Hesketh Fletcher Gym Team

Although we occasionally did go bare chested for athletics in the Summer, depending on the teacher, we normally had to wear our sleeveless athletics vests. This was another difference with the girls, who wore short-sleeved t -shirts instead of vests for some reason. I agree that it is odd to require boys to be shirtless on a cold day indoors, when it is chilly in the gym, but to wear vests on a hot day outside.

Presumably Jim RH and Liam, you wore tops for PE outside and for cross country and Games. Did you have to go outside barechested on warm summer days? It would seem odd to be barechested in a cold gym in winter and yet be allowed shirts outside on very hot days.

I remember that exact feeling, described by Jim RH, of using my arms to try and cover my chest in PE. It was a natural reaction when you weren't used to being barechested in public and found it uncomfortable. Unfortunately, as I soon found out, it was pretty impossible to run, or climb or throw a ball with your arms crossed over your chest!
It's true that the rules about PE kit were enforced more strictly for boys than girls. For boys it was shorts, plimsolls and nothing else. Girls, of course, wore tops and were sometimes allowed extra layers if it was cold. However, for some reason we boys were expected to endure the cold and put up with shivering and goose pimples. I remember one boy asking if he could wear a t-shirt because it was cold and getting short shrift - he was made to run laps of the gym to keep warm instead. Happy days...

Normally, while indoors, the girls had a separate lesson on the other side of the hall, though it was not uncommon for us to have a lesson with them sometimes as well. Some of the boys were quite confident about having to do PE shirtless, though others were obviously not as confident, becoming much quieter than usual. Some of us, myself included, would even try to cover our nipples/navels with their arms, or avoid putting our hands up, in order to feel less exposed.

Hi JimRH!

Did you do the whole PE lesson with the girls or you shared the other side of the hall only? What was the reaction of other boys having to do PE shirtless? Did any of them mention their opinion about it or something like that?
Was it in the UK?

Our nipples did get hard on cold days, but it didn't make me personally more self-conscious - I was already self-conscious enough. In addition to shirts, girls were permitted to wear tracksuit trousers whenever they wanted instead of shorts, and for fitness, in which boys had to go barefoot, they could wear plimsoles, though some even got away with wearing socks and trainers. Uniform regulations were always more strictly enforced for boys than girls.

Jim RH
Did your nipples get hard and therefore more noticable on cold days, making you even more self-conscious? Also, were you prone to goose pimples in front of your more generously clothed female classmates? What exactly did the girls were? Were they allowed extra clothing, cardigans for example, on cold days?

I don't really know why nipples in particular made me feel exposed, but I don't think any of the boys felt particularly comfortable, though the nipple thing was probably just me. The girls would tease us by whistling when we walked in the gym shirtless, or when it was cold when we took our shirts off after the warm up. Also, when walking past, they would deliberately brush their arms or hands across our bare chests.

Jim HR

Why? were your nipples different from the other boys? Do the other boys feel the same way? Also how do girls tease you?

I also used to have to be shirtless in PE. I used to hate showing my nipples and navel - I don't know why, it just made me feel exposed. It was especially bad when we had to do PE with the girls, as they would tease us and make us feel more embarrassed

@ Oliver - Hi - We did it because we had no choice and we just accepted it in the early 1960s. Resistance was useless ... There's a good discussion at http://www.historyworld.co.uk/photo.php?id=1607 too.

Like Joshua I also had to get used to doing PE bare-chested after I changed school for the sixth form. I had a friend who had been at that school all the way through and from him I knew that the boys' PE kit didn't include a top. He often complained about how cold it could be in the gym, getting goosebumps on your goosebumps and that kind of thing.
Anyway, I had no idea that PE was still compulsory in the sixth form until I saw it on the timetable! With a wry smile, my friend confirmed that there was no change to the kit we had to bring just because we were in the sixth form - white shorts, gym socks and trainers. And that was all!
I felt almost naked the first time I got changed for PE - apart from swimming, I'd never had to do a sporting activity bare-chested before. I was a fairly slim boy and I couldn't help feeling self conscious as I looked round and saw some of the other lads with hairy chests and muscles aplenty. And as I stepped tentatively into the gym I realised my mate hadn't exaggerated - it wasn't half chilly!
Despite that it wasn't long before it ceased to feel weird, in fact it was often more comfortable when I got sweaty and didn't have a damp shirt clinging to my back. With hindsight, I wish I'd experienced bare-chested PE much earlier and I think boys today should do the same.

