Ireland: New Prep School Uniform, 1973


I do remember one event at my preparatory school in Ireland. Like many prep schools in those days, it was a boaring school. In 1973 our school switched from the uniform of short trousers and knee socks to long grey trousers. This was considered a giant leap by us older boys because we all hated the shorts. They looked so old fashioned to us and we felt juvenile wearing them. Some of the younger boys stayed in shorts because they did not seem to mind. The rest of us, however, jumped at the chance to wear the newly allowed long trousers.

There was one exception to those of us switching bto long trousers. His name was James. James (as far as i can remember) came from an army background and we always got the impression that his family financial circumstances were modest. I shall never forget arriving back at school for a new term and everyone was in great excitement due to the new uniform that we were all now allowed to wear. That is except for james who remained in his grey school shorts. Of course we all asked him why. He told us that his Mother and Father had promised him that he would be allowed to wear long trousers at school when he had grown out of or worn through his shorts. The extraordainary thing about this was that his existing shorts were almost too big for him and it was clear that he would not grow enough before it became time to leave the school and not only that but the shorts were practically new so there was little chance of him wearing them out in time.

James lived quite close to my own home and I had occasion to visit him sometimes during the holidays. I remember that on one occasion I arrived at his home unannounced and he was dressed in a wollen pullover and a pair of short red shorts and blue kneesocks, I myself was dressed in jeans and a jean jacket. He looked really old fashioned and was rather coy as I felt he did not want me to see him dressed in this outfit. He told me that his parents always insisted that he wear shorts during playtime and would do so till he went on to his next school. His Father said that he himself had worn shorts till he was fourteen and that if it was good enough for him then it would be good enough for James.

At school James continued to wear shorts every day (including Sunday best) till the day he left the school. No concession was ever made to this regardless of the weather and in the end he was the only boy in the school, except for the very youngest boys, who was still in shorts. We all felt rather sorry for his because not only was he the odd man out but I think he really minded having to stay in what was percieved at the time as a juvenile state of dress.







Christopher Wagner






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Created: January 28, 2002
Last updated: January 28, 2002