Figure 1.--This image shows the varied headwear the boys are wearing. By far the most common was the beret. Click on the image to see a full view of the boys.
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Figure 1.--This image shows the varied headwear the boys are wearing. By far the most common was the beret. Click on the image to see a full view of the boys. |
This unknown elementary school was photographed about 1950. Most of the boys wear smocks. A few wear berets. They all wear short pants and kneesocks.
This school was photographed after World War II. I am not sure precisely when, but would guess approximately 1950.
The photograph looks to be taken at the beginning of the school uear. The smocks the boys are wearing look very new, as do their shoes.
The school shown here is unidentified. There is no information on the reaof France here the school is located.
Figure 2.--These are the only two boys dressed a bit differently. One boy appears to be wearing a stripped blazer over his smock. The othervboy is either wearing a jacket or grey smock. |
It is not known what the rule was at this school. Given the fact that almostall of the boys are wearing smocks. It is quite likely that it was required by the school. The fact that all of the boys are wearing white shirts suggests that this may have been a requitement.
All of the boys are wearing dark blue or black smocks, but several other standards school wear garments are notable.
The boys wear a variety of headgear. Not all the boys wear headwear, but most do. The most common headwear was the beret. About half the boys wear berets, which seem to be be plain black ones. One boy wears a kind of golf cap. Another wears a rather incongrous full-brimmed hat.
Few boys wear jackers over their smocks. But one boy wears a stripped, English looking school blazer. It is unclear if the other boy wears a light-colored jacket or a grey smock.
Figure 3.--This image shows a closeup of the smocks the boys are wearing. They all appear to be the same color and most are of similar styling. |
Virtually all of the boys are wearing black or dark blue smocks. They all appear to be the quite similar--all back buttoning smocks. They look very nice and new, suggesting this is the beginning of the school year.
French boys commonly wore sweaters to school, especially during the cooler weather. As these boys are wearing dmocks, it is not possible to see their sweaters.
None of the boys appear to be wearing bows or ties. Bows appear to have been more of an Italian style.
The boys appear to be wearing white shirts. The photograph does not show what all of the boys wear, but most appear to be wearing white shirts. These are not special collars for the smocks, but rather plin white shirts with the collars orn outside their smocks. Often photographs of French children wearing smocks do not show them with their shirt collars worn outside their smocks.
All of the boys are wearing short pants. It is not possible to determin what kind of shorts because of the mocks they are wearing, but every boy is wearing shorts. This might also been a requirement, but usually schools left such choices up to the parents.
In earlier years, French boys often wore belts outside their smocks. HBC is still not sure why as it could have only been for stylistic reasons. None of these boys have belts outside the smocks.
Figure 4.--This image shows all the boys are wearing kneesocks. They range from light grey to dark colors. Some have stripes at the top like English school socks. One boy wears Argyles. |
All of the boys at this school wear kneesocks. They range from light grey to dark colors. Some have stripes at the top like English school socks. One boy wears Argyles. This suggests again that it was a little chilly, early inthe school years--perhaps October. French boys by the 1950s began to wear kneesocks mostly in the cooler fall and winter months. Again the uniformity suggests there may have been a school rule. Not one boy wears ankle socks. That said, a few boys have not pulled their kneesocks up to their knees.
The boys are all wearing dark leather shoes--all neatly polished. A few boys wear high-top shoes, but most wear Oxford type shoes. Sandals were widely worn by French boys. None of these boys, however, wear sandals. Many images atvFrench schools show the boys waring a wide variety of sandals as recently as the 1960s. Perhaps it was because of the season or perhaps it was a school rule, but none of these boys wear sandals.
Figure 5.--This image shows the white shirts with the collars worn tuned over the smocks the boys are wearing. |