Figure 1.--Early American Scout uniforms ere essentially copies of the U.S. Army World war I era uniforms. The BSA attempted to introduce short pants like Scouts in Europe wore, but most American boys rejected this. Instead the American Scout uniform includeed breeches. Scouts did wear short pants in camps and for Jamborees.

The Scout movement which developed before the First World War had appears to have had a significant impact on boys' fashions. This of course is hard to deliniate with any certainty. At any given time there are many factors which affect fashions. Scouting is only one of the influences, but we believe was an important one. There were differences among countries. Scouting was founded in Britain which was a country that was especially important for men's and boys' fashions. The short pants introduced as part of the uniform were to dominate boys' clothing in Europe for five decades. The shorts proved less popular in America where many scouts wore knickers. One common feature of Scout uniforms was the kerchief. Within only a few years of Scotings foundations the drab colors of the uniforms were brightened by the addition of the colorful Scout kerchief--which soon became regarded as an indispensable article of equipment for Scouts around the world. While Scout groups in many countries now give little attention to the uniform, the kerchief is one part of the uniform that remains popular. Scouting not only affected fashion, but of course was affected by fashion trends.

Basic Question

One of the questions that interests us is to what extent the Scouting movement and Scouting Movement have affected boys' fashion. This is a question that has interestred us. A jounalist asks, "What, if any, influence did Scouting have on boys' fashion in America and >Europe, and in what time period?" [Sanchez]

Assessing Impact

The actual fashion impact of the Scout uniform is of course is hard to deliniate with any certainty. At any given time there are many factors which affect fashions. Scouting is only one of the influences, but we believe was an important one. There were differences among countries.

Impact

The Scout movement which developed before the First World War had appears to have had a significant impact on boys' fashions. The short pants and kneesocks introduced as part of the uniform were to dominate boys' clothing in Europe for five decades. Baden Powell founded the Scouts in 1907. At the time boys primarily wore kneepants with long stockings. The long stockings required a rather complicated and restrictive garment to keep them up. This was not just little boys, but teenagers as well. BP's Scouts wore short pants and kneesocks. This was much more practical clothing for boys. I believe that the Scout uniform played a role in the rapid decline in the popularity of kneepants and long stockings and their replacement (in Europe) with short pants and kneesocks. After World War I, long stockings were still worn in some countries (not in England), but primarily as seasonal cold weather clothing.

Military Image

The Scout uniform desgned by Baden Powell had a decided military look. This reflected BP's early thoughts about Scouting. BP was a British Army General. His interest reflected the concern that many British youths were no healthy and not fit for military service. This was the assessment of recruiters during Boer War (1898-1902) in which BP became famous in Britain. He thought that Scouting would toughen them up as well as teach them skills a soldier would find useful. There was a big debate about this in Britain. BP's Scouts were challenged for a time by a group promoting a less miltaristic and more internationalist approach. BP's Scouts won out, but only by essentially coopting the ideas of the rival group. This debate was less pronounced in America, but American Scouting was affected by the British debate and the development of a world Scouting movement. Presumbably the American Boy Scout Association (BSA) just followed the British example, but used an American Army uniform. The early American Scout uniforms were even closer to the American Army uniform than the British Scout uniform was to the British Scout uniform. The American Scout uniform comtinued to have a distnctly Army look until 1981 when a new uniform was adopted.

British Scouting

Scouting was founded in Britain which was a country that was especially important for men's and boys' fashions. Not only was the British fashion industry influence important, but so was British Scouting and Scout uniforms. The British Scout uniform was especially influential. Early Scouting movements in other countries simply aadopted the British Scout uniform. The same thing occurred after Cubbing was founded (1916). Early Cub uniforms in other countries were the same or similar to the Brithish Wolf Cub uniform.

American Exceptionalism

The situation in America was a bit different. The impact on long stocings was similar to Europe. The shorts proved less popular in America. American boys did not take to short pants like European boys. Rather American boys when Scouting began insisted on wearing breches. At the time knickers were replacing kneepants and commonly worn by American boys. Until this development, American and Europan boys' fashions were quite similar. I'm not sure why this difference developed. It certainly was not because Scouting was not popular in America. Scouting in fact became more popular in american than any country.

