Short trousers for all schoolboys

When I was a small boy in the early 1960s a boys cloths were not his concern as they were chosen by his mother. It was normal for all boys small and large to wear short trousers and a man to wear long trousers. Unlike most preschool boys I had a selection of both long and short trousers in various styles and lengths. All would have no zips or pockets and be pull on style with a basic elasticated waist. If a small boy was lucky he would have a small patch pocket for his hankie. Many items of my clothing were made by my Grandmother who usually lined shorts in beige lining.

I remember 2 pairs of very smart pairs of brown gingham shorts for best. Also 2 pairs of Rupert Bear check type long trousers. However no trace of these items can be found on photos. In fact I can find no evidence of me wearing long trousers under age 12.

I don't think my memory plays tricks with me. It is simple in those days we mostly took photos on special occasions. Sunday best was always strictly short trousers. Long trousers were considered not smart enough for best and were only worn for trips out and school on cold days. Long trousers were also not heavy duty enough for play cloths. Fabric not nearly as tough enough on the knees in those days. Summer days out I would of naturally been dressed in healthy lightweight shorts.

Footwear as mostly brown sandals but sometimes brown shoes in winter. Just before I went to school I had a red pair of very heavy formal shoes. Preschool boys wore white TOT ankle socks all the year. Once boys started school they stopped wearing juvenile white socks and began to look more boyish by wearing grey knee socks or fawn/grey ankle socks.

My little boy jumpers were always home knitted. I was lucky because I had a team of 3 keen knitters completing with each other.

I had various types of shirts and tops. Most T shirts were striped. Most shirts were white but not all. Always finished with a bow tie.

Happy holiday

Robbie

I was at school in England during the 1980s when boys' shorts were really very short. I wore shorts till the start of the 4th year when I was 14 years old. In the first year 11/12 years old all boys wore short trousers. In the 2nd year 12/13, about half the boys wore short trousers. In our 3rd year 13/14 years old, only 4 of us were still wearing short trousers. From the 4th year every boy in the class wore long trousers.

Sounds like I would of loved your senior school. Regretfully no boys wore short trousers at our local senior schools even in the 1970s. If any boy had worn shorts it would of led to a unsafe amount of bullying. One boy did wear shorts the first week of first year and was never allowed to forget it. Even in 5th year some boys use to enjoy making him feel uncomfortable by reminding him he was the boy who wore shorts at senior school.

Robbie Essex

I don't know if there was a difference between private (Public schools) and state run schools when it came to uniform rules. I believe that prep school boys wore shorts till they went on to Public school at the age of 13 years. If I remember rightly my school didn't have rules about shorts or longs and I think it was just the parents who chose what their boys wore.

I live near a Grammar school and I've noticed that there are increasingly more older boys wearing shorts lately, especially in the summer term after Easter. And also the press has run stories of boys protesting that they are not allowed to wear shorts in hot weather and have gone to school wearing skirts!

victor

Hi Victor

Yes we had prep school in the area next to us. They were age 7-13 and it was strictly short trousers. If the older prep boys had to walk home via our area they use look rather nervous.

I think almost all schools both private and state until at least the mid 60s had no rules about short or long trousers. Most boy were just automaticity dressed parents in short trousers. Once boys were beginning to wear trousers many tried to resist the change by making strict short trouser rules. By the 1970s almost all senior boys wore long trousers and now many boys find they are breaking the current rule if they wear short trousers. Lets hope in the next few years the dark ages will end and healthy common sense will replace long trousers with shorts.

Robbie