Figure 1.--Here we see a school portrit of an unidentified prep school. All we know about the portrait is that it was taken in 1915. The foliage suggests it was taken in May or June and the end of the school year. THere are about 60 boys and 6 masters, all male. Today it would be seen as a small school, at the time it would have been a medium-sized school. The boys are all wearing Eton collars. The jackets are mostly simiar, but there are some differences. The neckties and pants are different. The older boys seem to be wearing long pants. The junior boys are werting short pants, knickers, and long pants. The boys are searing knee socks, but thee are no destictive school socks.

The 1910s was a bifurcated decade. It began as part of the Edwardian era. King Edward VII died (1910), but Edwardian norms and fashion trends continued. It was a time of unbridled optimism and confidence in the future. There was surety about the solid, dependable society. This was especially the case with the upper and middle classes that sent their boys to private schools. until Europe erupted in war. The idea of a boarding school for younger boys to prepare them for the country's elite boarding public schools school for older boys. World War I was another major turning point in so many areas, including school wear. Unlike the public schools, none of the prep school boys at least by mid-decade wold have reached military age during the War. We still see Eton collars everywhere a the beginning of the decade, but by the 1920s the Eton collar and other formal style were declining in popularity. They were still common at the beginning of the decade, but had notably declined by the end of the decade after about 5 years of war. Of course the boys at these schools would have had brothers and fathers in the services. Tumultuous times commonly lead to fashion changes. And the difficulties and privations of the War impacted how many viewed the pre-War fashion standards and conventions. We see more boys at prep schools wearing attached soft collars during the war. Many schools began adopting colored blazers as part of the uniform which coordinated caps and ties. We still see some long stockings, but knee socks were becoming more common, especially for boys and boys wearing shorts rather than straight-leg knee pants or knickers. We do not yet see the school sandals that became common in the 1920s. The idea of a uniform at prep schools was well established. The War essentially bankrupted Britain. We are unsure at this time affected the economic of private schools. .

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Created: 3:10 AM 8/8/2025
Last updated: 3:10 AM 8/8/2025