Boys' Historical Scout Garments: Sweaters

Figure 1.--These younger English Cubs are posing with their trusted teddy, also wearing a Cub uniform. They are all wearing their traditional green sweaters.

Sweaters are not a garment generally associated with scouts. There is one major exception. British Cubs for years wore green sweaters, perhaps acomment on the British weather. Boys or more correctly their mums sewed the badges and unit insignias on the sweater rather than a shirt. During the summer, Cubs might wear green "T"-shirts, but they usually wore their green sweaters. Other Scout groups also had sweaters. British Seacouts wore sweaters much more commonly than the regular Scouts French Scouts also wore sweaters. Scouts in northern Europe may also have worn sweaters.

Groups

Sweaters are not a garment generally associated with boy's uniformed organizations. In fact there is a notable lack of Scout uniform sweaters. There are, however, some exceptions.

Cubs

British Cubs for years wore green sweaters, perhaps a comment on the British weather. Actually it made for a simplified uniform, the boys just put on their caps slipped on the Cub sweater and they were ready to go. Boys or more correctly mums sewed the badges and unit insignias on the sweater rather than a shirt. During the summer, Cubs might wear green "T"-shirts, but they usually wore their green sweaters. American Scouts did have sweaters, but they were not commonly worn.

I'm not aware og other Cubs so commonly wearing sweaters. French Cubs may have worn them, but this needs to be confirmned.

Scouts

HBU has not noted many Scouts wearing sweaters. Baden Powell Scouts in England wore comando-type sweaters in a military green. Various French Scouts associations have worn sweaters, HBU has noted both blue and beige sweaters. Other Scouts may have also worn sweaters, but HBU has only limited information at this time.

Sea Scouts

British Sea Scouts also wore sweaters right from the beginning, emblazoned across the chest with the name of the youth group. I'm not sure if Sea Scouts in other countruies also adopted sweaters

Countries

England and France appear to be the two countries where Scouts most commonly wore sweaters. HBU is, however, just beginning to assess this topic and information on Scout sweaters in other countries may become available.

England

England is the country where HBU has noted Scouts most commonly wearing sweatrs. The green sweater was the standard uniform for Cubs. Cubs in their green sweaters were common sites throughout Britain for 8 decades. HBU has also noted Baden Powell Scouts in England wearing sweaters. Sea Scouts also wore sweaters.

France

French Scouts also wore sweaters to some extent.

Other

Other than Britain and France, however, HBU has not noted sweaters being commonly worn in other countries. American Scouts did have an official sweater, but they were not commonly worn. Scouts and other youth groups in northern Europe may have worn them, but HBU at this time has few details.

Reasons

I am not positive why sweaters have not been commonly worn by Scouts. I suspect that part of the reason is all the unit patches and rank insignias that boys wore on their shirts. If they put a sweater on it would cover all those patches. If they put the patches on the sweater than they couldn't wear it in the summer when it got hot. This was a special problem with Scouts in countries where warm weather was more common than in Britian and the rest of northern Europe.

Modern Situation

Uniform sweaters are even less common with modern uniformed groups than was the case earlier. This is largely because of the cost of a wool sweater. Sweaters have been reoplaced with sweatshirts and are in fact much more popular than sweaters vused to be. The sweatshirt, however, is worn as a casual uniform and not the dress uniform. Even British Cubs appear to have retired their classic green sweaters.