Figure 1.--Blazers are still commonly worn at prparatory schools. The variety of colors and stripped patterns are not nearly as common as they once were. Nor are the matching caps very common. Blue blazers are now very common. |
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Schools in the 20th century, especially after World War I began adopting the blazer as an integral pert of the school uniform. Conventions were often more formal at the time. Schools with uniforms commonly required that the children wear their blazers during the school day. Special permission was required for boys to take off therir blazers, even on a hot summer day. Only during the late 1950s did schools begin to relack the rules about blazers. By the 1960s boys at many schools could take off their blazers. Gradually while boys would wear their blazers to and from school, during the day they would mostly wear their jumpers. This varied, however, from school to school. Blazers are still widely worn at British schools. Styles and practices, however, have changed somewhat. Colors are no longer as diverse. Some styles such as stripes and blazers with contrasting borders are less common, primarily a matter of cost. A much wider spectrum of the English population now chooses private education and schools have attemopted to simplify the uniform. The clothing list required of boys until the 1960s could be quite daunting for a small boy--and very expensive. Multi-colored
blazers and those with edging work are more expensive and tnus have gradually disappeared. Even so there are still a wide variety of brightly colored blazers worn by British school children. Often the girls schools now have the most brightly colored blazers. Presumably the girls take a little better care of their blazers than do the boys. Blazers begame less common in the 1990s. Boys and girls at many comprehensives now rarely wear them, comong to school now mostly wearing jumpers and a coat on a cold day. This varies, however, from school to school. Most private schools still have blazers. The blazer is worn less today than in earlier years. Some schools do not now even have blazers. Most do but they are mostly worn while coming and gong to school and for school functions. While at school, British boys mostly wear their jumpers (sweaters) or just a shirt during the school day. They rarely put on their blazers. Some schools in the 1990s experminented with more relaxed uniforms. Some schools replaced blazers with sweatshirts.
Our information is still limited on school blazers in the 1900s. As far as we can tell the blazer in the 1900s was still primarily a sports garment worn at private schools. We have, however, found a few images of English schools at which the principal uniform was a blazer. Many preparatory schools at this time did not yet have a standard uniform, but mny did. And a few of those schools appear to have adopted a blazer for the uniform. Eton colars were still very common. So we even see some boys wearing blazers with Eton collars. This was not very common because as blzers were becoming more common after the 1900s, Eton collars were becoming less common.
Our English school image archive for the 1900s is limited, but we have only found a few images of blazer uniforms at this time other than as sports uniforms.
Schools in the 20th century, especially after World War I began adopting the blazer as an integral pert of the school uniform. We believe this in the decde in which the blazer became commonly worn at English schools. Our informtion on the decade, however, is still quite limited. The adoption of the blazer appears to have been especially common at preparatory schools. Some public (private seconfry) schools also adopted blazer uniforms. Conventions were often more formal at the time. Schools with uniforms commonly required that the children wear their blazers during the school day. Special permission was required for boys to take off therir blazers, even on a hot summer day. Boys commonly wore blazers with matching caps.
Britain went to war with NAZI Germany (September 1939). World War II was mostly fought during the 1940s. NAZI Germany finally surrendered (May 1945) and Japan (September 1945). Britain was badly damaged during the War and bankrupt. War time rationing continued several years after the war. This included both food and clothing. We believe that many children had trouble findong the school blazers. At least we see a range of blazers and suit jackets in school portraits.
We see more schools in the 1950s with all the pupils wearing blazers. Apparently wore time shortages were finally overcome by the 1950s. One report says that some scjools began to relax rules about blazers, but we are not entirely sure what that meant.. Major changes were made in British education after World War II. Secondary education was significantly expnded in the state sector. Almost all the new secondary schools adopted a school uniform with a blazer. I'm not sure about the blazers adopted in the 1950s, but eventually black became the most common color. Blazers were commonly worn at preparatory schools, commonly with mtching caps. State primary schools began adopting uniforms in the 1950s. For the most part these were simple uniforms without a required blazers. Primary schools with religigious afliliation, especially Anglic schools, were more likely to require blazers. A reader writes, "I attended a boys' grammar (selective secondry) school during the 1950s. We wore blazers but older boys were
allowed sports jackets. Then, apparently due to a request from some of the
boys, everyone, including 6th form were required to wear a blazer. Nobody
seemed to mind. Our blazers were black with yellow trim around the edges. The yellow looked smart at first then soon became dirty. Sixth form boys (age 16+) wore plain black blazers."
