Figure 1.-- The school badge or crest was an important part of the blazer. There are only so many colors used for blazers. Thus the badge was a way of making a destinctive blazer for each different school. Here we see a very elaborately opresented "M".

The school badge or crest was an important part of the blazer. There are only so many colors used for blazers. Thus the badge was a way of making a destinctive blazer for each different school. The badge was normally worn on the left chest area of the blazer. Here some blazers had patch pockets. Others did not. Some schools did not have badges, but most schools did. There were many types of school badges worn on the blazers. Most were embroidered patches that were sewn on the blazers. The badges varied widey from school to school. Sometimes they were just the initials of the school. Here there were simple letters. Others involved a more elaborate presentation of the letter. Many schools had logos or elaborate crests. Private schools both preparatory and public were the most commonly the schools most likely to have blazer badges and had the most elaborate badges. State schools especially comprehensives schools were somewhat less likely to have badges. Hopefully our English readers will be able to tell us more about these badges.

Destinctive

The school badge or crest was an important part of the blazer. There are only so many colors used for blazers. Some colors were more common thasn others. Quite a few schools, for example, had blue or black blazers. Thus the badge was a way of making a destinctive blazer for each different school.

Position

The badge was normally worn on the left chest area of the blazer. I am nor entirely sure why that was. But as far as we can tell, there were no exceptions to this convention, even for girls' blazers. As for the badge being positioned on the left breast - well if the blazer had a patch pocket that would seem natural. Many suits had pockets in this position - and some boys who did wear suits wore hankercheifs in them mainly for decorative purposes. But I suppose positioning the pocket on the left breast was designed for ease in reaching the hankerchief if needed as most clothes were designed for right-handers and of course most people are right handed. It's like going right back to when swords were worn on the left hip and why you shook hands with your right hand - to demonstrate that you were not reaching for your sword. There is some reason why Scouts had a left handed handshake but I can't remember it. Anyway that may be all a bit fanciful but clothes were designed for right handers and inside pockets of suit jackets and blazers were always on the left too so you could reach over with your right hand to get at them easily. An English reader, Bill, has provided us a detailed assessment of his boyhood and pertaining to positioning he tells us, "By contrast my dress-up check shorts had a back pocket and that was on the right hand side - again making it easier to access for a right hander but I didn't like back pockets at all it and was my Mum who always put the train tickets in that pocket for safe keeping and I always had difficulty in retrieving them when the ticket collecter came around on the train (normally on purpose because I was in a bad mood about having to wear the shorts anyway). "

Patch Pockets

Here some blazers had patch pockets. Others did not. We are not sure how common patch pockets were. But the badge was put here on blazers that had them.

Prevalence

Some schools did not have badges, but most schools did. This depended somewhat on the type of school.

Types

There were many types of school badges worn on the blazers. Most were embroidered patches that were sewn on the blazers. The badges varied widey from school to school. Sometimes they were just the initials of the school. Here there were simple letters. Others involved a more elaborate presentation of the letter. Here we see a very elaborately opresented "M" (figure 1). Many schools had logos or elaborate crests. The Latin school motos were sometimes incorporated into the crests.

School Types

Private schools both preparatory and public were the most commonly the schools most likely to have blazer badges and had the most elaborate badges. Most prep schools we know of had badges worn on their blazers. The primary exception here was the schools which had grey suits rather than blazers. State schools especially comprehensives schools were somewhat less likely to have badges. A reader writes, "There were fewer secondary schools and also they teneded to use three or even more colours for ties and sock tops so these combinations were all unique. Thus anyone could tell what school you were from even if you weren't wearing a blazer or cap with the crest. This uniquness of secondary school tie colours gives rise to the phrase 'the old school tie'. Some ex-public schoolboys wear them to certain functions as adults so they can recognise fellow 'old boys'."

Caps

Many schools had caps with badges or crests. Often these caps were similar but smaller version of the blazer badges. Caps began to be discintinued in the 1960s. Some cap badges were pinned on rather than enroiders sewn ion badges. As far as we know, however, the blazer badges werecalways the embroidered sewn ion types. Most schools, however, have continued to have blazers, although they are less commonly worn during the school day as compared to earlier periods.

Modern Trends

Today school crests are often embossed onto sweatshirts,pullovers and I have seen some schools where they are even on the shirts and bookbags too.

Personal Accounts

A Brirish reader tells us, "At my Anglican primary school our blazer badges were bought seperately from the school office and there were smaller versions for the caps (and the girl's berets). Mum then sewed them on to a standard black blazer and cap. Yes on the left hand breast pocket on the blazer and in the middle of the cap. Sometimes they came loose and Mum would have to sew them back on. When we went on school trips at primary school we always wore our blazers. If we went to a museum or such where there might be many other schools there would often be another school with the same school colours - ours being green and yellow striped ties and socks with two green hoops.In that case the blazer badge was the only way anyone could tell which school we were from (bad news if we got up to mischief and the museum attendant tracked us down later). At my grammar school secondary school the badge was already woven into the fabric of the blazers and caps which we bought at the school shop. When our blazers (which were black) were dry cleaned the badge always came up bright and as new. At secondary school the school crest was also on all on our exercise books - but surprisingly not on our sports kit or P.E. kit. The caps were only worn by the younger boys, but older boys who played in the cricket team did wear their school caps."

Created: November 21, 2003
Last updated: November 21, 2003