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Scottish school uniforms are quite similar to English school uniforms. Essentially school uniform styles in the United Kingdom were set in much more populace England. The principal difference is of course the kilt. The only other major difference is that boys at private schools common wore colored rather than just grey kneesocks. Blue shorts were also more common in Scotland. HBC has relatively limited information on Scottish school caps. We believe that the tradition peaked school cap like the ones worn in England were standard wear for Scottish school boys. Scottish schools required blazers much as English schools. HBC knows of no important difference between Scottish and English school blazers. Many Scottish schools by the 1980s also had dress uniforms consisting of tweed jackets which were worn with kilts for dress occasions. Scottish schools have ties much like English schools. Some private Scottish schools let boys wear open collared shirts with their blazers, but never with the formal uniform of tweed jacket and kilt. The boys wearing open collared shirts generally wore them with short trousers. Most schools required boys wearing long trousers to wear a tie. Short trousers were widely worn at Scottish private schools. Not only did prep schools have short pants uniforms, but many secondary schools also required the older boys to wear short pants as well. Many Scottish schools appear to have been more traditional than English schools in this matter. Many Scottish schools used the kilt as part of the uniform. Usually it was not worn every day. More commonly the boys wore a blazer or sweater and short pants during the day. The kilt, however, is not a very practical garment for boys. Several of the elite Scottish private schools, both public and preparatory schools, had uniforms with colored knee socks (blue, red, burgandy, purple, green, and black). Red was a particularly popular color. This is in sharp contrast to English schools which usually had grey knee socks. Scottish boys have have used bookbags much like English boys. The continental over-the-shoulder type of book bag used by European boys does not seem to have been common in Scotland.
HBC has relatively limited information on Scottish school caps. We believe that the tradition peaked school cap like the ones worn in England were standard wear for Scottish school boys. Through the 1940s they were still very common in Scotland. The popularity of caps, however, began to decline in the 1950s. By the 1980s, school caps were not common even at preparatory schools. HBC know of only a handful of Scottish schools in the 1980s wear caps were worn.
Scottish schools required blazers much as English schools. HBC knows of no important difference between Scottish and English school blazers. Many Scottish schools by the 1980s also had dress uniforms consisting of tweed jackets which were worn with kilts for dress occasions. The kilt was not normally worn with the kilt. HBC is not yet sure about earlier years.
Boys shirts for Scottish schools were varied over time. We do noy have a lot of information omn the 19th century. We see a lot of boys wearing Eron collars in the late-19th and early-20th cenyry. These were derachable collars. We are mot enirely sure what the Eron collars were attached to. They were usually worn sith suit coats/blazers and vests, so you don't get to see the actual shirt garment. School Eton collars were commonly worn without ties. After World War I the Eton collar began declining. We see boys and girls wearing white shirts and blouses Many boys wore grey shirts for everyday wear. Ties were common, but we see some schools wearing open collars anf no ties. This became more common during World War II, but we also see iy after the war. The boys shirts usually had pointed collars. The girls often had rounded Peer Pan collars. this apttern continued for the rest of the century for the schools that had uniforms. At the end of the century we see more casual sttles appearing like polo shirts which were worn without buttoned collars and ties. This trend became more common in the early 21st century. Many school adopted these casual shirts and bloses in the school colors. Private schools would also have more formal muniform with white shirts.
Scottish schools have ties much like English schools. Some private Scottish schools let boys wear open collared shirts with their blazers, but never with the formal uniform of tweed jacket and kilt. The boys wearing open collared shirts generally wore them with short trousers. Most schools required boys wearing long trousers to wear a tie.
Scotland is located north of England. It can be quite chilly in Scotland even during summer months. Thus Scottishboys often wear their jumpers or sweaters. Dome schools had white sweaters. They were often worn for games, but at least one school worr them as their principal school jumper. The most common jumpers are grey sweaters. A few schools have colored sweaters, but most have grey sweaters. The grey sweaters often had trim.
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Many Scottish schools used the kilt as part of the uniform. Usually it was not worn every day. More commonly the boys wore a blazer or sweater and short pants during the day. The kilt, however, is not a very practical garment for boys. It is expensive and once soiled requires dry cleaning. The kilt was worn for church on Sunday or on special occasions. Usually when wearing the kilt a tweed jacket was worn instead of a blazer. The boys then selected the family tartan. Non Scottish boys, such as English and American boys, still had to wear a kilt like the Scottish boys, but were allowed to select a tartan of their choice. I don't know of any school which required the kilt to be worn as part of a daily uniform, but some schools did allow boys to wear the kilt instead of shorts or long pants. More information is available on Scottish kilts in general.
Short trousers were widely worn at Scottish private schools. Not only did prep schools have short pants uniforms, but many secondary schools also required the older boys to wear short pants as well. Many Scottish schools appear to have been more traditional than English schools in this matter. It was Scottish schools that were the last British secondary schools to continue requiring short pants for secondary level boys as late as the 1980s. Most schools had grey shorts like the English, but several Scottish schools had blue shorts as part of the uniform. The Loretto School near Edinburgh had a major impact on New Zealand school uniforms. A New Zealand educator teaching at Loretto was so impressed with the uniform that he introduced it at Wanganui Collegiate and it was then adopted by many other New Zealand schools. Shorts trousers began to decline at Scottish schools in the 1970s, but have not disappeared. One Scottish observers notes that now and again he sees older boys wearing short trousers on their way to/from school. Most of them look to be in the 12/13 age group. Occasionally older boys wear shorts but most older boys wear long trousers.
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Scootish boys have worn a variety of hosiery over time. We note many boys wearing knee socks. We see Scottish boys mostly wearing knee socks in the early-20th century. Several of the elite Scottish private schools, both public and preparatory schools, had uniforms with colored knee socks (blue, red, burgandy, purple, green, and black). Red was a particularly popular color. This is in sharp contrast to English schools which usually had grey knee socks. Interestingly the color bands on the knee socks often worn by Englisgh school boys are not commonly seen at Scottish schools.
The footwear worn by Scottish schoolboys seems similar to that worn in Englnd. Boys in the early 20th century wore heavy boot-like shoes. Some children from less affluent families went to school barefoot. After World War I we note boys wearing low-cut oxfords as well as school sandals. We notice school sandals were especially common in the 1950s. They were worn by both bo/p and girls. The "T"-strap style worn by English children was the most common, but we notice quite a number of children wearing the double strap style. The popularity of sandals declined in the 1970s, although they are still worn at some private schools. Also in the 1970s smeakers often called trainers began to become increasingly popular for schoolwear.
Scottish boys have have used bookbags much like English boys. The continental over-the-shoulder type of book bag used by European boys does not seem to have been common in Scotland. Boys at private schools in the 1980s had porfolio type bags, but these were less common at state schools. I'm not sure what type of book bags boys had in earlier times.
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