'Schoolgirls' skirts are shorter than ever' according to a recent survey

[PCasey69]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2431512/From-mini-micro-Schoolgirls-skirts-getting-shorter-shorter-say-mothers.html

I'm very surprised this went under the Mumsnet radar, though not surprised the Daily Mail picked it up. It seems to be one of their favourite topics. An excuse to print the 'Kingsmill' ad girl again probably the real reason.

Don't know what all the fuss is about, this has been going on since I was at school (80's). Can't see why they needed a costly survey to tell us what everyone here already knows. School skirts are getting shorter, shock horror news. And will continue to do so. Get over it, most of us have a long time ago.

Both of my dd's fit into the 'shortest skirt possible' category and it hasn't affected their education so far or is likely too. If parents (like me) and schools (like dd's) are cool about it, then leave it be. Enough of these silly short school skirts stories!

[SPBisResisting]

Does seem to be s classic dm article :o

[SanityClause]

When I was at school (also 80s) the fashion at our school was to wear your skirt as long as possible, with thick white socks, which were long, but had to be pushed down around your ankles and as big a sweater as possible. We had to wear black lace up shoes, but there was only one style that was acceptable.

It makes me laugh, now, that we made the uniform even more uniform than it already was.

[sweetfluffybunnies]

There's an easy way to solve the problem - get rid of school uniform! Works in practically every other Western country in the world - why not here?

[Juuhyt]

A school local to me banned skirts for girls. They all have to wear trousers now.
When they're walking home from school, mingling with students from other schools, they do stand out as being smarter.

[Norudeshitrequired]

Most of the girls at the high school near me only wear a belt, they forget to put their skirts on.
Seriously though, the length of the skirts some girls wear are ridiculous, they barely cover their knickers.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

They roll them up for the journey to and from school, just as we did in the 1980s

[Norudeshitrequired]

I rolled mine up in the 1990's but not to the extent where my knickers were on show. If a girls knickers or the top part of their tights (the bit with the dark band across) is on show then the skirt has been rolled up far too much.
I think they should make them all wear pinafores that can't be rolled up

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

Norude

What, those taatan-skirted ones with the white nylon tops we wore in the 70s?

[bryte]

SanityClause - it was the same at my school during the mid-late 80s. Long, tight skirts, short socks and laced up clumpy shoes.

All the high schools around me have taken skirts off the school uniform list and insist on girls wearing trousers.

[Marmitelover55]

My DD1's school have a kilt that is fitted in the shop and us below knee length. Most year 7s seem to be wearing them like this, but the older ones mostly roll them up. Girls in year 9+ may wear trousers, except on formal occasions when they all have to wear their kilts.

[Bowlersarm]

They are so short though. Some of them anyway.

I have boys so haven't witnessed it first hand only through friends daughters, or seeing girls on their way to school, but the shortness is very noticeably short!

Although I had to wear a long shapeless sack to school so maybe I'm just a bitter old frump.

[TiredyCustards]

So?

[Talkinpeace]

my school had to ban non uniform days for a while because the 6th form would come in wearing full St Trinians - several accidents caused at the pedestrian crossing.

When I was a student I lived near a Catholic School - the girls skirts barely covered their pants

Nothing changes ...

[losingtrust]

What a waste of time and money on a report.

[WLM1]

Sex is too important for school business. Nothing will change if feminismi and capitalist stay on.

[WLM1]

Opss.... feminism and capitalism, sorry I'm not english

[Lastofthepodpeople]

Ha ha. I remember rolling my skirt up at school. I don't think it's possible for them to get any shorter from then (early nineties), and I remember my mother telling me she used to do it. I bet this claim will come up again, when DS is in secondary school.
Daft article. Typical Daily Mail.

[nooka]

I'm not going to click on a Daily Mail link, but what actual evidence are they using to make this assertion? Were measurements taken over the years, or is it just all 'in my day' golden agism stuff?

My children go to a non uniform school and now it's cold virtually all the children are wearing jeans/leggings. There were some very short shorts last term as that's the current fashion. Does it really matter?

[Xochiquetzal]

I'm not entirely sure school skirts can get any shorter. My little sisters school introduces supposedly impossible to roll up skirts sold in a set length, all it achieved was girls like my sister who are good at sewing made a fortune turning the hems up for people

[handcream]

I have to pass three schools doing the school run and I do agree - some of the skirts are far too short.

The school should have their policies in place for uniform. Just like the workplace which hopefully they will be in the not too distant future.

[aciddrops]

What, those taatan-skirted ones with the white nylon tops we wore in the 70s?
I'd forgotten about those!

Schools skirts can be ridiculously short. Sorry, but if you can see someone's knickers when they bend over, then it is too short.

[DeWe]

There is an interesting situation at a local (comprehensive) school. they are very very strict about uniform. I've heard among my friends their boys sent home for having the wrong number of pleats in their trousers, coat confiscated for wearing over the premises (but still outside), girls sent home for the socks being the wrong colour (they weren't, just had faded after a number of washes-I saw them, you could tell the colour difference when you put them together with a new pair) detention because the school jumper had a hole (done that morning and under the arm)...

But there are two things that amaze me aren't an issue at all. One is length of skirt, the girls who wear skirts (and they have to wear bright blue socks with them) the skirts are just over their pants, any bending and you can see their pants.
The other thing is they don't have to tie their hair back. When I was at school, even the schools that didn't really bother with uniform insisted on hair tied back, but they have no regulation on hair.

On the basis that both of those things are both much more obvious to the casual observer, I find it astounding that they bother with the examples I have given, and not with the latter two.

[Bramshott]

Really?? Have they SEEN those pictures of my mother and her friends in the 1960s??