Figure 1.--This Antwerp Chiro about 1998 continued to wear the old-style dark-brown shirt uniform. It is believed to be the same uniform originally adopted by Chiro. Notice the one boy in a non-official white shirt also wears kneesocks--but with the regulation short white socks.

The traditional uniform of dark brown shirts and black shorts was common to all Chiro-boys until some time in the 1970s. HBU assumes this was the original uniform worn when Chiro was founded in the years after World War II. Chiro was formed from reorganized groups which had acquired unsavory reputations during the German occupation. We believe that the uniform originally chosen was this dark brown uniform, but am not sure about this. We have no early images of Chiro groups. Most Chiro units changed to a light brown or tan shirt in the late 1970s or early 80s. Unlike some youth groups there was not central organzation to make such decissions which were made by local units. HBU has noted that even in 2001 that a few groups cling to the old uniform.

A HBU reader asked a Chiro group about their old-style brown uniform. He congratulated them with their site and asked them: 1) Why they wear the old brown uniform, 2) If there are other groups that do so, and 3) Where they obtain it since the official Chiro shop doesn’t sell them any more. He said that he had thought that the new uniform was compulsory for all groups.

The Chiro group responded: "The photographs on our site are a few years old. By now, most of our boys are wearing the blue uniform. Some (especially of the leaders) still wear the old one. I didn’t know that the blue one was compulsory. Formerly we did not wear the national uniform but always the brown one, for the sake of nostalgia. We had it made especially for us. The Chiro group of Kruibeke (a neighbouring village) also wore the brown uniform for a long time, but they recently changed over to blue."

Our HBU reader also asked, "The brown uniform once was standard for the whole Chiro movement. Are there any more ‘brown’ groups left? What about the black boots, were do you buy those? Or do you have them made to order too?"

They replied, "I don’t know of any other groups that wear the brown uniform. I learned today that a brown shirt and black shorts was the uniform of Hitler’s ‘followers’. I wasn’t aware of that up to now. Our boots are regular ABL combat boots (ABL stands for the Belgian Army). Anybody can get them. Chiro Nationaal (the National Chiro Organization) also sell boots, they have a Chiro label on them. However, as we are not very Chiro Nationaal-minded, we do not wear those. Our uniforms have to look smart. We do pay attention to that. Winter and summer, always the same uniform. We do not accept long trousers, neither do we accept sports clothes. There are people who think of us as militarists, but in my opinion, a bit of discipline can do no harm."

Our HBU reader submitted some comment on the uniform discussion that has been taking place in many youth movements over the past 30 years and asked if the topic has been discussed within the Chiro movement too. He further asked if their group differs from the national movement with regard to uniforms only or whether there are differences of opinion on other subjects as well. There has not yet been any reply to these interesting questions.