* school uniform garments: pants








School Uniform Garments: Pants--Country Trends


Figure 1.--Many British schools after World War II has short pants uniforms. Prep schools had formal uniforms with caps and blazers. State primary schools varied as to wether they had uniforms. The ones that adopted uniforms had more basic ones. Secondary schools generally required unifirms.

Some information is available on the trousers and pants worn as part of school uniforms or at least commonly worn to school. While the basic types are common in most countries. Styles and popularity have varied over time from country to country. American boys did not usually wear uniforms, but knee pants knickers were very common in the early-20th centuty. After World War II, long pants were more common. English boys commonly wore knee pants or short pants during the first half of the 20th century, but long pants began to become more common in the the 1960s. French boys commonly wore snocks to school, commonly with knee pants or short pants. By the 1960s long pants began to be mpre common. German children did not commonly wear school uniforms. Most boys in the early- and mid-20th century wore knee pants or short pans. Older boys might wear knickers. Some boys wore Lederhosen. More boys began to wear long pants in the 1960s, especially in the winter. Hungarian boys through the first half of the 20th century appear to have worn knee pants and short pants to school. Italian boys commonly wore smocks to school. Knee pants and short pants were common. Older boys might wear knickers. You negin to see more long pants in the 1960s.

America

American boys did not usually wear uniforms, but knee pants knickers were very common in the early-20th centuty. Boys in rural areas wore overalls. Younger orimary boys might wear short pants. After World War II, long pants were more common, even in primary (elementary) schools. We see primary boys wearing jeans in the late-1940s, but they were not at first allowed in secondary schools.

Australia


Belgium


England

Trouser styles in England have changed significantly over time. Many boys wore knickers in the late 19th century. Short trousers began to appear after the turn of the 20th century. Senior boys wore long grey or black trousers. Most elementary boys and some secondary schoolboys (at least in the first two years) wore short grey trousers. These were worn both in the summer and winter term, with no seasonal change. Apparently the English until the 1960s did not think it unusual to send boys off to school in short pants in the middle of the winter. Private schools in the 1970s began intoducing summer and winter uniforms. A few private schools kept even older boys in shorts. Various materials were used, including flannel, rayon-nylon, and terylene worsted. Flannel was especially common un the early 20th century. Some schools adopted cotton corduory, usually in grey but sometimes blue or brown. A few schools even adopted cord jackets to wear with the cord shorts. Cord shorts, however, were generally considered a less dressy style. Terrelyn worsted became common in the 1970s. School shorts were usually made without bacl pockets, I'm not sure about longs.

France

French boys commonly wore snocks to school, commonly with knee pants or short pants. By the 1960s long pants began to be mpre common.

Germany

German children did not commonly wear svhool uniforms. Most boys in the early and mid 20th century wore knee pants or short pans. Older boys might wear knickers. Some boys wire Lederhosen. More boys began to wear long pants n the 1960s, especially in the winter.

Hungary

Hungarian boys through the first half of the 20th century appear to have worn kneepants and short pants to school. A film set in that period shows most of the boys wearing shorts. Older boys may have worn knickers as was common in many European countries in the inter-War period. By the 1960s long pants had become more common, but some boys still wore shorts. In the class pictured in the 1969 film almost all the boys wear long pants, mostly black pants. They do not appear to be jeans. Only a few boys wear shorts.

Italy

Italian boys commonly wore smocks to school. Knee pants and short pants were common. Older boys might wear knickers. You negin to see more long pnts in the 1960s.

Japan


New Zealand

New Zealand school children have worn a wide variety of pants/trousers to school. The pants worn by the younger children to schools that did not have uniforms were simply the popular styles at the time. We note knee pants, long pants, and short pants. Knickers never seem to have been very common in New Zealand. The same pants appear to have been used in school uniforms, especially long pants and short pants. We do not have much information on the 19th century. We see New Zealand children wearing the same type of uniform pants worn in Britain. We do not know much about the early-20th century, but this seems to be the case after World war I in the 1920s. Most secondary school boys have traditionally worn grey or blue short trousers. the grey shorts wee especially common. There were differences, however, as the uniform is chosen by each individual school. Short pants uniforms were widely worn in New Zealand. While grey and to a lesser extent blue were by far the most common colors, there were other colors worn. This was an English influence, although the blue shorts seem a Scottish influence. Many schools with grey short trouser uniforms had seasonal alternatives, a light-weight cotton style in the summer and a more formal hewvy-weight pair in the winter. Many had relatively heavy shorts duting the coller months. Flannel shorts were popular in through the 1950s. Then schools began turing to wool blends like Terelyn. During the summer, boys at many schools wore light-weight cotton shorts. Some schools had navy blue sjorts. Here there does not seem to have been a seasonal choice, the sameshorts worn year round. More boys in recent years are wearing long pants to school, but shorts are still widely worn. Many schools now allow long trousers for the older boys or during the winter. Boys at a few schools now wear mostly long trousers. Most New Zealand secondary school, however, still require at least the younger boys to wear shorts. Girls initially wore dresses to school, but in recent years, girls primary schools odten wear shoets or even long pants to school. Most secondary schools insist on skirts or dresses, but wevnoted one school which allowed the girls to wear the boys' uniform. Thois was s school which did not strictly enforce the uniform rules.

South Africa


Switzerland

We notice Swiss boys wearing a variety of pants and trousers to school. We do not have much information on the pants Swiss school boys wore in the 19th century, especiakly during the early-20th century. We suspect that trends were very close to those in Germany, or French styles in the French-speaking cantons. We know nuch more about the 20th century. We mostly see knee pants in the early-20th century. Some younger boys may have worn bloomer knickers. After World War I we see both short pants and knee pants, but gradually short pants, albeit long short pants became more common. After World war II, especially the 950s, long pnts became more and more common. Short pants were not just worn by boys in primary schools, but the younger boys in elementary school as well. One difference between Germany and Switzerland was that Swiss boys rarely wore Lederhosen. We do see H-bar shorts, but rarely Lederhosen. Some boys switched to knickers during the winter, but others continuting wearing shorts. Here they were kept warm by wearing long stockings. Older teenagers might wear knickers or eventually long pants. e note some boys wearing rimper pant for gym and fresh air outings. This continued into the 1950s. Graduall\y long pants became more common. Long pants became more common in the 1960s, even for younger boys. By the 1970s, boys were mostly wearing long pants to school. Short pants became increasing casual, summer wear.







HBC






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Created: 6:45 AM 11/15/2007
Last updated: 4:22 AM 4/9/2012