English School Uniform: Conventions--Dress


Figure 1.--

Most private schools have dress uniforms, even though the children may wear casual styles during the normal school day. In some cases the boys wear their blazers and even ties to school and take them off once they get to school. In other schools the dress uniform is reserved for special occassions. Conventions for wearing school uniforms have varied over time and from school to school. The uniforms at many English schools still look rather formal to Americans, but they would look rather informal to school officials and paremts only a generation ago. Some schools had a dress uniform and school uniform differing only in that they wore white rather than grey shirts. Another common difference was black leather shoes rather than brown sandals. Caps used to be always required as part of the dress uniform. Schools varied, however, Other schools had the boys wears suits for dress occasions and blazers for everyday school wear. At many schools it was the blazer that was the dress uniform. Of course boys always wore ties, but they were also worn at most schools for every daywear. The destinction between dress clothes and everyday schoolwear was more common in the early 1990s. By the 1970s and 80s most schools had adopted only uniform, primarily to reduce the substantial costs associated with purchaes of large numbers of garments.

Type of School

Most private schools have dress uniforms, even though the children may wear casual styles during the normal school day. State schools are less likely to have especially formal uniforms, but this varies from school to school. Many state secondary schools still require blazers and ties.

Back and Forth to School

In some cases the boys wear their blazers and even ties to school. Many schools viewed the students rather as walking advertisements and wanted the children to look smart when coming to school in the morning and returning home in the afternoon. Normally the children would take thir blazers off once they arrived at school. Here conventions varied from school to school. At boarding schools the blazers were normally not worn while the children were ar school. school.

School Trips

Often students are required to wear their foemal uniforms such as blazers and ties for school trips. This varies from school to school and the nature of the trip. Conventions have also varided over time. A HBC reader has provided us an account of his school trip in 1962.

Dress Uniform

In other schools the dress uniform is reserved for special occassions. These might include a visiting dignitary or a the celebration of an important day. At school the children usually dress up for church on Sunday. Some schools had a dress uniform and school uniform differing only in that they wore white rather than grey shirts. Another common difference was black leather shoes rather than brown sandals. Caps used to be always required as part of the dress uniform. Schools varied, however, Other schools had the boys wears suits for dress occasions and blazers for everyday school wear. At many schools it was the blazer that was the dress uniform. Of course boys always wore ties, but they were also worn at most schools for every daywear.

Chronology

Conventions for wearing school uniforms have varied over time and from school to school. The uniforms at many English schools still look rather formal to Americans, but they would look rather informal to school officials and paremts only a generation ago. The destinction between dress clothes and everyday schoolwear was more common in the early 1990s. By the 1970s and 80s most schools had adopted only uniform, primarily to reduce the substantial costs associated with purchaes of large numbers of garments.







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Created: September 16, 1998
Last updated: 12:02 PM 1/4/2006