Figure 1.--Most prep schools with short trouser uniforms used grey Terelyn shorts with various stylistic variations. Quite a number of schools had uniforms with corduroy shorts in grey or a number of other colors. |
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Most British prep school boys boys since World War I wore short trousers. Usually this was grey shorts, but a few schools had a uniform of blue shorts or some other color. This was, however not very common. The shorts were at first flannel, but by the 1960s Terrelyn became more common as less ironing was required. We noticed very few schools in the 1980s that still had flannel shorts. Several schools had uniforms with cord shorts, especially as the every-day working uniform. These cord shorts were done in various colors, but grey was by far the most common. The popularity of school shorts began to change in the 1970s as fewer British boys wore shorts, especially during the Winter. Most schools required shorts all year round, even in the cold Winter weather. Several schools in the 1980s began introducing more seasonally based uniforms. School shorts were done in a variety of stylistic variations, primarily involving the closing and waistband.
Most British prep school boys boys since World War I wore short trousers. Before the War we see a variety of outfits with boys different kinds of trousers. After the War, short trousers at prep school became almost universal and were part of the required uniform. Thy were almost always worn with knee socks or turn-over-top socks as the British might call them. The popularity of school trousers began to change in the 1960s. Fewer British boys were wearing shorts, especially during the Winter. We see many more boys wearing long trousers by the 1970s. The uniforms at prep schools tended to lag overall fashion trends so you still see many prep school boys wearing shorts in the 1970s, although many schools began changing the uniform rules. By the 1980s some schools had made the type of trousers optional or chnged the uniform to long trousers. This vried greatly from school to school. Some schools allowed prefects or older boys to wear long trousers. The precise rule and age varied from school to school. A few schools still insisted on shorts for all the boys. Some schools had shorts as an everyday uniform, but allowed some or all of the boys to wear long trousers for the dress up uniform..
Usually British boys wore grey shorts of varying shades. Stangely while both grey and black long trousers were very common in Britain, we did not notice schools with uniforms of black short trousers. Grey was by far the dominany color for school shorts. A few schools had a uniform of blue shorts or some other color. This was, however not very common. The great mjority of British school shorts, both at prep schools and other school were done in grey. Grey had the advantage that it did not shoe dirt like some other colors. It is rather a drab color, but worked well with brightly colored blazers. Grey shorts were so commonly worn for school that Wolf Cubs adopted them so boys would not have to buy a special pair of trousers for Cubbing.
The shorts were at first flannel, but by the 1960s Terrelyn became more common as less ironing was required. We noticed very few schools in the 1980s that still had flannel shorts. Terelyn worsted was by far the most common material. The Terelyn shorts became very popular as they retained sharp creases without constant ironing. Several schools had uniforms with cord shorts, especially as the every-day working uniform. These cord shorts were done in various colors, but grey was by far the most common. The popularity of school shorts began to change in the 1970s as fewer British boys wore shorts, especially during the Winter.
Most schools required shorts all year round, even in the cold Winter weather. Several schools in the 1980s began introducing more seasonally based uniforms. A few schools had different shorts. One school had flannel shorts in the winter and cotton shorts in the summer. A few schools also changed to long trousers in the Winter, but this also was not very common. Most schools either had age or form rules about short and long trouusers. This was, however, not very common. More commonly there were seasonal chnges with other garments such as hosiery. Many schools changed from kneesocks to short socks.
School shorts especially the Terelyn short pants came with a deep crease. This was not the case with cord shorts. Standard school shorts normally came with two front pockets, but no back pockets. This was a very common convntion for chool shorts. Pockets are very important to boys. A fascinsting study could be done on the variety of items that find their ways into boys' pockets. An exception concerning pockets here were a few schools that had cotton trunk shorts during the summer. Boys did not normally carry wallets. All standard school shorts by the 1970s were made with zipper flys. Earlier they were done with button flys. Waistabands were done in a number of different ways. Waistband closures were commonly done with a clasp. There were shorts dome with adjustable tabs. They were populat in the 1970s, but less so in the 80s. Most boys had shorts with belt loops. Younger bous commonly had shorts with elasticized half waists. Proper school shorts were lined, although there were inexpensive shorts available that were not lined. These were not normally weorn at prep schools. The lining material varied. The lining was usually white, but sometimes light blue. Long trousers were not lined.
School shorts were done in a variety of stylistic variations, primarily involving the closing and waistband.
