To complain about what teachers wear?

[Bunchofdaffodils]

More is she being unreasonable? Visiting a friend the other day with a daughter in year 5 I think. Just moved to a new school ( New to area).
My friend suddenly went on a rant about how it wasn’t on what the teachers were wearing and should she say something about it being inappropriate? Apparently it’s things like short skirts(other parents have commented about seeing Miss Xs knickers!), high heels and being over the top, like a fashion show.
She thinks it’s not a good example to set the children? Was she being unreasonable?

So many Vans and Converse at my kids school which surprised me!

Schools have dress codes for teachers, they are made up by the head teacher and often reflect that.

For my PGCE I had placements at 2 different schools.

School 1 had a female head who always wore sky high heels. Skirts should not be above the knee and no shoulders on show

School 2 male head - all staff had to wear a jacket outside the classroom. No high heels. No long skirts. No cardigans.

Lol Schopenhauer you certainly chose an appropriate name for yourself. Denim and floral patterns: gosh!

I started teaching 16 years ago and have taught in a few schools. I have never worn suit trousers/skirt and jacket. I have worn florals! I used to dress nicely but in clothes I might wear elsewhere. Nice skirts, thick tights, boots, thin jumper/pretty top type thing. I never wore heels as dont like them. One of these was a very good grammar school. I actually thought this was normal.

I once did supply in an academy where focus was on blazers and staff worse suits and didnt like it at all. Completely different environment.

I was a Primary teacher until last year. Have to say I agree OP. Some staff, including the Head, wore the most inappropriate outfits. Lots of very short very tight bodycon style dresses and skirts and sky high stilettos that they could barely walk in. I worked in EYFS, so tried to dress to be comfortable but covered and reasonably smart (cheap brands though as always high risk of getting covered in paint / snot / vomit!)

I did have a quiet word with the head about a teacher where I (and every other parent) could tell you colour and style of her bra and knickers most days. She had impeccable taste in underwear, but it’s not appropriate for work.

Sometimes I despair at the utter bullshit our society has invented to control people. Let's all sneer at the people who don't conform with our totally made up rules on dress.

Florals inappropriate? Cardigans? Interesting hairstyles?

Fucking hell it's pathetic. Get a grip.

Clothing is inappropriate if it leaves you indecently exposed, is unsuitable for the weather conditions, or is otherwise unsafe. Everything else being cited here is cultural, made up bullshit to control people.

Teachers are scrutinised enough by SLT that if it actually was a problem, the head would have pulled the Year 5 teacher up on it. There is nothing wrong with heels for school and dressing fashionably.

I also seriously doubt that knickers can be seen. How long do you reckon she'd have been able to cope in a class of Year 5s if that was the case? Kids of those age comment on everything 'I like your eyebrows miss' 'you need your hair dyed again miss' () so do you honestly reckon a flash of underwear would stand?

I work in an Ofsted outstanding state school. It’s one of the top state schools in the U.K.

Skinny black jeans, Vans, Converse worn by a fair few staff. Doesn’t seem to affect the school results much.

I was a primary teacher until last year and do think there are levels of appropriateness. I do think there are dresses/skirts/trousers/tops that could be seen as too short/too tight/too low etc BUT I don't think teachers should have to amend their hairstyles or piercings for a job. In any school I have ever worked at, if the head had a problem with the way a teacher dresses, that teacher was told. I don't really think it is a parents business to complain about clothing, unless there are graphic slogans or a hygiene issue. Certainly at secondary level I think it's almost a good thing for teachers to dress with a level of individuality - almost demonstrating that you can still maintain your own personality while having a professional career.

I did work in one school where teachers or assistants were not allowed to have hair colour that didn't look natural. One poor assistant had had balayage done on her hair over the weekend - natural hair colour (dark brown) at the top and blondeish at the tips - and the head sent her home and told her not to come back until she had sorted it out

Also, I bloody loved a floral dress and a cardigan for work. My favourite work dress has teapots all over it. I never looked anything but professional, thank you very much!

