Many school children have to wear a uniform to show which school they go to. They became popular in the Victorian period when it became law that every child had to go to school. Teachers wanted all their pupils to wear the same clothes in class and parents wanted rich and poor children to be treated the same in class.
At first, school uniforms were very cheap and simple -
Boys had to wear: a cap, a white shirt, a waistcoat and breeches (shorter trousers).
Girls had to wear: a fancy hat, a long dress and a white pinafore.
In the 1950s, boys wore shorts until they were a teenager and girls had to wear knee-length gymslips.
Over the years, school uniforms have become:
cheaper to buy;
more comfortable to wear;
more casual.
Today, primary school children often wear jumpers or cardigans instead of a blazer and more girls wear skirts. They also wear pumps inside.
