When was uniform invented

There is evidence that school uniforms have been around for centuries; According to ProCon. Students at one particular school were required to wear a robe-like outfit called a 'cappa clausa. During this time, Christ's Hospital boarding school stipulated uniforms that were provided from donated garments which consisted of a blue cloak and yellow stockings, thus earning charity schools like Christ's Hospital the nickname 'blue cloak' schools.

The gradual emergence of a smart, recognisable uniform for Victorian school boys was influenced by various factors: the development of civilian uniforms and the growing sobriety and uniformity of male fashion. Later, school uniforms became associated with the upper classes as private and preparatory schools began to use them more. Uniforms at these schools were incredibly formal. For example, ProCon. Elementary-school girls wore dresses that followed fashionable lines, the loose calf-length smock frock of the s and early s, protected beneath a white or coloured pinafore, giving way to shorter shift-style dresses during the s.

The tradition began as a way to give schools a sense of identity and cohesion. In the past several years, uniforms have become more modern. Plus, both boys and girls have some variety to choose from within The Gardner School uniform options. Many parents take photographs of their children at the start of a new term - but how did school uniforms evolve?

Image source, Christ's Hospital. A blue coat, of the kind worn at Christ's Hospital, is thought to be one of the earliest examples of a school uniform. Image source, Dame Allan's. The Queen met a Dame Allan's girl wearing a "Polly Bell" - the school's original uniform, now only worn on special occasions. Image source, Harrow. Harrovians still wear the school's famous straw hats.

Tom Brown's Schooldays, set in Rugby School in Warwickshire, details one example of a public school uniform in the 19th Century. Image source, Ragged School Museum. Children at Hamlet of Radcliff School in the 19th Century.

Today the school says its uniform policy is "modern". Image source, British Schools Museum. Children at charitable schools in the 19th Century often wore uniforms provided by the parish. Image source, PA. School uniforms can help integrate children from different economic backgrounds, according to Andy Gibbs from the British Schools Museum. However, polo shirts are not for all pupils. Image source, Cottingham High School.