I’m a teacher and I do think some teachers dress inappropriately. In a previous school we had a teacher who wore very low tops (we could often tell you what colour the little bow was which sits between the bottom of the cups of the bra). Thankfully she started wearing less revealing stuff when she put on a bit of weight. Now we have a new, young member of staff who wears really short skirts. She lolls about in the staff room and we can all see her knickers so I presume all the children in her class do too. It is inappropriate in a work environment. Sadly none of the senior management team will say anything

to me the dress code should be:

not revealing - no cleavage, knickers on show, see through blouses, skin tight trousers showing your dick etc.
professional - no big logo T-shirts, ripped jeans etc
comfortable (especially at primary) - no reception teacher should have to wear a suit/jacket

That's it really, beyond that, teachers should not have to be in uniform because the kids are!!

oh, and no-one in an EYFS setting should be in heels or stilletos.
Small children on the floor, too easy to stand on a hand

Schools are struggling to catch up with the idea that no-one wears suits to work in offices anymore!

Er they do

But that’s besides the point.

Teachers and anyone dealing with members of the public/other people etc should make sure there is no unwanted indecent exposure.

The patterns eg florals are irrelevant. That’s just nonsense.

DDs P1 teacher always wears high high heels (Louboutins mostly), and a skirt or dress. It doesn’t affect the way she does her job in any way, she’s a brilliant teacher and clearly just dresses in the way that she’s comfortable.

I'm a teacher in a Secondary school but here in France the kids don't wear uniforms. My colleague's clothing varies from the staid middle aged Maths teacher in a suit (no tie) to the young male teachers in jeans and jumpers.Some of the women wear jeans and jumpers too.
At the moment the weather is still warm so there are quite a lot of florals - one of my younger colleagues was wearing a Bohemian floor flength floral skirt yesterday - it looked lovely. Another was wearing a bright green above the knee skater dress with high heels - but she was decent.
Nobody seems to mind what we wear but we police ourselves.... the rather chubby Geography teacher was pulled up for "builder's bum" a few years ago. Personally I take care not to wear a revealing blouse - I have some little flower broaches I can use to pin the cleavage if 'm not sure it's "safe for work". It's all common sense really.
If I thought a younger colleague or a pupil was wearing something too short or too low cut I might have a quiet word as we left in the evening (no point in telling them at 8.30 when they're stuck in school all day without being able to change).

The head at DS school wears thigh high leather stiletto boots, mini skirts etc. The school is fab, outstanding ofsted, great results etc. As long as they can do their job then I don’t see an issue. They’re fairly laid back about kids uniforms too, trainer type shoes are fine and no one worries if the jumpers the wrong shade or PE shorts the wrong colour.

colleagues'

Wouldn't she rather they dressed as a victoria teacher? Full length and ruffled neck?

Yes, because there is absolutely nothing between that and seeing someone underpants. Nothing.

My dd is HoD at a big comp. she tends to wear trousers with a tunic top. If it is cold she wears a long sleeved top under the tunic. Sometimes she wears a dress but always to the knee and never with a low neck. Foot ware is always either boots or flattish shoes, comfort is everything.
Yesterday was ‘Jeans for Genes’ day and she wore slim black jeans with a tunic top.
Most of the young teachers who start off with high heels and high fashion will have changed their style by Christmas.

Clothing is inappropriate if it leaves you indecently exposed, is unsuitable for the weather conditions, or is otherwise unsafe. Everything else being cited here is cultural

This.

Footwear not ware

Apparently it’s things like short skirts (other parents have commented about seeing Miss Xs knickers!), high heels and being over the top, like a fashion show.

Short skirts, fair enough but how does wearing heels cause any issue? It’s personal choice. “Being over the top” is s totally subjective judgement.

Until someone fixes the temperature on my classroom so it’s not always boiling, I will wear whatever keeps me cool.

The kids are melting too. It’s not helpful, but can I get a single bugger in the school to fix it? No. Grr.