Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Office discussion - what was your high school uniform and how was it worn?

36 replies

Dumbwaitress · 22/10/2012 12:08

As usual we've been avoiding work and just been comparing notes on what we had to wear for high school and whether we were rebels or swots in how it was worn and whether we kept to the rules or not. It started because one of the other women in the office was bemoaning her daughter and the fact that although she sends her to school looking really smart, she wondered how long it lasts, because although she comes home looking smart, she wonders whether she isn't so smart at school.

My uniform was predominantly navy blue; straight skirt, v neck jumper, white shirt, blue tie with school crests, socks or tights and black shoes.

I was generally a bit of a swot in how I wore it in the first year - we weren't allowed big fat knots in our ties or to have out top buttons undone and I didn't want to get into trouble. I did soon realise though that it was possible to have the shirt untucked under the jumper and got away with it if it didn't show. I also started to leave the top button unfastened and hide it with the tie and got away with that too most times, then I got braver and my friends and I used to see how far down we could have our ties before we got told off. I think by the end we used to have the tie knot below the v of the jumper!

How about the rest of you?

OP posts:
buryburybury · 22/10/2012 22:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sausagesandwich34 · 22/10/2012 22:50

and we had no kneel down and if our skirts didn't touch the back of our legs then they were too short!

sausagesandwich34 · 22/10/2012 22:49

grey box pleat skirt, navy v neck jumper, navy blazer with school crest, white shirt, navy tie with gold & royal blue narrow stripe

in the summer girls could wear an open necked blouse with no tie so we would try and stretch summer from february-november

ties were worn skinny, then fat, then normal but with the coloured stripe picked out

shrimponastick · 22/10/2012 22:49

Like the sound of the tweed cloak!

Grey skirt - knee length (but of course we rolled them up), blue blouse, grey jumper\cardigan, blue and grey striped tie - if I remember correctly the ties were optional after the 1st year of high school. There was a blazer - grey - but very few wore one - optional.

I do remember the over knee socks - up to mid thigh. They were often held up with an elastic band around each thigh. Shoes just had to be sensible ish.

I was at high school in the early 80s.

neolara · 22/10/2012 22:42

A tweed cloak. Seriously.

Sarahplane · 22/10/2012 22:41

We didn't have one.

follyfoot · 22/10/2012 22:21

Bottle green 6 gore skirt, white button shirt (or blue shirt and tie), bottle green jumper, bottle green knickers (really), and just to finish it off a bottle green purse belt. Brown indoor Clarks shoes, brown or black outdoor shoes, white socks. No boots allowed. Bottle green duffle coat or blazer.

Never ever wear green now....

claraschu · 22/10/2012 22:21

No uniform-

misstrunchball · 22/10/2012 22:17

Are you ready for this - blue roll neck jumper, grey pleated skirt and a blue nylon blazer with no collar..... The summer uniform was a blue dress with paisley squares on it. This is going back to the 80's mind you. It was a Catholic school and we asked if we could wear blouses with ties like the boys but were told no as it would show our attributes too much Shock

We were supposed to wear knee length socks but this was the time of over the knee ones so we wore those but had to roll them down if the deputy head was around Smile

TunaPastaBake · 22/10/2012 20:36

Grey skirt , royal blue jumper - blue or white shirts .

Skirts could be of any shape or size - I always wanted a tight oencil skirt but Mum wasn't having any of that !

Oh yes and the big knotted tie - until we got into 6th form and thin was in !

Madmog · 22/10/2012 15:12

Ours was very boring, grey skirt, cardigan and socks/wooly tights, maroon and grey tie. Our deputy head mistress was a nasty piece of work so not many stepped out of line. We had to pair petticoats/slips whatever you call them under our summer red and white checked dresses, she made the whole dinnerhall stop eating and pointed out she could see mine which was not acceptable (it had fallen down a bit without me knowing). I've never forgotten stood by all the teachers and 100+ children looking at me.

My daughter has just gone into Y7 and they are stopping big knotted ties by having clip on ties. School Counsel have pointed out the kids do not like them, but they are here to stay. My daughter's skirt is well above her knee which seems okay, but she said she has seen girls having their uniform cards marked for shorter skirts and apparently some have been called into see the head.