Primary school uniforms - have they always been a thing?

[HighburyLass]

Wasn't quite sure how to phrase the title so I'll explain!

When I was growing up I didn't know anyone who wore a uniform in primary school. Tho was the 1970s.
My kid's (who are now in their 20s) had uniform introduced while they were in primary, so early 2000s.

Now around here I don't know any primary schools that don't have a uniform.

So interested to know,

Did you wear a uniform and how old are you?
What about your kids? How old are they?

I’m really surprised to learn that uniform goes back such a long way. I was at primary school in the 1970s and we didn’t have a uniform. I had assumed that was the norm. Had uniform at secondary school however - tie, blazer and all).

Started school in 81 no uniform in the infants but there was in juniors, but it was optional.
Changed schools to a different area and it had same policy.
But the time I left in 1988 the infants had a polo, sweatshirt and black trousers uniform.

I went to two different primary schools in England in the 1970s and both had uniforms - proper ones, inc a tie from age 5, boys and girls. Every child in the country must have that First Day at School photo in their slightly-too-big uniform. I've always seen little kids in my city going off in uniform - so sweet.

I was born in '83. My primary had an optional uniform until some point during KS2 (so '92-95), when it became compulsory.
It's interesting to me now how most parents IRL say how much they want and support uniform, but my class photos from early primary show only 25% of DCs wearing it. It clearly wasn't viewed as the cheaper, easier, levelling option by most parents then, despite it being more affordable as the sew-on jumper badges were bought cheaply direct from the school office and jumpers could come from any supplier.

Started at a rural primary in Scotland in the late 60s and we had no uniform. We moved to Glasgow in the early 70s and I was horrified that I had to wear uniform including a proper school shirt and tie. It took me ages to learn to tie the tie.

Rural Dorset first school 1980-84. No uniform. I think there was uniform at middle school but we moved away before then.

Started primary in 79 it wasn’t a thing. I remember uniforms being introduced early 90s, it was usually just a certain colour sweatshirt over regular clothes at first. Only school I knew that had a primary school uniform before that was a private school that was full on prep school with hats and shorts.

At my Infant (ks1) School in the 70s, we played every afternoon. We only did schoolwork before lunch.

I started primary school in 1990 and wore a pinafore, shirt and tie and that was just a normal state school

I went to school from the late 80s and wore full uniform in primary, including a tie!

Uniform at my primary in the late 60s/early 70s inc a proper tie.

Uniform was introduced to my primary school while I was there, in the mid-80‘s.

No uniform in primary. Born 1976 in London

I started Primary school in the 1960s and we all wore uniform then.

I do have a photo from ( a different) school we went to after moving, in the early 70s, and there is more of a mix of uniform and non-uniform then. Don't know why, it seems odd to have it and then not enforce it.

We had ties back then, and often people's Mum's or Nan's would knit a cardigan or jumper in the school colours. I do prefer the polo shirt and sweatshirt that has become more common.

They’ve been a thing in most primaries for a pretty long time. I was at school mid 80s nd we had one. All the local schools did.

I didn't wear uniform in late 70s- early 80s. That same school now has a uniform. In my area now there is a mixture of uniform and no uniform primaries

I’m 30 and always wore uniform, we even wore ties from year 3 upwards.

Primary school in Berkshire 1983 - uniform. Primary school in Sussex 1986 - uniform.

Both were full tie-and-shirt uniforms as well - much prefer DS’s current primary uniform of polo shirts and fleeces.

My girls (31,27) had to wear navy pleated pinafores with a sash belt, shirt underneath with a tie and the school crest badge sewn on! The school had only just got rid of straw boater hats! State not private

Started school in 1963, had full school uniform, including tie.

I was born in the 60s and finished my primary years in the mid 70s. In our village we had an infant school and a junior school - quite close together but with totally different names and built in different eras - school dinner for both schools was served at the infants school. Neither school had a uniform. However, my brother - much older - had worn a uniform at the same junior school many years earlier. It included a tie, an actual do up one not a clip, and a cap.

I don’t think any state primary schools in our area had uniforms either rurally or in the town.

We lived in the US when DC was small. Even the private schools didn’t have uniform for primary age kids. We relocated when DC was starting school. Initially at a private school because of timing and logistics. The uniform was polo shirt, sweatshirt etc. same as state schools up to yr 2 then ridiculous striped blazer, tie etc. Left near end of primary, small local school had usual sweatshirt/polo etc. they did insist on the logoed uniform, this was 2015. SIL says her girls just had to wear the right colour tops not logoed a few years earlier.

Currently we are in Cambridge. There are 2 or 3 primary schools in the city that don’t have uniform most seem to have logoed tops etc.

I started primary in the early 90s, village state primary, and we got a uniform when I was in Y2 which was white blouse, burgundy cardigan, grey skirt, stripy burgundy and navy tie.

Primary school from 1964 to 1970. No uniform. Just a rule that girls wore skirts and boys wore short trousers, winter and summer.

I started school in 1976 and had a uniform but they were optional until the following year.

I wore a uniform all the way through school (90s onwards) but now I live in Switzerland and none of the kids seem to wear uniforms which I prefer. My preschooler is so fussy with clothes, I much prefer being able to dress him in clothes he is comfortable in.