School brings in trousers only rule for all pupils - schoolgirls said to be in tears ...

Size 14, and even as a size 10 teen I had this problem. I also can't get one-piece swimwear long enough. It's simply that I have a long torso with a tall pelvis.

I've had the most success with trousers sold as high-rise, which are about a mid-rise on me.

But nice try, trying to insinuate that I'm fat.

At 5'6" I often have to buy the short 27" version of trousers instead of the regular 29". Short legs and a correspondingly long torso, hence the crotch seam cutting me in two. Men's trousers don't come short enough and it's not just a case of shortening them because the trousers are designed for the wearer's knees to be lower down than mine are.

I have to say, I find it very difficult to believe that, between both the men's and women's department, a person cannot find a pair of trousers that sit comfortably at or just above the pelvic bones, and are roomy enough in the crotch and bum, with only perhaps needing the hems taken up (very easy to do with simple, unskilled hand sewing).

I suppose some very large (in terms of being overweight) people could have difficulty?

Ah, Im 5'8 but with long legs. I do find men's trousers work great. My daughter is few inches shorter and curvier, and likes them with the hems taken up.

Personally, as a student I think bleed-throughs happened just as often to girls in summer as winter (skirts in summer, trousers in winter) but on a skirt if you'd been sitting it was more obvious than with trousers, but standing, not obvious at all, so there was an advantage there.

These days I know a lot of girls wear period pants and a pad though – a great combo.

But yes – I think trousers with the option of calf length skirts make the most sense. They're much more practical than longer or shorter skirts, can't be rolled right up, and give girls the option. It is a shame that enough girls are rolling to such an extent that it's become an issue, though.

1. Not all trousers have belt loops.
2. The rucked up fabric between the belt loops looks and feels awful.
3. The weight of the garment being all on the belt makes the belt cut into the top of my hip curve, which can be anything from uncomfortable to painful.

I recall that when I was at high school in the '70s, when we had mandatory hockey we'd wear our navy blue pleated games skirts with a pair of navy blue shorts under them in order to make sure that everything was covered. (The PE uniform was actually supposed to be navy shorts or the games skirt plus navy blue knickers but - certainly one we reached S3 - about 14 yrs old - we all wore the shorts with the games skirt.)

I often have a problem getting trousers which fit comfortably - I'm between 5ft 8 and 9, but my legs are only 31 inches: it's my torso that's longer.

To the trouser equation, I'll add that girls tend to have more of a bleed-through problem with trousers than with skirts in my experience.

No, I'm not looking (before anyone starts commenting) but particularly when I was a young secondary school teacher I'd have girls coming to me for help when they were caught out. (More specifically, they'd send one of their pals to speak to me.)

At the point when I was in perimenopause, I recall that I more or less gave up on wearing trousers to work and switched to thick skirts. Even running to the loo at the end of each lesson left me in danger of being embarrassed - and that was with HRT. (Yes, I did see my doctor.) Possibly because of my own problems, I'm in favour of girls having a choice.

So far as problems with short skirts and unsuitable trousers and leggings are concerned, believe you me that it did become very obvious in the classroom.

I can't recall ever being aware of girls rolling up their skirts. I've only ever worked in Central Scotland.

The midi was in fashion when I was at high school and the girls round our way don't need to roll up their skirts - they just turn up in mini-skirts. Some kind of elasticated concoction appears to be in vogue at the moment, though they're wearing them with black tights.

Exactly, Its very tiresome when people keep bringing up european countries and saying they dont have uniform

No, they have a completely different consumer culture, brand culture and class culture. They also, largely speaking, have a much more respectful view of education. This is absent from UK culture

While I would love for there to be no uniforms, one of the facts is that the stats show that schools which have rigorous uniform rules which are enforced, have better outcomes. Thats not because of uniform, its not in spite of uniform, its not causal, but something about that contributes to the whole ethos of requirements and expectations about your education.

Exactly, Its very tiresome when people keep bringing up european countries and saying they dont have uniform

No, they have a completely different consumer culture, brand culture and class culture. They also, largely speaking, have a much more respectful view of education. This is absent from UK culture

While I would love for there to be no uniforms, one of the facts is that the stats show that schools which have rigorous uniform rules which are enforced, have better outcomes. Thats not because of uniform, its not in spite of uniform, its not causal, but something about that contributes to the whole ethos of requirements and expectations about your education.

1. Not all trousers have belt loops.
2. The rucked up fabric between the belt loops looks and feels awful.
3. The weight of the garment being all on the belt makes the belt cut into the top of my hip curve, which can be anything from uncomfortable to painful.

The girls worried about bleed-through are unlikely to be the skirt-rollers. The last thing a woman or girl who fears bleed-through is going to do is risk exposing her crotch.

Which is really bloody obvious, isn't it?

Yeah belts exist.

And does your mum listen to you?

"Bigger" just means them falling down my arse instead.

It's a bit like saying there is climate change and then you saying "well there isn't climate change on Mars".

British schools have uniform policies to fit in with the culture of the Britain. People are seriously naive to think everything will be better without school uniform, it seriously won't.

First two paragraphs correct. Which is why adults put in rules and expectations that prevent this. Its not working so now skirts have to go and be replaced by trousers. This is why I say 'you're not going out dressed like that'.

Preteen/Teenage girls often don't have a clue about sex or the social rules or consequences. When they wear a short skirt, it's often because that's what the girls in the years above do, or the girls in music videos, or onTiktok.

Ascribing some quite damning motivations and intent to them is inaccurate and doesn't help. Suggesting they are deliberately and calculatedly inviting sexual attention is projection. A 12 year old girl has only a faint understanding of any of it, unless things have gone badly wrong.

Pubertal girls are not young children, but they're not women either. Body shapes are changing, they are often between child's clothing and still too small for women's clothing. It is somehow very hard to find decent, wearable uniform that families can afford.

Which makes skirt-rolling seem even weirder, if it's only done three weeks in four. By people with regular cycles.

No wonder women who go out to work mostly choose to wear trousers.

Preteen/Teenage girls often don't have a clue about sex or the social rules or consequences. When they wear a short skirt, it's often because that's what the girls in the years above do, or the girls in music videos, or onTiktok.

Ascribing some quite damning motivations and intent to them is inaccurate and doesn't help. Suggesting they are deliberately and calculatedly inviting sexual attention is projection. A 12 year old girl has only a faint understanding of any of it, unless things have gone badly wrong.

Pubertal girls are not young children, but they're not women either. Body shapes are changing, they are often between child's clothing and still too small for women's clothing. It is somehow very hard to find decent, wearable uniform that families can afford.

Yes, in the 1970s wearing trousers made your legs hairy. And washing your hair more than once a week destroyed the natural oils. And we all want oily hair.

My concern for girls possibly being worried about bleed-through when wearing trousers would be greater if they were not rolling their skirts up to expose their knickers.

It isnt all girls
we have laws even though not all men are perverts and the same applies here

All girls who flout the rules. I would,d hazard a guess that the girls who do t flout the rules aren’t that bothered and just get in with it instead of starting an argument for arguments sake.

Yep same here, so I wear bigger trousers

It's partly about fitting in, partly about girls being persuaded to think their value lies in being objects of sexual attraction. A girl who wears trousers or refuses to roll-up her skirt is seen by her peers, not entirely incorrectly, as quietly criticising the rest of them. Girls from religious backgrounds may get a pass; their understanding has at least advanced that much.

I would love to know if girls at single sex schools keep their skirts rolled once they get to school.