Figure 1.--Blazers were once required at many New Zealand schools. Most schools do not now require their boys to wear school blazers. At St Patricks, however, blazers are still compulsory. Note that whilst short trousers are optional, they are still commonly worn in preference to long trousers by many boys, with the baggy styles of the 50's once again very popular. |
A great variety of colors and stripped blazers were worn by New Zealand boys from the 1920s through the 1970s. New Zealand schools simply copied the popular school uniform styles in England. The cost of the blazers and a trend of simplyfying the uniform as well as New Zealand's warmer climate caused many schools, especially the
boys' schools to discard them for every day school wear, usually consisting of a simple shirt on warm days or a sweater on cooler days.
We are not sure when blazers first became widely worn at New Zealand Schools. They were introduced at Christchurch Boys' High School in 1903.
Blazers are now not comminly worn at most state schools. Most primary schools do not even have uniforms, let alone wear blazrts. The senior boys at some state schools may wear them--to proudly display the colors that they have earned. This is especially common at some of the all boys' schools. Even so few junior boys wear them. There are a few exceptions. One integrated Catholic school still required the boys to wear blazers--even the junior boys.
Blazers are still worn in New Zealand. At some schools, mostly private schools, blazers are still commonly worn. Almost all private schools insist on blazers. A few schools have suits, but blazers are much more common. The schools vary, however, as to when the boys wear them. A few schools require them to be worn every day--other schools just requite them for special occasions. Somme schools require both blazers and tweed jackets--with rules as to when each is worn. Many of the private preparatory schools continue to require blazers. Many schools require the boys to come to school in their blazers, but they hang them up and generally do not wear them during the school day. In part this reflects the increasingly casual approach, but it is also designed to reduce wear and tear on the blazers.
New Zealand students, both boys and girls wear school blazers. New Zealand schools here follow the conventions established at English schools.
Children of course as can be imagined, subject school blazers to some roughwear. This is of course especially true of the boys. Often schools attemp to assist the parents. At private preparatory schools where blazers are still common, the students generally only wear their blazers to and from school and on special occasions. Normally when they arrive at school they hang up their blazers and don't put them back on until it is time to go home. The situation at secondary schools is more varied. Blazers are common at private schools, especially day schools. Generally at private boarding schools they are not worn during the day. At state schools not all schools have blazers. And those that do, it is mostly the older students that wear them. All of this of course varies greatly from school to school. This limiited usage preserves the blazers to some extent, even so they still get a lot of rough wear.
Schools had a variety of rules about wearing blazers. While there are some general patterns, every school has developed their own rules. For the most part boys did not wear their blazers during a normal school day. Some private schools required boys to wear their blazers to and from chool, but not during the school day. Most boys at state schools did not require boys to wear their blazers to and from schools. Blazers worn with white shirts and ties were required on special days. During the summer when boys wore sandals without kneesocks, boys would have to wear proper shoes and kneesocks with their blazers. At some schools older boys were allowed to wear long trousers rasther than shorts with their blazers. This is a relatively new development, especially at prep schools. At other schools even the older boys wear short trousers with blazers.
