Bill: London Observations--Younger Brother


Figure 1.--.

I don't recall much of what my younger brother was wearing at this time. He was 3 years younger than me whereas there was only less than a years gap between us older two. I think maybe he too got more new stuff as the two of us had worn stuff out by then, but I'm not sure. Because of a move, he went to a different primary school than the on we older boys attended. Because it had no uniform requirement, he wore more casual clothes than we had worn. His clothes for a variety of reasons were a bit different then those worn by my older brother and I because we were so close in age.

Knitted Outfit

I remember my youger brother wearing a knitted shorts set when he was about 3 or 4. I don't think they had belonged to me or my older brother - they'd probably been hand-made by the old lady I told you about who was always knitting our jumpers. I remember these because he didn't want to wear them and my mum was fighting to get him dressed while me and my older brother fought over our school clothes. They were of light-blue wool and buttoned on to the matching jacket - certainly at the back, I'm not sure about the front and they were elasticated at the legs. It was around the Summertime so he wasn't wearing a lot else with the suit. Whether he didn't like all the buttoning up - the jacket had buttons too - or just wanted to be dressed like me and my brother ( he hadn't started school yet) I don't know and I'm not sure if my mum made him wear it much again but I remember what a fuss he made over it that morning and me being worried that we would be late for school."

Sandals and Socks

I remember being jealous that day that my younger brother wore that knitted outfit. It was the knit outfit of course, but it was his blue sandals and short socks. My brother and I had to wear brown sandals and long socks with garters that day for school. I'm not sure if my mum bought him the sandals to go with the suit or the old lady knitted the suit to match the sandals. Mum always had my brother and I wear sandals to school, all through primary school. After about 9 years old my little brother didn't wear sandals any more. Hedidn't like them. Trainers were coming in and he got them - again a reflection of the change as the 70s progressed - both in fashion and parental attitudes.

Saftey Reigns

I also remember - though I'm not sure if this comes under clothing - that he wore white reins to stop him running off into the road. I'm not sure if me or my older brother had worn these when we were younger but I suppose with three of us to keep an eye on my mum felt they were neceesary on that trip to school.

Morning Routine

No wonder it took us so long to get ready to go out in the mornings! None of us ever wanted to wear the clothes we had but what one of our brothers was wearing! That day I wanted blue sandals and short socks like my little brother and he wanted to wear a school uniform like us "big boys". By the way - short socks were never allowed at my primary school even when we were allowed to wear sandals (brown ! ) in the Summer we still had to wear long socks and keep them pulled up but the girls could wear short socks in the Summer. One outfit I recall in particular bmum used to dress my little broither in was a pair of strap (suspender) shorts.

Different Primary School

Because of a move, our younger brother went to a different primary school than the one we older boys attended. Because it had no uniform requirement, he wore more casual clothes than we had worn. My little brother did not have so many worries about clothes.I think my mum was less strict with him - she realised us older two had survived o.k. It's also a reflection of changing attitudes anyway concerning clothing. The only seasonal changes I remember him having arguments about was when mum made him wear shorts for school in the Spring. As I said we older boys had had no choice - shorts were the rule at primary school. After we moved he went to a non-uniform school so could wear jeans even in the Winter. Mum still made him wear jean shorts or other casual shorts to school from the Spring though, as I said, she thought sunshine was good for us.

Didier

I remember Didier, a French boy who came on an exchange visit with my little brother in 1974. He wore very different clothes to ours. I also note they were different to the Cartier-Bresson photos I have seen so I guess there were regional differences in France as there were in England. I had to give my bed up and sleep on the sofa to accommadate Didier. He did not wear shorts, as our French teacher had claimed French boys did (but she was from Marseiiles in the South) nor jeans as many of the boys of his age (13) did round our way. Instedhe wore something something in-between. They were sort of trousers down to the knee, but not in denim. They were some sort of heavy, light green cotton. He also wore very stripy t-shirts-- mainly white with orange or light blue thin stripes and of a sort of "towelling" material that I had never seen in England. He also wore sandals - sort of French style with open toes that looked odd to us, especially on a teenager. know he got a lot of hassle off the kids on our estate--so he must have looked different. Mmost of the younger kids around my way wore brushed-denim or proper denim shorts then with trainers and the older boys jeans. An early form of "trainers" were in style that Summer. "Basketball shoes" were all the rage . Sandals were definately out. I was mostly out early doing my paper round at that time or out with my mates and only saw the boy now and again. I heared other kids on the estate commenting on his clothes. I tried to dissassociate myself from him as much as possible.

Different Secondary School

Denim was a definate no no in England for schoolwear - although some boys did try to wear black jeans. At my younger brother's comprehensive school (they had a uniform but it was not as strict as at my school). He was there from 1973-1981. The proper uniform trousers were black - but jeans weren't officially allowed and my mum wouldn't have let him have them anyway. After we moved he went to a non-uniform primary school so had been wearing jeans or jean shorts there so it was more of a pain for him to have to wear a uniform to secondary school than it was for me and my older brother.



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Created: January 6, 2004
Last updated: 7:05 PM 12/19/2004