The length of school short trousers changed over time. Generally speaking they were quite long, knee-length before Workd War II and afterwards in the 1950s. This began to change by the 1ate-1950s. They were probably affected by the shorter-length and more trom shorts worn on the Continent. In addition short-length casual shortswith atlhletic stylung became popular for casual wear in the the 1970s. Thus during the 1970s-80s, school shorts could be quite short. This was especially the case for the shorts worn vby younger boys and sold in the chain stores. The more expensive lined shorts sold in the school outfitter shops tended to be a little longer. Here as far as we know, the schools did not specifically order longer or shorter shorts, but the manufacturers simplly followed popular styles. The shorts at any given schools could vary quite a bit, in part because the boys grew over the school year.
School clothes were of course bought in July and August for the coming year. Some boys even wore items a couple years. By the end of the year in June and July, some of the boys had grown a good bit. Thus you see boys who had
rather outgrown their uniforms.
This was especially the case of the older boys approaching their teen years. Thus some boys had very short shorts. Mums being mums, most were unwilling to buy a new pair of shorts at the end of the year. A reader writes, "That is something I experienced at my prep school. Our school required all boys to wear short trousrs, rather like some of the schools in your eBooks. The images brought back memories of my prep school years. My last year I began sproting up above most of the other boys. I soon found myself wearing impossibly short and tight grey shorts in December, even when it was freezing cold. I turned 13 in January. And to furthur complicate the situation, the school changed the uniform rules. They stopped enforcing the shorts rule. Half the boys in the school were in longs, half of them in shorts. Many of the shorts VERY short. Mine certainly were. There were MORE older boys in shorts than younger boys, as we had grown up wearing them. Whereas the younger one's mums were getting longs. Up until then, wearing shorts was never a problem, in fact I didn't like wearing longs. But when other boys - and worse, younger boys - started coming in longs and you started to find yourself in a minority wearing shorts, then it becomes embarrassing, which is a shame because we were all quite happy in shorts until then. Long trousers made me feel all trussed up and less free to play and enjoy myself. This situation didn't last long. I finished in July. And at my public school everyone wore longs. I recall dropping by for a visit the next year. Almost all the boys were wearing longs. The rate of change was exponential." The length of shorts began to change in the late-80s, at first in France. We begin to see French exchange students in long shorts. Some British boys began wearing longer shorts in the early 90s. They were quite common by the mid-90s.
Various schools had different rules about trousers. Almost all of the prep schools had required uniforms. At some schools there was a mix of short and long trousers. At some schools all the boys wore long trousers. At other schools all the boys wore short trousers. At most schools both short and long trousers were worn. Here the rules varied. At some schools it was an optional matter. At some schools it was seasonal. At many schools there were rules about who coyld wear long trousers. Generally it was done by age. Some schools had height rules, but these were generally replaced by age rules or in a few instances class (form) rules. Many schools encouraged the boys to wear short trousers. I am not sure precisely why that was. I think it is primarily a matter of tradition. Many schools tend to be traditional.
Short trousers at British prep schools were not universal, but very common, especoially for the younger boys and ecven the older boys commonly wore them. Virtually all British boys wore short trousers until wellinto the post-World War II period. We begin to see more boys wearing long trousers in the 1960s and by the 1980s when we visu=ite, quite a few scgools had changed the uniform to long trousers, at least for the older boys. Quite a few schools were slower to change the uniform than popular fashions changed. At some schools short trousers were optional which usually meant thst most boys choose longs. At others there were seasonalmuniforms. As a result many of the boys at the prep schools in the 1980s were not used to wearing short trousers except at schoolor during the summer. Several boys complained to us about having to wear short trousers, especially during out winter visits. Their major complaint was that it was cold wearing short trousers. This was probably why so many schools continued to have knee socks as part of the uniform t a toime that boys did not commonly wear them outside of school. A reader writes, "I went to a traditional prep school during the 1980s. Thus your eBook images brought back many old memmories. Our uniform was just like many of the featured in your books. We had grey Terrelyn shorts and all the boys wore them except for the prefects. That wa a change made while I was still at the school. That meant almost all of tge boys wore shorts until we finished at age 13 years. I didn't much like short trousers abd didn't commonly wear them until I entered the school at age 8 years. My major complaint as a younge boy was that it was chilly on cold days. But as an older boy I was a little shy about still wearing short trousers."
