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Prep school boys wearing short trousers commonly wore kneesocks. At some schools kneesocks were worn seasonally, at others they were wore year fround. There were both turn-over-top socks and kneesocks that just came to the knee. The most common color was grey. Many boys wore plain grey kneesocks. Many schools also had kneesocks done with top bands in the school colors. These were always the turn-over-top type. Often girls wore white kneesocks. These were not commonly worn by boys, although some boys did wear white kneesovks fpr cricket. While English boys almost always wore grey kneesocks, boys in Scotland often wore a variety of colored kneesocks. While grey kneesocks were by far the most common for schoolwear, there were a range of striped and colored socks for rugby. Most schools had kneesocks for year round wear.
Prep school boys wearing short trousers commonly wore kneesocks. The great majority of prep school uniforms included kneesocks. Most schools wore thgem year round. Others wore them on a seasonal basis. Some schools in the south wore ankle socks year round, but kneesocks were the most common type of hosiery worn with the school uniform. Many boys wore them even during the summer when they were not required. Schools varied as to out srictly they enforced seasonal rules concerning hosiery.
Most schools had kneesocks for year round wear. At some schools ankle socks were worn seasonally, at a few they were wore year round. This was, however, not very common. Here there were regional differences. It was mostly schools in southern England that had ankle socks during the summer term. This was of course because it was a little warmer in the south and ankle socks seemed more comfortable. The northern schools were more likely to wear knsocks year round. It was not very common to see ankle socks in the fall and winter terms.
Knee socks were popular because the weather is often cool in England during the school year. Boys wearing short trousers found them warm. This is presumbablyvwhy knee socks became so common in Englnd and adopted as part of the uniform at so many schools. They presented somewhat of a problem because boys were so active. They kept falling down. Some boys couldn't have cared less. Others were mnore concerned and tugged them back up so they would look smart. There were several approaches to this problem. The major one was an elastic garter worn under the turn-over-top cuff of the knee socks. Many boys sid not like these elastic garters, gfinding them uncomfirtable anhd leaving a mark on their legs. Thus not all boys wore them. Cheaper knee socks made just to the knee without the turn-ocer-top cuff were made with elastic. The elastic after a few washes, however, would lose its elasticiity. This we generally see a mixed picture at schools with many boys having rgeir knee socks at half staff or dosn to their ankles. The girls were much more likely o be found with rtheir knee sicks at the knee.
The most common color for kneesocks were grey. The great majority of British prep schools had grey kneesocks as part of the school uniform. Virtually all English schools had grey kneesocks. Many boys wore plain grey kneesocks, although quite a few schools had stocks done with bands in the school colors. These banded socks were almost always grey socks. Often girls wore white kneesocks instead of grey ones. The white kneeocks were not commonly worn by boys, although some boys did wear white kneesocks fpr cricket. While English boys almost always wore grey kneesocks, boys in Scotland often wore a variety of colored kneesocks, including blue, purple, and red.
There were two types of plain grey kneesocks. Ine was the turn-over-top socks. These were the same type of socks used for socks with bands in the school colors. They were long enough to come well above the kbee if pulled up, but were instead cuffed just below the knee. With the color bands you have to be a little careful with the cuffing to get the bands just right. These socks were realtively exensive. The other type are kneesocks. This is more of an Amerivan term, but by the 1980s many American terns were becoming used in England. These were shorter than the turn-over-top socks. They came just to below the knee even if fully pulled up. As there was no extra length to form a cuff, garters could not be used. These soks were made with elastic to hold them up. They were much less expensive than the turn-over-top socks and were purchased in the chain stores rather than the school outfiters. These were the socks normally used in state primaries, but prep school boys also worn them, especilly the younger boys.
Many schools also had kneesocks done with top bands in the school colors. Other schools had socks with the whole turn-over-top bit done in the principal school color--often the color of the blazer. Not all prep schools had these banded kneesocks, but they were very commonly part opf the uniform. This detailing and color combination was also commonly employed in the school cap, tie, and school jumper trim. The socks with the colored bands were always the turn-over-top type. They were also always grey socks. They were more common in England than in Scotland where a number of schoold had colored rasther than grey turn-overtop socks. The white socks often worn by the girls never had these colored bands. There were a wide range of color combinatuions. Some just had one of the school colors. Schools commonly had two colors, usually the cap and blazer color and the main trim color. Schools commonly incouraged the children to wear the turn-over-top kneesocks with the colored band. Many children, however, wore the less-expensive plain grey kneesocks without the turn-over-tops. The main reason for this as mums found them much less expensuive. Here some schools were much more permissive than other schools and did not take any strenuous objection. Thus at many schools you see noth children with and without the colored bands. The schools did insist that the children wear grey kneesocks when rquired, onlt the colored bands became optional.
