Uniform Eton College

prince henry, duke of gloucester in eton dress in 1914. top hats , cropped jackets no longer worn.

the school known traditions, including uniform of black tailcoat (or morning coat) , waistcoat, false-collar , pinstriped trousers. pupils wear white tie strip of cloth folded on starched, detachable collar, senior boys entitled wear white bow tie , winged collar ( stick-ups ). there variations in school dress worn boys in authority, see school prefects , king s scholars sections.

the long-standing claim present uniform first worn mourning death of george iii in 1820 unfounded. in 1862, headmaster edward balston in interview clarendon commission noted little in way of uniform.

(lord clarendon.) 1 more question, bears in degree upon other schools, namely regard dress. boys not wear particular dress @ eton ?—no, exception obliged wear white neckcloth.

is colour of clothes restricted?—we not let them wear instance yellow coat or other colour out of way. if not adopt extravagant either respect colour or cut allow them follow own taste respect choice of clothes ?—yes.

(lord lyttelton.) must wear common round hat ?—yes.

the uniform worn today gradually adopted , standardised towards end of nineteenth century. until 1967 boys under height of 5 4 (1.63 m) wore cropped jacket (known eton jacket, mess jacket or bum-freezer ) instead of tailcoat.