German boy scout uniforms : Garments (2024)

German boys have worn many of the same uniform items popular with Scouts in other countries. German Scouts also adopted Scout items worn in other countries like the French beret. We note many German scouts wearing berets. Occasionally we notice German Scouts wearing the traditional lemon-squeezer hat, but berets were much more common. Scout shirts and scarves are very common. Most Scouts even when not fully uniformed wore a Scout shirt and scarve. Less common were uniform pants. We note boys wearing uniform pants to some extent, but we also noice a variety of other pants, jeans, sports shorts, and lederhosen. We note corduroy shorts were popular for a time, but gradually gave way to jeans. Lederhosen or leather shorts were especially popular in Germany although boys in other counties have also worn them. Lederhosen werev most common in Bavaria and southern Germany, but appear to have been widely worn by German Scouts. We rarely seen German Scouts wearing uniform kneesocks. There is a wide variety of footwear, including shoes, snakers, sandals, and boots.

Headwear

German Scouts adopted Scout items worn in other countries like the French beret. We note many German scouts wearing berets. Occasionally we notice German Scouts wearing the traditional lemon-squeezer hat, but berets were much more common. Before the War, the beret was primarily a French garment. After the War it became popular in Scouing.

Shirts

Scout shirts are very common. Most Scouts even when not fully uniformed with regullation garments, usually wore an official Scout shirt. And in Germany there were different colored Scout shirts. This reflected the several different Scout associations. Like many European countries, the Scouting movement was not unified. There were several associations, often divided on religious grounds. These assoiciations had different uniforms and the major differenve in the unfoorms was the colors of the shirts. There were different associatioins before the NAZIs, but the unforms were not so different. After the War when Scouting was renewed we see major differences in the colors of the shirts. Unfortunately our information is limited and we are nit sure what association had wgat colord shoirt. As HBU expands we hope to add that information. There are of course other features of Scout shirts, including collars, epulettes, and sleves, but color is the most important bcuse of its visual appeal. And of course the shirt is wear the most important badge and awards appear--an important part of Scouting.

Scarves

The Scout scarve was also commonly worn. we note some boys wearing Scout scarves even when not using other parts of the uniform.

Pants

Less common were uniform pants. We note boys wearing uniform pants to some extent, but we also noice a variety of other pants, jeans, sports shorts, and lederhosen. We note corduroy shorts were popular for a time, but gradually gave way to jeans. Lederhosen or leather shorts were especially popular in Germany although boys in other counties have also worn them. Lederhosen were most common in Bavaria and southern Germany, but appear to have been widely worn by German Scouts. we note German Scouts wearing lederhosen both with the Scout uniform and when wearing regular clothes for Scout activities--especially at Scout camps. Cord shorts were also important, but worn by Scouts in many other European countries as well.

Hosiery

Before the NAZIs abolishd Scouting, boy wore knee socks as in some instance long tockings. Long stocking were still worn after the War, but rarely with Scout unifoms. The boys at first mostly wotre knee socks. Gradually knee sics declined in populaity. We rarely seen German Scouts by the 1970s wearing uniform knee socks, especially by the late-70s. We commnly see uniform knee socks with scout groups, but this was relatively rare in Germany.

Fotwear

Created: September 18, 1998
Last updated: 4:17 PM 3/30/2014