About
Clothing List
Packing for boarding school can be daunting, especially since boys in the first few decades of the School’s history returned home only once or twice during the school year. Parents were given a list to help guide them in choosing what their son would need. The photograph depicts such a list from 1919, the earliest example in the School archives. It reveals a much simpler time – when school fees were only $175 per term. The dress code did not include uniforms, but boys were given guidelines for clothes to purchase at home. Early students spent their school days wearing “khakis.” A grey flannel suit was worn when attending church and for formal occasions. A dressing gown and slippers were critical for the unheated dormitories. Work boots were essential for all, because the boys did quite a bit of manual labor clearing the land, maintaining the grounds, and chopping firewood. Slickers, gum boots, and sou’westers were needed for the typically wet weather.
Students today might be mystified by Eton Collars and studs, and horrified by the thought of woolen underwear. Today, the “12 handkerchiefs” are no longer required and it is unlikely that current students bring stationery for writing letters, opting for digital methods of communication instead.
Some things on the list have not changed much at all. Bed linens, towels, toothbrushes, and grooming implements are still needed. Fortunately, the conditions under which these items are used have changed dramatically. Boys at the School before the fire were not allowed in their dormitories from breakfast time until bedtime; sports clothing was kept in a separate changing room. Near this was a room for “day ablutions” that had access to heated water and consisted of bare stud walls and a sheet metal bench with trough into which hand basins were emptied. A ceramic water cooler was fixed in a corner with one chained cup for all to share. A pair of brothers in the 1920s who had been instructed by their mother to brush their teeth after every meal, hung their toothbrushes in this room. After one boy found a slug on the bristles, this habit was quickly abandoned.
The information presented in this write-up is based on current information available in the School's Archives and consultation with key people who have some relevant connection to this "object." If you have further information about this "object" that you would like to contribute, please contact the School’s Advancement Office at alumni@shawnigan.ca.
Some things on the list have not changed much at all. Bed linens, towels, toothbrushes, and grooming implements are still needed. Fortunately, the conditions under which these items are used have changed dramatically. Boys at the School before the fire were not allowed in their dormitories from breakfast time until bedtime; sports clothing was kept in a separate changing room. Near this was a room for “day ablutions” that had access to heated water and consisted of bare stud walls and a sheet metal bench with trough into which hand basins were emptied. A ceramic water cooler was fixed in a corner with one chained cup for all to share. A pair of brothers in the 1920s who had been instructed by their mother to brush their teeth after every meal, hung their toothbrushes in this room. After one boy found a slug on the bristles, this habit was quickly abandoned.
The information presented in this write-up is based on current information available in the School's Archives and consultation with key people who have some relevant connection to this "object." If you have further information about this "object" that you would like to contribute, please contact the School’s Advancement Office at alumni@shawnigan.ca.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
