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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder how a school can allow their girls to dress like this?

325 replies

Piggyleroux · 10/10/2011 09:57

I only have 1 ds of 18 mo so am probably very out of touch but here goes.

I picked up dh from his weekend on call at queens hospital in Romford. On the way I was stuck in traffic outside a school and was frankly shocked by how short the girls skirts were. They were actually bum skimming. They also were all wearing over the knee black socks so a vast quantity of thigh was on show.

Am I just an old prude? I felt sad tbh that they felt they had to dress like this probably to fit in. Why doesn't the school impose a below the knee rule?

OP posts:
GandTiceandacauldron · 10/10/2011 11:38

It's always been like that. No matter the uniform policy. These girls just roll up the waist bands!

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 10/10/2011 11:40

Zukie wins smug poster of the day award. Of course you DD's have never misbehave Hmm

ScaredBear · 10/10/2011 11:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

higgle · 10/10/2011 11:43

I'm quite shocked at the way the 12 & 13 year old (approx) girls dress at our local girl's grammar. They sort of swagger along tossing long bleached hair back, shirts unbuttoned, skirts very short. Lots of black eyeliner. If I was a teacher I'd actually find them a bit intimidating! Interestingly out of the two local comps one has a new uniform and their kids look as if they are being made to take it more seriously. I saw a group who were from the second comp shuffling along smoking!

Hopstheduck · 10/10/2011 11:44

dd's skirt keeps getting shorter and shorter, but life's too short to worry about it. it's all part of an ever complicating code of conduct to fit in. The skirt has to be too long, and then rolled up. it's a box pleat, so the baggy bit where it is rolled up gives the impression of hips Hmm

If you don't roll up your skirt, you are frigid and if you forget to wear shorts underneath for when the boys flick it up, you are a tart.

I'm so glad I'm grown up now!

The school is strict, and it probably goes down again when she gets here. They even count the number of stripes showing on their tie before letting them into a class.

shineynewthings · 10/10/2011 11:44

I think young girls shouldn't go to school looking all fetishly tarted up. It is completely inapproriate - and many schools do nothing about it, it's an even worse reflection on the parents.

loveglove · 10/10/2011 11:45

What I don't understand is the fat girls wearing the mini skirt. Do they not have a mirror? Does mama not pull them to one side and explain that a couple of inches longer will make all the difference?

ElaineReese · 10/10/2011 11:45

DD's school spent a whole year last year turning a blind eye to the girls in their obscenely short skirts - then at the end of the year they said No More Bodycons! And so all the girls from year 9 up have chosen to wear trousers - except in my opinion the trousers are at least as bad in terms of being revealing and inappropriate, except that I suppose you can't actually see their knickers (other than as VPLs!).

School trousers are horrid, especially when teamed with sweatshirts.

However at one very posh kilty-uniformed girls' school I know of, the girls cannot roll up their skirts... so they undo the zips at the waist so that the skirts are ridiculously low-slung!

Girls have always fiddled around with uniform regs, and always will I imagine.

RIZZ0 · 10/10/2011 11:46

YANBU - children should look like children. They can look lovely (and pretty) without also looking like jailbait.

Le Q your new HT sounds awesome.

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 10/10/2011 11:48

Loveglove you sound delightful Hmm

ThePrincessRoyalFiggyrolls · 10/10/2011 11:48

I don't think school uniform has much to do with bad dressing - I have seen some dreadfully dressed french/italians/spaniards - sorry bonsoir - and I think uniform is a fabulous thing as it stops the whole competitive dressing and brings everyone to the same level without having a fashion hierarchy.

I went to a carol service at my old school and spent the whole time worrying about the length of skirts and why the girls hadn't brushed their hair Blush Hmm Grin
Yup I am a fuddy duddy!!!

GetOrfMo1Land · 10/10/2011 11:50

i hate school uniforms, I actually quite liked them when dd was in junior school (especially the very sweet gingham summer dresses) but i don't like it in senior school, all black trousers (dd doesn't wear a skirt), horrible blazers and ties. I think in senior school kids should wear what they like. I don't really see the bullying argument (after having a daughter terribly bullied I know it is not necessarily triggered by clothing). It must also be very tedious for the teaching staff to enforce the uniform rules day in, day out.

