Should skirts and dresses be phased out?

[Nothingyet]

I just had this thought after reading this:www.itv.com/news/wales/2021-06-10/caerphilly-head-bans-pupils-from-wearing-skirts-after-complaints-over-length
I mean, lots of fashions are now gone- periwigs and ruff collars for men, bustles and corsets for women. We all wear more practical clothes.
Has the skirt and dress had their day? Is there any practical reason why they should be preferred over trousers?

sorry to be clear any one from any sex should be allowed to wear those items

My waist is much smaller than my hips and thighs. Dresses fit relatively well, skirts and trousers (basically any separates) don't, for anything requiring something more formal than leggings or yoga pants at least.

Don't like jumpsuits because they're impractical in other ways...

No, not in schools, not anywhere. It seems ridiculous to go to the extreme of a ban. How would this phasing out work? Would there be fines? Arrests?

That school in the link should have a principal like I had at my school (during the Dark Ages) - nobody would have DARED wear too short a skirt. Boy, was she scary!

@Morgan12

No I love dresses and wear them 90% of the time.

Jeans however should fuck right off.

Honestly, I've never agreed with anything more in my life than this!!!!

No, definitely don't phase out skirts and dresses, people should have the choice to wear what they feel comfortable in

@HercwasanEnemyofEducation

They're better than trousers for airing your guff on hot days.

Personally I find dresses far more comfortable and fit better than trousers due to my body shape.

^ this exactly.

I've rediscovered skirts and dresses over the past few years so please don't get them banned !!!

My DD loves wearing her summer dresses for school and on days like this I can relate! I also primarily wear dresses esp in summer as it's cooler and I can never find trousers the right shape. Girls should be able to wear trousers if they want, and at our school they absolutely can. Trousers, shorts, leggings, anything they want.

My DD got excluded from school twice for wearing a skirt that was too short. It came from the local shop that provides branded uniform, and was the regulation type that hundreds of other girls wore but DD was nearly 5ft 10 by her last year and it was short. She hadn't altered it in any way. I had some furious rows with the Head over it all.

If it gets rid of these ridiculous rules and exclusions, I'm all for it.

This sort of thing really annoys me. By getting rid of them you’re controlling what women are allowed to wear. Surely we should be empowering women to choose what they feel comfortable in wearing - if that’s trousers great, if it’s a dress / skirt great, if it’s full on pvc catsuit then great. As long as it’s their choice and they’re not pressured into it.

Obviously not a PVC catsuit for school uniform - but I feel that girls should be able to choose trousers or skirts

Trousers don’t fit me well (large bum, small waist) and I find them uncomfortable. Dresses and skirts are much more comfortable!

I’d be sad to see school dresses banned, esp. in primary schools. My 6 yo Gdd looks sweet in her little blue gingham summer dresses and white socks - plus they’re ideal in hot weather - assuming we get any.

The idea of ‘modesty shorts’ for little kids makes me despair, though, but the makers of children’s wear could help by making knickers with wider gussets.

Maybe there was a valid reason for the ‘armour plated’ navy, green or brown school knickers some of us oldies had to wear - but at least nobody fretted about us doing handstands or cartwheels in them.

There is somewhat of a revival of corsets in some circles. Not for me, but I know places that make them and women who prefer them. It's not all the impractical tight lacing Victorian men were in vapours about.

I agree options should be available. My issue with uniforms is that many schools are requiring skirts from certain shops (to prevent the rolling up), but those shops too often only sell skirts of particular lengths. My DD's school requires skirts to hit the knees, but the skirt under their section of the uniform site only does 20" & 22" from the waist which means DD1 is soon only going to have trousers as an option purely because of her height and proportions with the shop the school uses.

I live in skirts and kilts. I find them more practical and comfortable. Not that fashion has ever entirely been considering those things, but I can see the argument for more consideration for that - and the range of sizes children are - when it comes to uniforms.

Should skirts and dresses be phased out?

