominated there is quite a diversity including Fauntleroy lace collars, sailor collars, and one boy wearing no collar at all.

Boys at public schools and prepschools continued wearing the styles set in the late-19th century boys commonly wore peaked caps and Eton collars. Blazers were still mostly sports war. Knickers began to decline in popularity and were replaced by knee pants and long stockings. By the 1910s the short pants and knee socks introduced by Lord Baden Powell's nasent Boy Scout movement had begun to make inroads at prep schools. State prinmary schools still did not require uniforms. State secondary schools, many of which required fees, did require uniforms, but tended to follow the styles popular at the prestigious public schools.

Chronological Trends (1900s-10s)

English school uniforms did not change greatly during the eraly-20th century. The styles which were widely adopted in the late-19th century continued to be widely worn in the early-20th century. Younger boys might wear Fauntleroy suits or suits with Fauntleroy styling, especilly in the 1900s. White prestinr Eton collars we a major school and fashion stple during both the 1900s and 10s. We still see many boys wearing Eton collars, in both the 1900s and 10s. You can see that innthe primary school here (figure 1). Girls commonly wore pinafores. There were, however, some ckearly discernable trends. The one major change was in trousers. A lot of boys in the private schools still wore long trousers at the turn-of-the 20th century. This was much less common by the end of the 1910s. The overwealming imprression is formality. The 1910s was dominated by World war I which begn in 1914. This would affect popular conventions of formaliry, especially after the war. But we still see school children dressed what we would describe as formal during the war. It is fairly easy to date school images to the early-20 century. Separating the 1900s images from the 10s is more difficult.

Types of Schools

Private schools were responsible for setting most of the uniform styles in England, with the exception of short trousers which were primarily introduced by the Boy Scout movement and eventually adopted by the schools.

Private schools

Boys at public schools and prepschools continued wearing the styles set in the late 19th century. Public school uniforms were still dark colored suits and Eton collars were the dominate style. Boys still wore knickers at a few public schools, but long trousers were becoming more common. Almost all boys wore peaked caps. At a few public schools boys wore boaters. Blazers were largely sports wear at public schools, widely seen at cricket matches on warm spring days. Prep school uniforms tended to be similar to those at the public schools. Uniform standards were somewhat more relacked at many prep schools. Group photographs from the era sometimes show a few boys dressed differently in outfits like sailor suits, although not as commonly as in the late 19th century when prep schools often did not enforce strict uniform codes. Mpst prep boys, like public school boys, wore dark suits and Eton collars. By the 1910s a few prep schools adopted colored blazers. Prep school boys commonly wore knickers or kneepants in the 1900s, but in the 1910s short trousers and kneesocks began to be increasingly common.

State schools

Virtually no state primary schools required uniforms. Some schools did, however, have the boys wear caps. There was still no such thing as a state secondary schools in the early 20th century before World War I (1914-18). There were grammar schools, not run by the state, but to which clever kids would win scholarships paid for largely by the state. The schools run by the state were "elementary" schools, which until the 1940s meant all-through schools for ages 5 to 13. These certainly did not have uniforms. The grammar schools did require uniforms, but tended to follow the styles popular at the prestigious public schools. Many of these schools used the public schools as a model on how a secondary school should be organized and run. Following the uniform standards at the public schools was just one example of this.

Garments

Boys commonly wore peaked caps. Boaters were worn to a lesser extent. Eton collars perdominated, although by the late 1910s, neckties had begun to appear. Most private schools had uniforms with suit jackets of rather drab colors. Eton styled suits were worn at a few schools, but one of the most popular styles were Norfolk jackets. Brightly colored blazers were still mostly worn for games (sports). Knickers began to decline in popularity and were replaced by knee pants and long stockings. By the 1910s the short pants and kneesocks introduced by Lord Baden Powell's nasent Boy Scout movement were being widely worn at state elementary schools and had begun to make inroads at prep schools. The prepschools were slower to adopt shorts because their focus was on preparing boys for the public schools. Thus uniform trends at the public schools had a great impact on prep school uniforms.

Figure 1.--Here we see a post-card back portrait of a very large classroom with the teacher. By the turn-of-the 20th century we ee more women teachers. In the 19ith century the tachers were mostly men. This teacher had her hand full -- there were about 50 children in this class. Thev girls wear pinafiores. The boys Eton collars.

Classrooms

We mostly see school portraits with the children posed outdoors in the 19th century. This was because of technology, both slow emulsion speeds and the problem of lighting up the classroom for the portrait. Avances in photohgraphy provide more and more images imnnside the classroom. In the early 20th century this meant stopping the class and srring uip the classroom portsait. Sometimes desks nd cjildren had to ne moved so everyone was in the portrait. At first arrnging the classroom for the portrait was necessary, but as the century progeesses were begin to see less intrusive imafes of actual insyruction taking place. With the turn-of the 20th century we see more and more indoor classroom images. This provides all kinds of interesting information beyond just lining the children up outdoors. Both provide information on how they were dressed, although the indoor porteraits gebnerally provide less because of the furniture. Th classroion poetraits, however oprovide ll kinds of interesting information. We see detaols as to class size, furniture, student arrangement, classroom rquioment, wall decoration, lighting, books, class size, gender dustribution, discipline, interctions among the children, and a variety of other details useful in assessing period instruction and the resources available to the teacher.

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Created: November 11, 1999
Last updated: 4:41 PM 7/16/2021