Uniform is not deemed to be necessary in the rest of europe and north American countries, and the sky hasn't fallen in there, so wish it was not seen as such a necessary requirement in Uk schools.

ScaredBear · 10/10/2011 11:51

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 10/10/2011 11:53

I don't see what's wrong with Lovegloves's comment actually? It's true. The uniform modifications look worse the bigger you are... I think teen girls or even pre-teen girls can look very messy and not at all attractive, but I suppose it's more about 'fitting in' with the in-crowd than anything else.

I never rebelled with my skirt BUT I did buy a lovely pair of bright red shoes for school when our colour was navy with black or brown shoes.

GetOrfMo1Land · 10/10/2011 11:54

you can still have a fashion hierarchy with a uniform - if someone wants to they will bully someone about the brand of hairclips they use.

most schools are not so prescriptive that they have shoes, bags, socks as part of uniform so these are differentiators which people will pick up on if so inclinded.

I think the whole 'to prevent bullying' is a straw man argument anyway.

GumballCharm · 10/10/2011 11:55

My DD is 7 and wears black knee socks and a shortish skirt...sometimes she wears a longer one...and sometimes she wears tights. She's 7. She's not sexy. She can show what she wants thank you.

As scaredbear says....if ateenager wants to wear a short skirt then why should she be judged? She could be very bright, very well behaved but like the look of her pins. Is that a crime?

talkingnonsense · 10/10/2011 11:57

I think the girls look sweet in those 'home and away' style dresses that are very popular here, and they seem designed to be very short. Also, a skirt that is knee length in september might well be indecent in July as they seem to grow so quickly. However my 12 yr old ds does seem happy looking at them so I'm not sure how I'd feel if I had a daughter!

GumballCharm · 10/10/2011 11:57

See here for the length of childrens skirts in the 1930s. Nobody thought they were sexy or innapropriate did they? No. It's a modern disease to be foisting our own hangups onto kids.

JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 10/10/2011 11:57

I don't think zukie is smug at all tbh.

I've read enough of her posts to know that she doesn't look down on the rest of us. And I believe her when she says that her girls always behave well - some people (even children and teens) are very averse to rule-breaking.

Actually my own ds (not quite 11 so I know there's plenty of time) hates rule-breaking, particularly at school or out and about.

So there Grin

LeQueen · 10/10/2011 11:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GetOrfMo1Land · 10/10/2011 11:57

Some posters are being very spiteful about fat girls wearing short skirts. For all you know she could feel very happy in what she is wearing.

And also how horrible to make the argument that short skirts = tarty.

At dd's school it is the boys who look the messiest - all low slung trousers 3 times too big, shirts undone and untucked, ties done up so you can only see the narrow bit. The girls look a lot better groomed imo, short skirts and tight trousers notwithstanding.

GetOrfMo1Land · 10/10/2011 11:59

I agree with jenai - what are you reading in zukie's posts which make her sound smug?

fatlazymummy · 10/10/2011 11:59

I don't understand why some schools still allow skirts in the 1st place. My son's senior school has very simple uniform rules. Shirt/blouse, trousers, tie, blazer. Apart from some slight differences in the cut boys and girls wear the same.
I don't see any need for girls to wear skirts [of any length] at school. They are there to learn and are free to wear what they like out of shool.

loveglove · 10/10/2011 12:00

Hobnobs Loveglove you sound delightful hmm

Thanks. Seriously, why does nobody tell them? My mama did for me, in a nice way. I have chunky thighs too y'know.

I got bullied by other kids and called "thunder thighs". I ended up with an eating disorder.

See why it's worth having a gentle word if they aren't doing themselves any favours?

beakinthebeeswax · 10/10/2011 12:00

I saw a schoolgirl the other day with a very tight short mini skirt, you could actually see her bottom. She was a rather large girl (Hey, am no stick insect myself) and she looked foolish. I imagine she was mocked at school for this.
I know they want to be little adults, but there is def a limit to how short these skirts should be. I used to roll up my skirt and sometimes wear my gym skirt for school. I looked silly.