English School Uniform: Uniform Destinctions


Figure 1.--Here we see the prefects from an English grammar school in 1951. Here we are not sure how the prefects are identified, but suspect it was the stripped tie. Note that spme of the boys have a light-colored band ablove the school crest.

Each school had a standard uniform. Often there were detinctive elements of the uniform for the older students or students that had achieved various destinctions. This varied from school to school. The older students at some schools were allowed to wear long trousers. This is less common today as often all students wear long trousers. Older students were also often not required to wear the school cap. There were also often destinctive items for prefects such as special ties or baddges. Students excelling in sports or other aspects of school life were awarded theifr "colors". Ofen this meant a special school cap. These destinctiins have varied from school to school and over time. Here we see the prefects from an English grammar school in 1951 (figure 1). Here we are not sure how the prefects are identified, but suspect it was the stripped tie. Note that some of the boys have a light-colored band above the school crest. There were a variety of reasons for destinctive uniform elements. There were elements that reflected age or seniority. Other elements indicated status in the school such as being appointed refects. Other elements indicated achievenments such as earning one's colors. This primarily was for achievemnents in games (sports). There were a variety of badges awarded for service to the school such as library assistant. There were also destinctions to uidentify houses.

Destinctive Elements

Each school had a standard uniform. Often there were detinctive elements of the uniform for the older students or students that had achieved various destinctions. This varied from school to school. The older students at some schools were allowed to wear long trousers. This is less common today as often all students wear long trousers. Older students were also often not required to wear the school cap. There were also often destinctive items for prefects such as special ties or baddges. Students excelling in sports or other aspects of school life were awarded theifr "colors". Ofen this meant a special school cap. These destinctiins have varied from school to school and over time. Here we see the prefects from an English grammar school in 1951 (figure 1). Here we are not sure how the prefects are identified, but suspect it was the stripped tie. Note that some of the boys have a light-colored band above the school crest. A British reader writes, "The light band is in fact a clean handkerchief in the breast pocket, just visible as was fashionable in those days. Also you will notice one boy has the strap of his pocket-watch attached to the button-hole of his lapel, with the watch itself out of sight in the breast pocket." This may well be, but HBC has seen schools where the senior students have bands like this over the school crest. A reader writes, "The striped tie is part of the schools uniform. A prefect was normally identified by a lapel badge in the blazer, you can see these in the photograph. The photograph and uniform is typical of a grammar school of the 40s thru 60s and it is remarkably similar to one of myself 3 years after this date." We believe that these elements have changed over time. Some prep schools in the 1980s had solid color ties ansd stripped ties were awarded to prefects and/or boys who won their colors. We recall one boy who complained that he had to but the tie he was awarded."

Purposes

There were a variety of reasons for destinctive uniform elements. There were elements that reflected age or seniority. Other elements indicated status in the school such as being appointed refects. Other elements indicated achievenments such as earning one's colors. This primarily was for achievemnents in games (sports). There were a variety of badges awarded for service to the school such as library assistant. There were also destinctions to uidentify houses.

Individual Accounts

A reader tells us, "At the grammar school I attended we wore diagonal striped ties only after we entered the fifth form, before that we had horizontally striped woven silk ties(always difficult to tie properly). The school was organized into 'houses' and each house had a different colored stripe these were Britons(names beginning with A-D) Danes (names E-K) Normans (L-P) and Saxons.the ties were navy blue with a green,red,light blue or yellow stripe in that order. Incidentally we wore grey worsted shorts with a grey shirt and navy blue blazer with the school crest until we were 13 years old, we then were allowed to wear long trousers(still grey, it was the one of the colours available as school wear).The idea of uniform was to instill a sense of solidarity with the school and to take 'fashion' out of the academic scene, it also prevented doting mothers creating a have and have not atmosphere among the students. Unlike Public schools, grammar schools had boys from the whole economic spectrum. Remember Public schools in Britain are PRIVATE schools, grammar and secondary schools were state schools and therefore publicly funded."






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Created: 1:31 AM 6/13/20052
Last updated: 8:19 PM 6/13/2005