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?

My mum was doing it in the 60s. I was doing in the 90s. Plus ca change.

Our enforced uniform was tight pencil skirts with a slit in the back- most girls rolled them - mostly because a shorter length was more flattering but also so it was easier to walk, especially up stairs- stupid below the knee pencil skirts are awful to walk in - you couldnt run after the bus without hiking it up anyway.
I rehemmed mine in year 8- and it ended up shorter than my blazer, which we wore very oversized with the sleeves rolled up.

Never rolled mine but took my pencil skirts in so they were super tight. And wore kitten heels to school. And lots of blue eyeliner. (80s)

I remember the kitten heels - and white stilettos for the truly fashion-conscious - with the pencil skirts. And big hair that was rock hard with hair-spray; you'd nearly be choking in clouds of hairspray in the changing rooms after Games when people were setting their perms to rights. The 80s were great 😁

Everyone I know rolled their skirt, me included, just like teens have always found ways to creatively push the uniform rules.

The difference between then and now is our parents wouldn't be encouraging us to protest for our right to do what we like and ignore fairly simple school rules in the name of 'empowerment' .

Quite.

No I didn’t. But then it was the late 7O’s and fashion was very long pencil skirts, zipped up cardi and clumpy platform shoes.
A rolled up skirt would have looked a bit silly.

1968, 3rd year of secondary (year 9?).

We weren't allowed - school was mega strict on this.

I never did but the fashion ( early 80s) was a tight pencil skirt so you put a slit at the back so you could walk in it. Worn with kitten heels, preferably white.

When we rolled our skirts up we didn’t know it distracted the boys.
We did it because we knew it attracted them.
Also it had the bonus of annoying the teachers, win win.
😁😁

Our Deputy Head Mistress used to stop us & make us unroll them. Later on when longer skirts became fashionable she used to get the girls to hitch them up!

I don't remember such strict uniform rules

We wore any black skirt and some of them were very short, including ra ra skirts. There was no need to roll them up, no one cared how short your skirt was. Early 80s

We didn't do it at our secondary, but didn't have that kind of uniform. Girls could wear: knee-length skort, trousers, knee-length shorts, or a long (maxi) skirt that had a slit in one side up to just below the knee. Some of us would rip the slit so it'd be about mid thigh, but it wasn't really a huge trend, nearly all the girls switched between all options.

I never folded but, as a keen sewer, I would undo the hem, cut and re-hem every school holiday.

Easy to blame on 'growth spurts' ahem

Never - by the third year / year 9 we were allowed to wear trousers so most many of the girls did. As it bloody should be allowed anywhere.

We didn't.. I was in high school early 00s and wore a kilt, below knee length. We actually used to wear them mid calf as the fashion.
My daughter is year 8 and we regularly discuss skirt length in the morning before she leaves

60s minis out of school tried to do it all the time

Late 60s. Although not so short that you could see my knickers, at the front, like a girl I saw walking up to the school bus this morning. Surely to God they don't let her walk about like that at school.

We didn't. It was the early 90's and culottes were the height of fashion. We weren't allowed to wear shorts or trousers so we were chuffed we could get away with wearing culottes. Other girls wore ankle length skirts which were fashionable.

Late 90s for me, did it in year 8 onwards. I used to leave home, get round the corner and roll the bugger right up 😂

@PlaitBilledDuckyPuss oh yes the hairspray...I swear the lining of my lungs is permanently coated with it

Wouldn't have dared at my school. They were incredibly strict about skirt lengths. Had to be just below the knee. I still shudder when I see girls in really short skirts!