Uniforms at primary schools had become much more common by the 1960s, but many did not include or require blazers. Most Anglican primaries did. Blazers were also required at almost every preparatory school, although some had suits rather than blazers. A few had both suits and blazers. Rules varied at didderent schools. At some schools blazers were for sports or upper-xlassmen. A reader tells us about his school, an East Anglia public school. By the 1960s boys at many schools could take off their blazers. Gradually while boys would wear their blazers to and from school, during the day they would mostly wear their jumpers. This varied, however, from school to school. The clothing list required of boys until the 1960s could be quite daunting for a small boy--and very expensive. A HBC reader tells us about his blazer, "I have already told you that my (Church of England) primary school did have blazers for both boys and girls and so did my friend Michael's which was Roman Catholic. Some other state primary schools had them too but not all. Michael's school still had matching caps which were compulsory (and berets for the girls) but we didn't have to wear them after I was 8 or 9 years old (1967). We had to wear our blazers to and from school and on school trips and also in the school hall when there was a carol concert or prize day but otherwise we could take them off and hang them up on our hooks in the classroom. (We had hooks in the cloakroom downstairs too but we never left our blazers there just our outer coats.) In fact we always had to take them off I remember to stop getting ink or chalk or paint (if we were doing art) on them.We'd put them on when we went down for afternoon assembly (or "prayers" as we called it) because we went straight home after that. My Mum was always particular about our blazers because they were the most expensive item of school uniform." More details are available about Bill's school blazer.
Blazers were still widely worn at British schools. Styles and practices, however, changed somewhat. Colors were no longer as diverse. Some styles such as stripes and blazers with contrasting borders were less common, primarily a matter of cost. A much wider spectrum of the English population now chooses private education and schools have attempted to simplify the uniform. Quite a number of private schools were having trouble maintaining the roles. Multi-colored blazers and those with edging work are more expensive and tnus have gradually disappeared. Even so there were still a wide variety of brightly colored blazers worn by British school children. Girls' schools tended to be more traditional. Often the girls schools had have the most brightly colored blazers. Presumably the girls take a little better care of their blazers than do the boys.
Blazers were still very common at English schools during the 1980s. A few sate primaries had them, but not very many. Most Anglican primaries did have them, commonly a blue blazers. Most preparaory schools had them, but many schools discontinued the matching caps. Rules at schools were geberally relaxed. Boys generally did not wear the blazers during the school day. Most state secondry schools required blazers, commonly a sandard black blazers. A reader tells us that blazers were not common at his school. He writes, "I started Secondary School here in the early 1980s. My school had a black blazer with the school crest on the breast pocket. Before I had gone to school there, the wearing of blazers was quite common (bear in mind this wasn't a Private School, just a normal everyday one). Certainly, we had one in the house which had been my brother's and being a child who liked to look smart I did on occasion wear it if I felt like it. I don't remember getting any teasing because of it and there were a few boys certainly in my first couple of years there who wore blazers - from all sorts of family backgrounds. It was seen to be a totally optional thing. Certainly by the time I left in the second half of the decade no one was wearing blazers any more and though the uniform has since changed slightly they have not come back. In fact, the wearing of blazers in conventional schools across the board has stopped. In the TV series "Grange Hill" everybody used to wear them up until the mid-1980s, but that has now entirely ceased. Certainly my blazer had two plain silver buttons with slight shoulder padding and was made of a horrible synthetic polyester mix type of fibre, though it did have a
comfortable lining." Most public schools also required blazers.
Blazers begame less common in the 1990s. Boys and girls at many comprehensives now rarely wear them, comong to school now mostly wearing jumpers and a coat on a cold day. This varies, however, from school to school. Most private schools still have blazers. The blazer is worn less today than in earlier years. Some schools do not now even have blazers. Most do but they are mostly worn while coming and gong to school and for school functions. While at school, British boys mostly wear their jumpers (sweaters) or just a shirt during the school day. They rarely put on their blazers. Some schools in the 1990s experminented with more relaxed uniforms. Some schools replaced blazers with sweatshirts.
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