Early Uniform Trends

Within only a few years of Scotings foundations the drab colors of the uniforms were brightened by the addition of the colorful Scout kerchief--which soon became regarded as an indispensable article of equipment for Scouts around the world. One common feature of Scout uniforms was the kerchief. While Scout groups in many countries today give little attention to the uniform, the kerchief is one part of the uniform that remains popular. Scouting not only affected fashion, but of course was affected by fashion trends.

Subsequent Uniform Trends

The Scout uniform in both America and Europe did not change for many years, essentially not until the World War II era. There were some changes, but essentially the Scout uniform in most countries retained the army look. Thus after the initial fashion impact, I can't see that Scouting had much fashion impact on boys' fashions. This is just my initial assessment. I would be interested in reader comments. .

Boys' Attitudes

The journalist working on Scouting and fashion asks, "In what time periods, if any, would one say that a Boy Scout uniform was >considered "cool" or impressive? How have popular attitudes from youths changed toward the Scout uniform?" Attitudes toward Scout uniform have varied over time and from country to country. Surely the military look of the Scout uniform must have appealed to boys in the early 20th century. This seems to have continued even after World War I. This surely was the case in Germany and seems to be the case in Britain as well. We know less about other countries, but suspect that the uniforms appealed to boys generally throughout Europe. The United States is on of the few countries that continues to insist on boys wearing a uniform for Scouting. (Britain is another.) In most of Europe it is often difficult to tell that Boys are Scouts. I think the geneal rejection of militarism in modern Europe is a factor here. As to perceptions that the Scout uniform was cool. Here I do not have enough information to go on. Cerainly this was the case with early Scouting. Here there were age differences. We have more infirmation concerning the image of American Scouting. I think that the uniform did appeal to American boys. I never see, however, American Boy Scouts wearing their uniforms in High School to any great extent. (You do see that in Britain.) Even in the 1920s and 30s I do not see American Scouts wearing their uniforms to school even in the 1920s and 30s. That suggests to me that boys did not see their uniforms as all that "cool". This is different for Cubs. You do see Cubs commonly waring their uniforms to school. I remember proudly wearing by Cub uniform to school in the 1950s. None of us, however, wore or Scout uniforms to school. I think that attitudes have changed. Today the Scout uniform is not just seen as not particulrly cool, but now decidely "un-cool" by many boys. Many Scouts would not want to wear their uniforms to school under any circumsances. Here again this is probably different for Cubs. This of course is part of the general shift in boys clothing. The popular image is to look basically slovenly--presisely the opposite of a Scout uniform.

Fashion Impact on Scouting

The Scout uniform in America has always reflected general fashion attitudes. American Scouts wore breeches rather than the short pants Scouts in Europe and the rest of the world wore. This reflects the knickers that American boys commonly wore. As American boys began to wear long pants, they were made part of the uniform (1942). Short pants are more complicated. American Boy Scouus wore short pants beginning in the 1920, but only at camps or a Jamborees or for international events. Scouts did not begin to commonly wear short pants as optional summer uniform until the 1960s when more boys began wearing shorts. Another change reflecting fashion trends was the adoption of the baseball cap as offiial headware (1981). Knee socks became increasingly unpopular among American scouts, especially after the tube socks popular in the 70s and 80s went out of style. I can recall Scouts complaining at the 1993 Jamboree about wearing gteen kneesocks. The BSA thus changed to ankle socks.

Other Factors

One factor that needs to be considered is that Scouting has always been a middle-class movement. Many boys could not afford to join. Of course in America with a large middle-class, the movement was much larger than in other countries. Class of course reflects fashion attitudes. Today when fashion inspiration comes from the inner city and urban poor, attitudes toward the Scout uniform have to be negatively affected. Another factor is that minority Scouting has never been strong. At first blacks were prevented from not only joining Scout troops, but even forming segregated troops. (White southeners did like the idea of black youths marching around in essentially military uniforms.) The situation was only marginally better in the North. In more recent years the BSA has tried to recruit minority Scouts, but with only marginal success. At any rate, the fact that Scouting has been and continues to be a largely or perhaps better said a disportionally white youth movement has a range of implications, in part affecting attitudes toward uniforms.

Sources

Sanchez, Daniel. >Sun-Sentinel. E-mail message, June 1, 2005. Daniel is writing an article on the fashion influence of Scouting.