Figure 1.--Most prep schools with short trouser uniforms used grey Terelyn shorts, but a number used corduroy shorts. The grey cords shown here were quite common. At some schools they were for everday schoolwear. |
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Several schools had uniforms with cord shorts, especially as the every-day working uniform. At some schools boys wore their cord shorts with their blazers. At other schools the boys had suits or more formal trousers to wear with blazers. We are not sure about the chronlogy of cord shorts, but we notice them after World war II. They seemed to have been very popular in the 1950s and 60s. They were chosen because of their hard wearing characteristics and easy care. Cord shorts were also popular for casual wear in the 1950s. There were still several schools that had cord short uniforms in the 1980s, but few boys by then were wearing them as casual wear. A few of these schools also had cord lumber jackets to go with them. At some schools they were called jerkins. These cord shorts were done in various colors, but grey was by far the most common. We have also notice a range of other colors, including blue, brown, and maroon. Corduroy was done in other colors such as green, but we have not noticed them worn as schools. A few schools in the 1980s also had cord long pants. This varied from school to school, at some schools long or short cord pants were optional. There was one school which allowed the girls to wear cord long triysers during the Winter. They could not, however wear cord shorts.
Several schools had uniforms with cord shorts. Its a bit difficult to be precise. They seem tgo have been worn by about 5 percent of the preep schools during the 1980s, perhaps slightly higher. They seem to have been popular at some schools because corduroy was hard wearing. We are not sure if they were popular with the boys. We do not recall the boys commenting specifically on corduroy although they often had comments about their uniforms when we spoke with them about their schools. By the 1980s we do not see boys commonly wearing cord trousers in Britain except as part of school uniforms. The popularity of corduroy appears to have variec over time and attitudes toward corduroy have varied over time. We notethat corduroy was seen as a fabric for the working class in the early 20th century. Yet by the 1980s cord shorts were foer the most part primarily being worn as preparatory schools, meaning primarily children from affluent families. .
Conventions for cord shorts varies from school to school. The most common convention was cord shorts as the every-day working uniform. At some schools boys wore their cord shorts with their blazers. At other schools the boys had suits or more formal trousers to wear with blazers.
We are not sure about the chronlogy of cord shorts, but we notice them after World war II. They seemed to have been very popular in the 1950s and 60s. They were chosen because of their hard wearing characteristics and easy care. Cord shorts were also popular for casual wear in the 1950s. There were still several schools that had cord short uniforms in the 1980s, but few boys by then were wearing them as casual wear.
A few of these schools also had matching cord lumber jackets to go with them. At some schools they were called jerkins.
These cord shorts were done in various colors, but grey was by far the most common. We have also notice a range of other colors, including blue, brown, and maroon. Corduroy was done in other colors such as green, but we have not noticed them worn as schools. Often the color at any scholl varied because shades changed through washing. Some boys wore new trousers while others wore well worn trousers that had gone through many washings. Corduroy is a cotton material and even with modern dyes the colors tends to fade with constant washings.
A few schools in the 1980s also had cord long pants. This varied from school to school, at some schools long or short cord pants were optional. There was one school which allowed the girls to wear cord long triysers during the Winter. They could not, however wear cord shorts.
