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While the styles adopted by schools in the 1920s continue to be worn in the late-20th century, there have been some changes. The peaked caps once so common virtually disappeared. The school sandals once worn with a narrow center strap now mostly have wide straps and look more like shoes. The major change was in the trousers worn by boys. The baggy shorts still common in the 1950s had by the 1970s become much shorter and trim fitting. While secondary schools generally dropped requirements that boys wear shorts, they were still widely worn in preparatory and primary schools. Many of these schools in the 1980s, however, dropped the short pants requirement intirely or at least for older boys. Short pants by the 1990s much less commonly worn, but there are still some schools that continue to require them for the younger boys. The shorts that are worn by the mid-1990s had become longer.
The school uniform trends common in the 1970s are for the most part the styles common worn today. School caps were no longer worn at public and state secondary schools, they were even being dropped at many prep
schools. Boys and girls at most state secondary schools wore a standard uniform of black blazer and grey long trousers or skirts. Even the younger boys at
state secondary schools now wore long trousers.
Some public schools still required shorts for younger boys, but by the end of the decade even the Scottish schools dropped requirements for older boys.
Many elementary schools required school uniforms, in most cases short pants.
A new style of school sandal became common with a wide center strap.
Most prep schools continued to require shorts. Beginning in the
early 1970s the longer, knee-length shorts began to be replaced with
much shorter, trimmer fitting shorts based more on Continental styles.
The once ubiquitous school cap for the most part disappeared in the 1980s, although a few mostly prep schools continued the requirement. Clothing a state primary schools varied widely. Many schools did not have uniforms and the children wore comtemporary styled clothing. Quite a number of schools, but a minority, had uniforms. These were largly basic uniforms of sweaters, short pans, and kneesocks. Often there were seasonal variations. These uniforms were especially common at schools with religious association--mostly Anglican and Catholic. Many rivate primary schools, especially prepartory schools, still maintained traditional uniforms. Many of these schools dropped a requirement for short trousers, especially for the older boys. State secondary schools mostly had uniforms with black blazers with long pants for boys and skirts for girls. Some girls complained that they could not wear trousers. Many primary schools also had simple uniforms. Many private schools in the 1980s shifted to coeducation. Many schools required the children to wear ties, although for the most part the blazer was not worn during the school day. Quite a number of schools shifted to more casual open collar uniforms. Prep schools still commonly required short trousers, especially for the younger boys, but many went to long pants. The shorter cut school shorts which appeard in the 1970s were commonly worn. An interesting book provides a fascination look at prep schools in the 1980s,
Boys' Preparatory
Schools.
Parliament passed another Education Act (1996). Inlike many other such acts, it was not a major pirce of legislation. It refined just how leaving age was defined. It defined the school-leaving age as the last Friday in June in the year of a child’s 16th birthday. The major apect of the law was give Home Education actual legal standing. Many English educators for years had been hostile toward parents educsating hrir children at home. Parliment responding to the other increaing number of parents opting for Home Educastion finally relented, although the language oif thde Sct reflected continuing distrust. It requited that parents provide an education for their children through school or 'otherwise'.
One report from the northwest of England indicates that the wearing of shorts has completely died out in
secondary (high) school and the Americam trend for
'walking' shorts has not yet caught on. It is doubtful that it will as many of our secondary schools have compulsory uniform, and won't allow any deviation from the style. In junior (elementary) schools there has been a steep decline in the wearing of shorts by boys. especially over the last 5 years (1995-99). However it has not died out completely, the majority of fee paying junior schools still demand shorts, and there are at least 5
state run (usually church controlled) primary schools within a few miles of my house which encourage or require that the boys wear shorts all year. The similar situation exists in Liverpool where many of the Catholic church sponsored schools have the same
views. And up north in Scotland, the wearing of shorts is still fairly common for under 11's. The main problem seems to be that it is now difficult to obtain school style shorts for boys over 8/9 years old, and parents seem to have to 'cut-down' long trousers for the older boys. Incidentally the schools shorts worn are not the baggy shorts popular
in the United States and now worn for casual wear in England. English
styles are still a very standardised type of "school
shorts". The term "school shorts" is commonly used in the U.K.
They are of a cotton worsted mix, light grey in colour
and lined with two diagonal cut side pockets and usually a single rear pocket. Thet normally have a semi-elasticated waist with zip fly, but rarely belt loops.
They are usually worn fairly short i.e. 2" inside leg, although older boys (10/11) styles tend to be longer, coming to fingertip length. One English contributor explains,
"When I wore shorts for school they where longish, coming nearly to the knees, but in the early 70's they got very short, to the point where they wher only 1" inside leg. They also tended to be worn rather tighter then than now, but that was true of all trousers." A HBC contributor reports: In England, there are even one or two schools now in the area where I live that won't allow boys to wear long trousers until they reach a certain age (year 5 at one school, year six at another and year 8 at another ....in other words, up to and including 13 years old) - and the weather simply doesn't come in to it. To placate parents who've complained, one schooll has said there's nothing to stop the boys wearing track-suit bottoms over their shorts on the way to and from school, which they can remove on arrival; but few bother. A related observation is that there has been a significant increse in the number of girls at both primary and secondary level wearing long trousers
instead of skirts. This was as a result of a change in the law, and I feel that it may be this that finally kills off short trousers in British schools. The now popular survey provide a very accurate picture of what English boys are wearing to school. Some question school uniforms, but they remain very common. A report in 1998 indicated that school uniforms remain a must for many parents, but the more traditional items of school attire have nearly dissappeared in England. A survey of 1,000 British parents found that only 2 percent buy traditional sdchool caps for their primary-age children. Blazers are almost no longer commonly worn in primary school, only 3 percent of children are outfitted in blazers. The school tie, once worn by nearly all English boys and girls is now worn by only 27 percent of them. The survey was commissioned by Woolworths UK, an important retailer. While the more traditional items are now worn less. there was a high level of support for the concept of school uniform. The vast majority of primary school children wear a uniform, i fact 83 percent. An even higher proportion of parents (91 percent) support the idea.
A variety of reasons were given. Some believe their children look smarter in uniforms, while others say they reduce the likelihood of breakfast time arguments about what to wear.
And more than a quarter of parents with children at primary school say uniforms remove the element of "designer label competition" from the playground. The relative low cost of school uniforms, compared to designer clothes, is seen as another virtue. The survey found that in those schools where uniform is compulsory, the average cost of kitting a child out for school is £142. In schools where it is not compulsory, the average cost is £156. Of course, the potential savings for children at secondary schools, where the teen-age children tend to be fashion-conscious are likely to be substanially higher. ["Education: End of the old school tie?" BBC On Line News, August 1, 1998]
Some personal accounts are available describing the uniforms worn as schoolboys:
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Main Chronology Page]
[The 1880s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
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[Return to the Main school uniform page]
[Long pants suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
[Eton suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer]
[School sandals]
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