Figure 1.--This Brigader wears a gleaming whire Eton collar with his Norfolk suit and Boys' Brigade pillbox cap. The image is undated, but we would guess about 1910 or perhaps even during World War I. Image coutesy of the MD Collection.

Boys in the early years of the Boys' Brigade wore all kinds of shirts. Often you can not tell much about the shirts as they always wore suits, often three piece suits, for meetings and even camping. Eton collars were a popular style for boys in the late 19th and eraly 20th century and some Brigaders wore their uniform with a detachable Eton collar. Almost all Boys' Brigade uniforms, once a full uniform was introdued involved a long sleeved blue shirt in varying shades and designs. We have noted many different shades of blue, but all the Brigade uniform shirts we have noted to date have been blue. Some have had mititary styles like flap pockets.

Eton Collars

Boys in the early years of the Boys' Brigade wore all kinds of shirts. Often you can not tell much about the shirts as they always wore suits, often three piece suits, for meetings and even camping. Eton collars were a popular style for boys in the late 19th and early 20th century and some Brigaders wore their uniform with a detachable Eton collar. Actually there are not as many boys wearing Eton collars as we would have expected in the 1900s and 1910s images that we have. Perhaps there were more in the 1880s and 1890s, but we have few images during this period. We wonder if the Boys' Brigade boys who for the most part wee not from especially affluent families or go to private schoools, were perhaps less likely to wear Eton collars than boys from affluent families. Or perhaps the boys did not want to wear these collars knowing that they would be envolved in drill or some strenous activity. Perhaps the mums did not insist on them for Brigade meetings like they mat have for Church.

Blue Shirts

For many years there was no Boys' Brigade shirt. Almost all Boys' Brigade uniforms, once a full uniform was introdued involved a long sleeved blue shirt in varying shades and designs. We have noted many different shades of blue, but all the Brigade uniform shirts we have noted to date have been blue. Most like the English Boys' Brigade are a dark shade of blue. Some have had mititary styles like flap pockets, but no epsulets as is common on many Scout shirts. For dress occassions they are worn with a dark blue Boy's Brugade tie.