School Uniform:  Private Catholic School: Lycee St. Malo (1920-21)


Figure 1.--This is the Cinquième and Sixième B class at the Lycee St. Malo in 1920-21. Most of the boys wear a military-styled uniform, mostly with short pants and kneesocks, but some boys wear long pants. A few boys wear regular suits. One reader suggests it was the boarders that wore the uniforms. 

These photographs show the boys at Lycee St. Malo only a few years after World War I. There appears to have been 10 different grades or forms. There may have been more than one class at each grade level as there are letters after some of the class names. The grades or numdered in reverse order thus the 10 grade (Dixiéme) looks to be the entry level at about age 6. We note in 1920 most of the boys wear uniforms. We are not sure if this meant that it was a military school or that the school just had a uniform with a military look. The school in 1920-21 appears to have had a school uniform, but did not rigidly enforce it. Few of te youngest boys wear the school uniform and instead wear sailor suits and other outfits. The older the boys are the more common the uniform is. Most boys wear short pants and kneesocks with their school uniform. but this apparently was not a requirement as some boys wear knickers or long pants. There does not appear tpo have been any hair style regulation as the boys have a variety of different hair styles.

Chronology

These photographs show the boys at Lycee St. Malo only a few years after World War I. This was the 1920-21 school year. The school was located far from the actual fighting, but many of the boys' fathers would have been involved in the War and surely quite a number were killed and badly wounded. One wonders if any provision was made in the school fees for such boys.

Forms

There appears to have been 10 different grades or forms. There may have been more than one class at each grade level as there are letters after some of the class names. The grades or numdered in reverse order thus the 10th grade (Dixiéme) looks to be the entry level at about age 6. We note that the names of the classes in the modern French school system are somewhat different tha the classes here.

Terminal

in this class he can got his " baccalauréat ". We did not find an image for Terminal at St. Malo in 1920.

1ère


Second


Third


Quatriéme B

There were 19 boys in Quatriéme B. They would have been about 14 years old. All of these boys wear the school uniform jacket, perhaps at this age they were all boarders. Two boys standing together have a rather Napoleonic pose with their hanfs in their jackets. Most of the boys wear the uniform jacket with short pants and dark kneesocks--sime with paterened socks. A few boys wear long pants. Hair styles are all short, but theey include swep backs and both left and center parts.

Cinquième and Sixième B

This was a mixed class. I am not precisely sure at this time why the clas was mixed. Presumably this was the 5th form, perhaps with some of the brighter 6th form boys. Or perhaps there were two parts to the 6th form program and the second part was done with the 5th form. The boys would have been about 13 years old. All but a few wear the school uniform.

Sixième A

The Sixième class would be the first year of secondary studies. The boys would have been about 12 years old. Most wear the school uniform, but several boys wear sailor suits and a various fashions of suits.


Dixième

Children 6 years old would be in Class 10th or 12th (dixième or douzième). I am not sure what happened to the 11th class. This class is the " cours préparatoire ".

School Uniform

We note in 1920 most of the boys wear uniforms. We are not sure if this meant that it was a military school or that the school just had a uniform with a military look, a double breasted naval-looking jacket. While the school in 1920-21 appears to have had a school uniform, they do not seem to have rigidly enforce it. One reader suggests that the unifirm may have been worn entirely or mostly by the boarders. I am not sure why only the boarders would have worn the uniform. Few of the youngest boys wear the school uniform and instead wear sailor suits and other outfits. The older the boys are the more common the uniform is. Most boys wear short pants and kneesocks with their school uniform. but this apparently was not a requirement as some boys wear knickers or long pants.

Garments

While many of the boys wear what looks to be a school uniform, we note quite a few of the boys wearing other garments. Sailor suits appear to be especially popular for the younger boys. Other boys wear a variety of jackets. Some are without lapels and button at the collar. A few have Norfolk styling. Others wear rather modern-looking single breasted suits. One boy, but only one boy wears a smock. Interestingly he is not one of the younger boys, but a boy in the Sixiéme class. Apparently smocks were not very popular at this school, although we notice them being widely worn by French school boys during the 1920s. Most of the boys in short pants wear dark kneesocks. Almost all the boys wear heavy boot-like high-top shoes.

Hair Styles

There does not appear to have been any hair style regulation as the boys have a variety of different hair styles. Most boys had center parts, but we notice a few with side parts.






Christopher Wagner





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Created: December 3, 2002
Last updated: December 3, 2002