Figure 1.--School headwear varied a good deal from country to country in the first half of the 20th century. You can often identify the country by the headwear worn. There is not doubt, for example, that this was a German boy, even though the photographer is not identified. These peaked miitary-style caps were standard school headwear in the 19th and early-20th centuries. Boys wore other caps and hats, but only this style was chosen as official dchool headwear. This cabinet card portrait was taken about 1910. The chsracteristic natiinal styles began to disappear after World War II, slowly at first. By the end of the decade school headwear was much less common and except for a few countries less destinctive.

We note school children wearing many styles of headweatr to school during the 20th century. This included both uniform and non-uniform styles. The various styles were notable for their variation from country to country. The peaked school cap was standard schoowear in Britain at the turn of the 20th century. These caps were worn in other countries as well, but no where were they as popular as in Britain. It was a style which was first worn at private schools, beginning as sports wear. Eventually becme a standard school style at state schools as well. The school cap would be commonly worn through the 1950s and is still worn at a few prep schools. German boys wore various caps and hats. The most common style was the peaked-military cap. They were widely worn in German until World War II. Younger boys wore them even though their schools did not require them. Sailor styles were also worn to school. American boys except boys at a few private schools did had did not have school caps, but the flat cap was widely worn in the early-20th century that it may be considered a school style. Beanies were also popular. There were also a variety of cold weather caps. The same might be said about the baseball cap by the 1970s. We see many French boys wearing betets in the early 20th century. Thy were very common until after World War II. Japanese boys continued to wear cadet caps an Japanese Army although after World war II this changed. The Japanese Army caps were dropped and the cadet caps continued mostly in secondary schools. Primary schools adopted various styles like baseball caps and rounded-crown hats, often with chin straps. Often bright colors were chosen. The major trend after World war II in the second half of the 20th century was declining use of headwear. British children continue to wear school caps, especially at schools which required unifiorms for a while, but by the 1960s even these schools began to drop cap requirements. Headwear was not very common in America by the 1950s, except during the winter or on rainy days. Berets disappered from French schools. Japan was one of the few places where headwear coninued to be commonly worn, primarily because the schools insisted on it.

The 1900s

The peaked school cap was standard schoowear in Britain at the turn of the 20th century. These caps were worn in other countries as well, but no where were they as popular as in Britain. It was a style which was first worn at private schools, beginning as sports wear. Eventually becme a standard school style at state schools as well. German boys wore various caps and hats. The most common style was the peaked-military cap. We see them in the early-20th century. They were widely worn in German until World War II. Younger boys wore them even though their schools did not require them. Sailor styles were also worn to school. We see many French boys wearing betets in the early-20th century. Thy were very common until after World War II. Japanese boys wore cadet caps even with traditionl clothing. Schooling for firls was still relatively new. Many girls wore traditional clothing, but the more modern girls wore sailor uniforms with sailor hats.

The 1910s

American boys except boys at a few private schools did had did not have school caps, but the flat cap was widely worn in the early-20th century that it may be considered a school style. Beanies were also popular. There were also a variety of cold weather caps. Cadet caps were very common in Germany. The boy here is aood example (figure 1).

The 1920s

The 1930s

School headwear during the continued much as it was in the 1930s. We see no major changes in most of the countries which we have followed in detail. England, France, Germany, and Japan. Many countries like Italy had no destinctive schoolheadwear. English boys continued wearing peaked school caps. The basic cap was farily standard, but done in many colors and patterns, such as segmented colors and circles. Girls wore a varirty of hats and tams. Many of the hats were variations of sailor styles. The English headweat often included the school badge. We continue to see berets in France. Many German boys continued wearing the peaked military cadet caps, but somewhat less commonly than in the 1920s. Some younger boys wore berets, ever during the hype-nationalyic NAZI era. Japanese boys also wore cadet caps. Japanese army caps were also common. The girls contiued to wear sailor hats. Scool for Japaese giels was becoming increasingly common. There were changes in America. The still see flat caps. It was not a school-mandated style, just the popular style for boys at the time and so commonly worn to school. It was ubiquitous in the 1910s and 20s and was still worn in the early-30s. It generally declined in popularity afrer the early-30s, but had largely gone out of style by the end of the decade.

The 1940s

Japanese boys wore cadet caps and Japanese Aemt caps in the early 1940s. Girls wore sailor hats. After World War II this changed somewhay, at least for the boys. Many continued to wear cadet caps, but no longer Japanese army caps. The girld continued to wear sailor hats. The cadet caps continued mostly in secondary schools. We no longer see flat caps in America.

The 1950s

The British peaked school cap would be commonly worn through the 1950s and is still worn at a few prep schools. Japanese primary schools adopted various styles like baseball caps and rounded-crown hats, often with chin straps. Often bright colors were chosen. The major trend after World war II in the second half of the 20th century was declining use of headwear. British children continue to wear school caps, especially at schools which required unifiorms for a while. Headwear was not very common in America by the 1950s, except during the winter or on rainy days. Berets disappered from French schools. Japan was one of the few places where headwear coninued to be commonly worn, primarily because mamy schools insisted on it.

The 1960s

Some British boys in the 1960s still wore school caps, but this declined as many schools began droping cap requirements.

The 1970s

Baseball caps were an Merican creation, perhaps influence by the British school cap whoch begn as a games cap. We do not notice them commonly at schools, however, untol the 1970s.

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Created: 2:12 AM 8/9/2011
Last updated: 7:09 PM 7/16/2015