Hi Oliver! Where are you from?

As far as I know there is no difference between a vest and a singlet.

What is the difference between a vest and a singlet?

I am a 15 year old boy! I hope you guys don't mind me making comments!! I have to do PE shirtless indoors!
I notice many of you guys did it shirtless indoors and outdoors! We can wear a shirt outside! however a shirt is useless in cross country it sticks to you!! so many boys don't bother in cross country, I notice the white shorts in the picture! We can wear any colour. I prefer black it is
a classic look. I notice ALL the boys look toned in the pic! I have that sort of build, however many boys today are floppy and have obesity issues!! for these guys it is embarrassing but by being shirtless it gives them the incentive to do something about it if they want.
On rare occasions we sometimes have to do indoor PE with girls! The boys seem to be well behaved stripped to waist it seems to make us more calmer. the girls are able to gain confidence too!! there is no problems! I know at other schools this is not the case where boys where tops.
Many of you guys on here feel it was better that boys were
shirtless in the past!! I tell you what you guys you are right!!
it is kool!! I think I am lucky because many guys at school
at the moment do experience it! I think I am one of the lucky ones these days!! It is not widespread like it was all those years ago but there is some schools that require boys to be shirtless even now!! It is great!! thanks for reading guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After I had taken O Levels I had to move to a Sixth Form College to take A Levels.
When I read the uniform list I was surprised to see we still had to do PE and also that there was no mention on the list of a vest/singlet.
So when we had our first PE lesson I kept my vest on but noticed that all the other lads were stripped to the waist.
When we got into the gym the master noted me and shouted: You,take that b..... vest off and strip to the b..... waist like the rest.
After that I made sure I was always bare-chested like the other boys.

I also was kept shirtless by my Dad for nearly all the time.
As soon as I got home I had to strip to the waist and remained bare-chested for the rest of the day.
I also had to have a No.1 haircut.
I was OK with being stripped to the waist but didn,t much care for the No.1.

Comment to Matt

I bet the teacher kept his b...y vest on though - and more besides!

At my school we also wore vests for PE until a new teacher arrived and made us all strip to the waist. I remember one boy in my class seemed to know what was going on because he turned up to the first lesson bare-chested in just shorts and trainers. A few of us asked him why and he explained that his friend went to this teacher's old school and had warned him what to expect. We laughed, thinking he was winding us up or maybe his mate was winding him up. But it turned out to be neither, sure enough the new man arrived and demanded to know why only one boy was wearing the correct kit. The rest of us were ordered to take our vests off - and they stayed off for the rest of the year. After a while we got used to it and even when we had a different PE teacher the following year some boys opted to stay bare-chested.

I well remember the first time I had to do PE stripped to the waist.
Our uniform specified a vest and that is what we used to wear.
However we had a new teacher who came in January 1963 in the midst of the worst winter of the 20th Century.
When we arrived in the gym the first thing he said was:"Get those b....y vests off.From now on you do PE bare-chested.Now get outside for cross-country."
We had to get used to it but when Summer came we all actually enjoyed do PE stripped to the waist.

"

Like Chris our PE uniform included a vest but in our case a boy joined us from another school where he had done PE stripped to the waist.
On his first day he stripped to the waist as he would normally do.
When he saw him the teacher made all the other lads take their vests off and go bare-chest.
After that we always did our PE bare-chested.

Our PE uniform also listed a vest/singlet but we had a new teacher who made it quite clear that we did our PE bare-chested.
We even had to be stripped to the waist for cross-country runs

Like Matthew we had to do PE stripped to the waist even though the uniform list specified a vest.
Again we soon got used to it and quite enjoyed the freedom that being bare-chested gave you.

Like Colin I couln't wait to take off my shirt and go stripped to the waist for PE.
In fact many of us went bare-chested as often as we could.

I agree with Garry and I couldn't wait to go stripped to the waist as often as I could.

All our indoor P.E had to been done in barefeet

I agree with Garry and I certainly couldn't wait to get my top off and go stripped to the waist as often as I could.

I don't know why boys complain about going barefoot and bare chested. It is fun and so enjoyable getting the shoes off and pull the socks off too. Let the toes do all the talking on the gym floor. All my mates love it. They wouldn't dream of wearing a shirt or socks and trainers. How so boring.

I went to junior school at the age of seven we all had to do PE stripped to the waist and I vividly remember being outside in very cold winters bare-chested and wearing only very brief shorts.