Figure 1.--This boy was the only one in his class wearing a ruffled lace collar. I doubt if he was very happy about it, but I am sure his mother felt he looked darling in it. In the 1910s it became increasingly less common for boys to wear lace collars to school.

State primary schools still did not require uniforms. Some schools did, however, have the bioys wear caps. As a result, the clothes worn by the boys varied widely. Some of the younger boys might wear frilly lace collars, probably not willingly, or sailor suits. Most older boys wore suits with Eton collars. Rgere were still no state secondary schools. Grammar schools existed which had relatively modest fees and which clever boys from low-income families could win scholarships. These schools did require uniforms, tending 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.

Figure 2.--Only a few boys like the boy on the left wore sailor suits in this class. Most boys wore Eton collars. Note the one boy wearing a neck tie with his Eton collar. Note the boy at the bottom left, one of the few wearing a soft collar. Clicki on the image to see the only other boy in the class wearing a sailor suit.

Elementary Schools

State primary schools still did not require uniforms. Some schools did, however, have the boys wear caps. At many schools this was the only common element of clothing. Boys simply wore the popular styles of the day. The younger boys might wear sailor suits or even suits with lace or ruffled collars. The older boys might wear a Norfolk suit with Eton collar. Knee pants and to a lesser extent knickers were commonly worn in the 1900s. By the 1910s short pants and kneesocks had increased in popularity.

Educational trends

The English state system had in the reforms of 1870 instituted compulsory eduvation, although I am not sure at this time precisely what the ages were. It was now accepted that all boys regardless of the family's financial situation, should recive a basic elementary education.

Types of schools

I believe there were still varied types of elementary schools in the eraly 20th century. I would like to provide some details here as well as the ages boys began and commonly left elementary schools. I will insert this and other oertinent information on early 20th century schools when it becomes available.

Figure 3.--Note the boy at the left wearing a snake belt. The boy in the middle wears a Eton collar with a waist coat but not bow or tie. The boy at the right wears a fancy bow with his Eton collar.

Secondary Schools

England still did not have a state secondary school system in the early 20th century. There were grammar schools, but they were fee paying schools not run by the state. Fees werenot high, but they were high enough to eclude many working class children whose parents could barely put food on the table. 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 have uniforms, primarily modeled on the uniforms at the public (private) schools. Like much of the academic program, the uniform and wider ethos of the granmmar school was modeled on the public school.

Chronology

The images on this page are of a state elementary school. I am not sure when it was taken, but I would guess that it was taken about 1910.

Garments

Some of the major styles worn by boys in English elementary schools in the early 20th century included:
Caps: Boys commonly wore peaked caps. Even though the elementary schools did not have uniforms, many schools had the boys wear caps.

Figure 4.--Only two boys in the entire class did not wear jackets. Note the boy at the top wearing a waistcoat with his jacket, quite a few boys in this class wore waist coats.

Suits: Yonger boys might still go to school in sailor suits. This was more common in the 1900s than the 1910s. Most boys wore suits to school. Formal dress was much more common in the 19th century. This was the convention of thev day rather than a school requirement. One of the most popular suit styles was the Norfolk jacket. While Norfolk styling was especially popular, styles varied greatly. Some of the suits buttoned at the neck with the Eton collar oorn over the suit. Other jackets had lapels and were worn open. Most of these suits were worn with waist coats. While most boys wear fairly standard suits, as was often the case, one boy wears a more imaginative suit dreamed up by his doting mother. I'm not sure what the boys wearing these suits thought of them, but it was likely that the boys would have preferred a Norfolk suit like most of his classmates.

Figure 5.--Most of the boys, regardless of the suits they are wearing, appear to be wearing kneepants and long stockings.

Collars: The most common collar style for the older boys was the Eton collar. What is notable besides the predominance of this rather uncomfortable looking style was the great diversity of Eton collars. Some are quite small while others seem to almost engulf the boy. Note how there was no real standard about wether a biow of some kind should be worn with the collar and if so what type of bow or tie. A few younger boys might wear lace or more commonly ruffled collars. This was particularly common in the 1900s. Middy blouses with sailor collars were even more common.

Figure 6.--While most boys wear fairly standard suits, as was often the case, one boy wears a more imaginative suit dreamed up by his doting mother.

Bows: Most boys wore their Eton collars without any bows. Quite a few had modest little bows or bowties. Two boys had modern looking neckties, but they were solid light colors and not stripped.
Trousers: Elementary age boys rarely wore long pants. Knickers and kneepants were commonly worn. Kneepants domminated for elementary age boys in the in the 1900s. Short pants became more common in the 1910s.
Belts: I'm not preciseloy sure when snake belts first appeared, but boys in the early 1900s were wearing them.
Hose: Long stockings were usually worn with kneepants. I am not not sure what was sworn with knickers. The new short pants were mostly worn with kneesocks. I do not think school ge boys commonly wore ankle socks.

Figure 7.--Notice how varied the Eton collars were. Two noys, perhaps brothers, wear quite large collars that their mothers had chosen for them. Other boys have rather small Eton collars. Notev also the varied bows and ties. Click on the image for more examples of Eton collars and bows.

Shoes: Boys tended to wear heavy boot-like shoes. Boys had begun to wear sandals in the 1910s, but I do not think they were common school wear.
Medals: Boys were given medals for superior work. In any formal photograph they can usually be seen wearing them.

Material

HBC does not yet have adequate information to describe the materailas commonly worn.

Parental Attitude

Compulsory state education was still comparatively new in Britain in the early 1900s. One HBC contributor notes that that parents attempted to send children to school in outfits that were both presentable and reaonably hardwearing. There's almost an element of 'Sunday Best' about the kids in the picture. Often the school photo was a major event. It is likely that mothers made a special effort to have the boys look their best for the photograph.

Secondary Schools

HBC at this time has relatively little information on uniform standards at state secondary schools. State secondary schools education was rather limited in the early 19th century. Few working class boys went beyond elementary school. Many of the schools required fees. Most of these schools did require uniforms. They 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.

Related Links: Careful this will exit you from the Boys' Historical Clothing web site, but both sites are highly recommended

Apertures Press International Project: Pictures at schools in different countries and a book on British schools
Apertures Press New Zealand book: New book on New Zealand schools in progress
Boys' Preparatory Schools: Lovely photographic essay of British preparatory schools with some over 200 color and black and white photographs depicting the schools during the 1980s
School Uniform Web SiteInformative review of British school uniforms with some excellent photographs

Created: November 11, 1999
Last updated: November 11, 1999