No! Girls should be ....girls and boys should be .....boys. Call me a traditionalist but I don't see gender uniformity or fluidity as much more than pandering to confused gender politics. Scottish kilts are appropriate where appropriate too. As too are BAME ethnic clothing where appropriate and preferably in keeping with British gender equality values and appropriate to weather conditions. In terms of children uniform modesty undergarments are available and appropriate if required for shorter dresses. Tin hat readied for the new age blended gender attacks...and celebration of new blended hybrid humans that have "evolved!”

No they should not. Too often it is to stop pervy men and boys instead of dealing with the pervy men and boys.

I'm not a dress person at all, I just don't feel comfortable in them, although I have a couple of the "Myrtle" dresses from Crew Clothing from years ago which are nice for a meal out in the summer. And one posh frock, and one wedding frock.

I like skirts but feel a bit frumpy in them, I think I struggle with the right shoes, whereas with trousers or shorts I can just wear boots or sandals in the summer.

From a school perspective I think it would avoid a lot of stress if you didn't bother with skirts - schools are so anal about the length. Dresses are ok in primary school though.

Simple answer - make them knee length - and make the girls kneel down and the skirt has to touch the floor. Yep, I am that old. Of course you just roll the waist band until it's short, then get detention.

Why do kids (and parents) continually whinge about the school uniform? It is what it is, you can be individuals out of school. Far more important things to get het up about imo...

@randomkey123

My DD got excluded from school twice for wearing a skirt that was too short. It came from the local shop that provides branded uniform, and was the regulation type that hundreds of other girls wore but DD was nearly 5ft 10 by her last year and it was short. She hadn't altered it in any way. I had some furious rows with the Head over it all.

If it gets rid of these ridiculous rules and exclusions, I'm all for it.

FGS (the head, not you). What is wrong with schools?

How about producing longer skirts if there are complaints that they're too short?

I love skirts and dresses because they're comfortable and flattering. It is so hard finding a decent pair of jeans that are both comfortable and look good.

Why do kids (and parents) continually whinge about the school uniform? It is what it is, you can be individuals out of school

I completely agree - I am not against school uniforms per se. But I am against the ridiculous enforcement of them. Headteachers have enough to do without policing skirt lengths and heel sizes and goodness knows what else. A simple dress code and colours would do.

If I were a head I'd just say eg navy jumper, white or blue blouse or shirt, navy trousers/skirt, school PE kit (summer dress if desired). To look professional and suitable for the average office job. No beachwear, high heels or open toes. Job done. None of these stupid rules. And no ties or blazers or similar nonsense.

I love skirts and dresses because they're comfortable and flattering

There are a lot of dresses out there that aren't flattering, but maybe we should move to the S&B board :)

I hated wearing a skirt in school. I hardly ever wear skirts or dresses as an adult.
I think everyone should be able to choose if they want to wear shorts a skirt or trousers.

So OP wants to ban dresses and skirts because she doesn't like them, pp wants to ban jeans, I'd like to ban cargo pants and leggings because I don't like them.....

Why don't we all just go back to the way nature intended? Nude and hairy!

Everyone should have the right to chose. Skirt lengths at school have always been an issue. I'm mid 40s, ours had to be A line and below the knee. They were hideous so on the way to / from school we all rolled them up and then looked even more ridiculous with a spare types of fabric under our shirts...

Now I never wear trousers for work, smart trousers don't suit me skirts and dresses do. I do wear palazzo style and occasional jeans at home.

One of my DTs almost exclusively wears dresses and skirts, the other shorts and trousers. One wears a play suit to school, the other a dress (y6).

Removing choice is just so backward.

I hope not as it’s all I wear (other than my work trousers!).
I haven’t owned a pair of jeans for nearly 15 years and only the odd pair of trousers but I HATE wearing them! I hate my legs and feel I look like a huge lump in trousers/jeans and they’re not flattering on me at all!

@DaisyWaldron

Will you offer a grant for tailoring trousers for people like my perfectly normally shaped DD who wore a skirt to secondary school because there wasn't a single pair of trousers in the school uniform suppliers that fit?

Well, quite. DD could never get past the problem of trying to fit hips and waist simultaneously at a school that wouldn’t allow stretch fabrics (in skirt or trousers).