Danielle C. Skeehan, The Fabric of Empire: Material and Literary Cultures of the Global Atlantic, 1650–1850

Abstract

the jumpers of the secondary modern (as recollected by Roy Hattersley on p. 113), as between school clothes and workers’ overalls. The increase in the percentage of children in full-time education probably contributed to the current ubiquity of school uniforms, but the mechanism needs clarifying. Another issue not fully examined is the simplification of uniform garments in state schools, apparent from the 1960s, to grey, navy or black main garments (usually with red and black trim) distinguished only by the school logo. Indeed, the difference between the purple serge or green tweed garments required by private schools and the grey or black polyester of state schools is not only aesthetic, but also economic. When school trousers and tunics are available at low cost from supermarkets and high street stores, it is harder to cast them as exclusive or exclusionary. Her vagueness over these issues undermines Stephenson’s otherwise able summary of the debates over uniform wearing in contemporary Britain. Ironically, one of the book’s strengths — its close engagement with the archives of historical institutions — ends up limiting its exploration of the fuller educational and cultural landscape. The school experience of the majority of the population also requires further study to establish its distinctive historiography.