There were both turn-over-top socks and kneesocks that just came to the knee. The longer length were turned over to form a sock cuff. The British term was turn-over-top socks. The cuff hid the garter used to hold them up. Otherwise like the fabed Our William, the socks woulds quickly fall down, especially during any sort of activity. It was the longer turn-over-top socks that were done with the various bands in the school colors . The regular kneesocks were almost always just plain grey. They had the advantage that they were much less expensive. Thus thrifty mums often bought them instead of the regulation turn-pver-top school socks with the colored bands. They were done with elastic at the top to hold them up because without a cuff, a garter coild not be used. This was not a perfect solution, however, because they generally weakened adter wear and a few washings. Some schools with turn-over-top socks in school colors insisted the boys wear them. Others allowed boys to wear the less expensive kneesocks. And other schools insisted on grey socks, but allowed both turn-over-top socks and the less expensive kneesocks.
While grey kneesocks were by far the most common for schoolwear, there were a range of striped and colored socks for rugby.
There wee a variety of regulations concerning hosiery. Here this was primarily enforced for boys wearing short trousers for the obvious expedient that it was not readily appareent what kind of hosiery boys with long trousers were wearing. Perhaps the most common rule was tha children wearing kneesocksd should keep them pulled up. Most schools required kneesocks as part of the school uniform. Some schools especially in the south had ankle socks, but kneesocks were more common. At a number of schools there were seasonal rules about kneesocks and ankle socks. Many schools simply had grey kneesocks or turn-over-top socks. A number of schools had special school socks. These were usually grey kneesocks with colored bands at the top or even tops in done entirely in a color. Boys were encouraged to wear the school socks, but usually nothing was said to a boy wearing plain grey kneesocks.
Proper turn-over-top knee socks were supporter by elastic garters. Some schools had the children wear them with the colored tabs that Cubs also wore. This worked effectively to keep the socks from falling down. Some boys, however, didn't like wearing the garters, complaining thatvthey were uncomfortable. Schools varied as to how strict they were about boys keeoing their socks pulled up. The girls did not seem to have a similsr problem. The knee socks without the turn-over-tops were made with elastic. This tended to work well att first, but after a few washings the elatic tended to lose its elasticity. Thus we see many bots with their socks falling down. Some schools made an issue if this. Other schools did not seem to bothered about it. Here the boys also varied. Some boys kept their knee socks pulled up. this was generally because they wore garters under the turn-over tops, but somehow some boys seemed to just have a nack about it, nore concerned with their appearance. Other boys couldn't have cared less.
We note at some schools the boys seem to use their kneesocks to hold items. The item we most commonly notice is a comb. We do not know if schools had rules about it, but it is common enough that some schools clearly permitted it. It seems likely that some schools prohibited it, but clearly some did not. We even see boys so using their kneesocks when in their dress uniforms for church. Perhaps the boys wanted to be sure they had a comb handy to be properly sorted out for church. We are not sure why the boys did this. It seems that there were plenty of pockets for combs. Perhaps combs fell out of pockets. Presumably this was only done with turn-over-top socks when used with string garters. This of course would hold the comb secure. I'm not sure what other items were held like this. Hopefully our British readers can tell us more about this.
Both boys and girls wear kneesocks as part of their school uniforms. Generally speaking at coed schools theboys and girls wear different colored kneesocks. Usually the boys wear grey kbeesocks and the girls white kneesocks, but this is not always the case. Girls do sometimes wear grey kneesocks, but the boys do not wear the white kneesocks that the girls wear at many schools. Girls at some schools also wore grey kneesocks. At one school the girls wore grey kneesocks, byr not with the blue tops that some of the boys wore. At other schools both boys and girls wore the same grey kneesocks. In Scotland boys sometimes wear colored kneesocks. This is less common with the girls who mostly wear either grey or white kneesocks.
