Boys' Uniform Country Trends: England


Figure 1.--Here we see a proud teenage soldier and two boys wearing what look like military uniforms in 1913 just before world War I. It was a post card maiked in Manchester. The message as best I can make out read, "This Arthur, Willie &bmy brothr Robt he is here in Hulme Barracks at the Army service Corps. The boys' have a father in the military. Their caps are presumably the regimental caps. They may be wearing Boys' Brigade uniforms. They look to be about 9-12 years old.

We notice English boys wearing a variety of uniforms. The first uniforms we notice are uniforms worn at the grammar schools founded by the Tudor kings (16th century). The scolar hip boys wore uniforms tonidentify them, often done in blue as it was least expensive dye. Uniforms were adopted at the public schools, but we believe that this was primarily in the 19th century. Boys wore military uniforms. It was common for boys to join military forces. The youngr boys might serve as musicians, especially drummer boys. Boys served in various capacities with the Royal Navy, such as cabin boys or powder momkies. Schools began to be founded in the late-18th century for the children of enlisted men. The boys ar these schools wore military uniforms. Some institutions in the 19th country like work houses, orphanages, and reformatories/borstals had uniforms. Youth groups adopted uniforms. The firt was the Boys' Brigade. The best known were the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. The Scouts and Guides place as soecial emphasis on the uniform. At first uniforms were worn in private schools or state secondary schools. After wotkdcWar we see many state primary schools adopting uniforms.

Institutions

We note a rabge of English institutins that had uniforms. We have pages on chrity organizations (orphanages abd wirk houses) as well as reformatories/borstals. We do not yet have, however, a general English institutional page.

Military

We note English military schools, cadet programs, and actual military service. We do not yet have an English page combining all these milkitary activities.

Schools

No country has inluenced the school uniforms worn by children around the world more than England. The tradition of school uniforms in England is a little complicated. School uniforms in England are oftn assocaiated with privlidged children at the country's elite private schools. Uniforms at school, however, were first worn by poor children at charity schools. Only later were they adopted by priavate schools, in typical British fashion, referred to as public schools. Children at the country's developing state school system during the late 19th and 20th century did not wear uniforms. Britain was late to provide a free public education to children. Some European countries, especially the Germans had a much more extensive public school system. Britain had a great variety of state and charity schools for those who could not afford a private education. Uniforms were first intriduced for children at charity schools to identifybthem and for purposes economy. Uniforms for the affluent children at private schools were introduced much later. Children at statte elementary schools until the 1960s did not commonly wear uniforms. Both privatevand state secondary schools did require uniforms. Uniforms served to build the esprit de corps of the school. Uniforms also prevented rich parents making poorer parents feel humble. Despite thism Left-wing politicians (Labour) in the 1960s and 1970s objected to uniforms which led to the individualistic fashion shows of today which make poorer parents subject to the new uniform dictates of "Nike", "Puma", "Adidas" and rendered blazers very expensive as suppliers shrank.

Youth Groups

Uniformed youth groups were a limited succes at first, but this changed quickly after the appearance of Scouting in the 1900s. The Boys' Brigade was the first such group which appeared in the 1880s. Quite a number of other grouos were organized. In the 1900s these groups were surpased by the Scouts. Baden Powell first conceived of Scouting as a element of the Boys' Brigade. English boys, however, were attraccted by the outdoor activities and the more secular approach. Scouting was organized as a separate group and soon became the predominate youth organization in England. Unlike some other youth groups, Baden Powel promoted an internationist approach and the movement began to spread around the world. Interestingly only one Scout association was organized in England, unlike the European pattern where Scout associations were organized by different religions and secular groups. Also political parties did not organize nationalist youth groups as proved to be the case in Germany and other European countries.






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Created: 9:59 AM 5/27/2012
Last update: 9:59 AM 5/27/2012