Figure 1.--This English class portrait is undated, but looks to us like it was taken in the 1940s, we would guess during the war. Only a few minor indicators showing the impact of the war are notable, but you have took closely. Only a few boys are wearing ties. And we see two boys wearing American-style sneakers. That is something you did not see before the war. We wonder if this was footwear made in america and part of Lend Lease shipments. Hopefully some of our British readers will know more. Learther used for shoes had to be rationed, but so did rubber used in sneakers. The boys look to be about 10-years old. Notice the game marked out on playground for morning break (recess) play.

Few new trends appeared in the 1940s. World War II (1939-45) of course had a major impact. Rationing and the focus on the War precluded much attention to fashion. For the most part school uniform trends continued unchanged from the 1930s. Some English observers report that rationing regulations caused manufacturers to produce mostly short pants for boys, but I do not have details on this. Clothing manufacturers shifted to making military uniforms. In the 5 years of the War ulilitarian clothes were meeded. Clohes like food were rarioned. Photographic image, however, show choldren reasonably dressed. There my have been little room for extavagances, but the children look to us reasonably dressed throughout the War. Few new trends appeared in the 1940s. World War II (1939-45) of course had a major impact. Rationing and the focus on the War precluded much attention to fashion. For the most part school uniform trends continued unchanged from the 1930s. Some English observers report that rationing regulations caused manufacturers to produce mostly short pants for boys, but I do not have details on this. Shorts continued to be long and baggy. Most primary school boys wore sut jackets and short pants to school, but few scools required uniforms. Primary boys often wore school sandals and usually knee socks. Britain inituiated a new state secondary system in the 1940s. The younger boys going to these schools often wore short pants. We do not know if this was a requirement are simply what the boys wore.

The Early-1940s

The early-1940s mean World War II (1939-45). Although Britain was not invaded during the War, the education of the children was severely affected. Britain's state primary education system was well established by the time of World War II. And even though ,any cvhildren were evacuated, primary education could be continued with only minimal dislocation. Many private schools were already located in the countryside. State econdary education was a more complicated matter. It was more difficult to continue the education of secondary students in the country side or rural villages. All of England's state seconaries were located in the cities. Finding the needed facilities to continue the education of secindary students in the countrtyside was a challenge. As the War wound down, Parliament made major decesions about secondary education in the post-War era with the Butler Act (1944). This meant sweeping changes in secodary education. The Butler Act established a tripartite secondary system. It would consist of grammar, secondary modern, and secondary technical schools. It cementing the split between primary and secondary education, meaning that secondary age children were no longer to be taught in primary schools. The Act also creation of the Eleven Plus exam. This was a test designed to assess academic ability and would determine who would go on to the more rigoursly academic grammar schools. It was based on the 1938 Spens report which reached the conclusion that that grammar and technical schools should rely on intelligence testing as part of their admissions process. Children who did well went to the grammar schools. Those who did not score well wrnt to the secondary moderns or technical schools. The Butler Act also raised the school-leaving age to 15 years sgich became effective after the War (1947). Few new schoolwear trends appeared in the 1940s. World War II (1939-45) of course had a major impact. Rationing and the focus on the War precluded much attention to fashion. For the most part school uniform trends continued unchanged from the 1930s. Some English observers report that rationing regulations caused manufacturers to produce mostly short pants for boys, but we do not have details on this. Clothing manufacturers shifted to making military uniforms. In the 5 years of the War ulilitarian clothes were meeded. Clohes like food were rarioned. Photographic image, however, show choldren reasonably dressed. There my have been little room for extavagances, but the children look to us reasonably dressed throughout the War.

The Late-1940s

Few new trends appeared in the 1940s. World War II (1939-45) of course had a major impact. Rationing and the focus on the War precluded much attention to fashion. For the most part school uniform trends continued unchanged from the 1930s. Some English observers report that rationing regulations caused manufacturers to produce mostly short pants for boys, but I do not have details on this. Shorts continued to be long and baggy. Most primary school boys wore sut jackets and short pants to school, but few scools required uniforms. Primary boys often wore school sandals and usually kneesocks. Britain inituiated a new state secondary system in the 1940s. The younger boys going to these schools often wore short pants. We do not know if this was a requirement are simply what the boys wore. Schools that did have uniforms such as private schools and grammar schools had trouble maintaining uniform standards with rationing and shortages. There were also a lot of transfers because of the evacuations. Almost all children were back with their parents by 1945, but shortages and rationing continued.

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Created: 3:56 AM 8/1/2014
Last updated: 3:07 PM 9/13/2021