** school uniform : headwear beret








School Headwear: Berets


Figure 1.--This little German boy is dressed up in a short pants suit for his first day of school. The photograph is undatedm but was probably taken in the late 1930s. Note the beret and how the boy is wearing it. We don't think that is how he vould have positioned it in his own.

Berets were worn to school by both boys and girls, but this varied from country to country. Boys from quite a number of countries wore berets to school. They are of course most commonly associated with French boys. French boys commonly wore berets. The beret is traditionally associated with French school boys and smocks. Actually it was not just schoolboys who wore berets. It was in the first half of the 20th Century the trademark of the working class and during World War II, the Resistance. The beret is now not commonly worn in France by boys or men. This was very common in the first half of the 20th century, but for some reason declined sharply after World war II (1939-45). We note that girls began wearing berets after the War. This may have been a factor. We're not sure why. Belgian boys also wore berets, I think more in Walonia than Flanders. We do note Dutch boys wearing them as well. Surprisingly, German boys wore them to school, mostly younger boys. Berets were also worn in Spain, but I think more in the Baque country and Catalonia than the rest of Spain. A few schools used them as part of uniforms. Here they were much more common at girls' than boy's schools. We note a number of English schools where the girls wore berets. English boys, unlike continental boys did not wear berets to school. The peaked school cap was almost universal. Many European boys wore berets to school, but not as part of a uniform. They were not very common in America. Some younger American boys wore berets, bit not to school. We rarely see American boys wearing berets to school. This was probably because so many girls wore them.

Chronology


Countries

Boys from quite a number of countries wore berets to school. They are of course most commonly associated with French boys. French boys commonly wore berets. We do noy yet have a Grebch school betet page, byutrgere are a lot of images arechived on HBC with French school boys wering berets. The beret is traditionally associated with French school boys and smocks. Actually it was not just school boys who wore berets. It was in the first half of the 20th Century the trademark of the working class and during World War II, the Resistance. The beret is now not commonly worn in France by boys or men. This was very common in the first half of the 20th century, but for some reason declined sharply after World war II (1939-45). We note that girls began wearing berets after the War. This may have been a factor. We're not sure why. Belgian boys also wore berets, I think more in Walonia than Flanders. We do note Dutch boys wearing them as well. Surprisingly, we see berets being worn in Germany. German boys wore them to school, mostly younger boys. We see quite a few portraits of Geerman boys wearing berets to school. Berets were also worn in Spain, but I think more in the Baque country and Catalonia than the rest of Spain. Berets were worn by English school girls, but not the boyss, although wehave some binfirmation about English schools.

Gender

Berets were worn to school by both boys and girls, but this varied from country to country.

Color


Age


Uniform Items

Berets were mostly worn as an indivudual choice at schools which did not have unifiorms. A few schools used berets as part of uniforms. Here they were much more common at girls' than boy's schools. We note a number of English schools where the girls wore berets. English boys, unlike continental boys did not wear berets to school. The peaked school cap was almost universal. Many European boys wore berets to school, but not as part of a uniform. They were not very common in America. Some younger American boys wore berets, bit not to school. We rarely see American boys wearing berets to school. This was probably because so many girls wore them.







HBC-SU




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Created: 2:29 AM 8/2/2008
Last updated: 10:36 PM 10/8/2021