So when did we all start rolling our skirts up?

[BluesandClues]

Inspired by the recent skirt length issues reported in the paper.

I remember rolling my skirt up, mainly because it was below the knee and I hated it. I remember others at school rolling it up far shorter. Tried it once, and it like I had a towel wrapped round my waist.

So when did we all start the whole skirt rolling thing?

Do you mean what age, or what year / decade? I used to do it in the late 80s around age 15. Now my DD does it - her skirts are super short but luckily her school seems pretty relaxed about it.

I never did it. I fucking hated wearing a skirt and wished we could wear trousers. This was the 80s.

Mid 1970s at school - our uniform skirts were below the knee so we all rolled them up.

Many years ago, schools used to actually be able to instill boundaries in children though so it wasn't as much of a big thing as it is now.

Schools also used to have the support of parents with it too though. Someone I know recently went into school all guns blazing, demanding that her 13yo daughter not be made to remove her fake eyelashes as it's who she is and she should be allowed to express herself.

We didn't roll ours up, but with our uniform we could wear any black skirt, so I wore little tube things that just covered my arse, late 80s, early 90s

1965

When I was at secondary school in the early 90s, the fashion in my city was to wear your skirt as long as possible. They were practically ballroom length!

We went on a trip to another city & were amazed at micro-school skirts they were sporting!

Never but it was the 90s we all wore trousers to school as we were one of the schools that allowed it (others still didn’t) so due to this most girls chose to wear trousers. I don’t remember skirt rolling to be a thing at all.

I actually never did haha

I did in 1970, several times so waistband was really thick and bulky.

Same as @EarringsandLipstick
In the 5th year 90/91 my skirts were long, black pleated affairs (not an emo/goth!)
Our school had the 'any' black skirt mandate, rather than a regulation one.
Both high schools where I live now are regulation skirts, I've seen bum cheeks - but it's not my argument and next year when my daughter starts high school, it'll be her issue not mine.
Perhaps more choice is the way forward.

I didn’t but others did. Only outside the school gates though. Late 60s/70s

Never. And it wasn’t really a thing at our school as uniform wasn’t compulsory. I can’t remember many really short skirts but there were lots of skintight jeans in the days before stretch denim. Perhaps it is a mostly anti-authority rebellion.

I’m sure I never did (2 schools, one a private convent).

re my convent skirt, I quite liked it as it was long, grey and sort of pleated/wrap.

1974 😀

We went "on strike" so we could wear trousers at school .we had sit downs and refusals to go outside because it was too cold . Eventually the girls were allowed but there was no "girls "school trousers so we ended up wearing jogging bottoms. Anyway I never rolled up my skirt either.

I used to in the early 80s, but we had horrible a-line over the knee things.
The local high school round here moved their logo from near the hem to near the waist and made it a contrasting colour, requiring it to be always visible. The girls however seem to wear the same skirts from y7 to y11, so they just appear shorter and shorter 😂

I didnt do it in the 1980s.
My teen doesnt do it now.

Every morning “pull your skirt down it looks terrible “ every morning ignored. Any working solutions welcomed (mother of 14 year old)

I guess it dates from when shorter hemlines became daring and fashionable, tempting for girls to exhibit their fashion sense and rebellion by breaking uniform rules.

It’s interesting the habit has stuck around really given that it’s socially acceptable to wear whatever hemline you like now.

I guess it is now more about the symbolism of breaking rules, and also asserting that you’re “growing up” and can dress accordingly - which boils down to being able to choose to display parts of your body in a way that society sees as sexualised.

I remember feeling distinctly uncomfortable at my dd’s Y6 leavers disco as some of the more mature girls were dressed like teens going out on the razz wanting all eyes on them - skimpy bodycons, high heels and make-up. They had absorbed enough from TikTok and Insta to know that looking and dressing a certain way gets attention and flags where you “belong”, but too young to appreciate that it is part of a mainstream grab for hetero-male attention which isn’t really appropriate for 10 and 11 year olds.

And don’t get me started on some of the “little adult” clothes you can buy for young girls.

Personally think it would be much easier and better if all school uniforms were joggers, T shirt and sweatshirts.

My sister started a protest at her school in the 1980s to get trousers on the girls uniform list.

Yes I agree, it's not a slight on schools there are lots of factors that have led us here!

Early 90’s - nobody did, very few people wore skirts though, we had no uniform so mostly wore jeans.

Good for her.