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?

There's some daft responses on here but bashun's wins the prize.

Anyone in a job where they're interfacing with the public should be dressed appropriately. Teachers wearing uber short skirts, revealing tops, or scruffy jeans should be spoken to by the Head. They're meant to command some kind of authority, and should keep their more casual, revealing or scruffy clothes for the pub.

Clandestino wtf? I'm subject to your insults for pointing out that the staff dressed like they were on a night out in the pub with unprofessional attitudes to match? You think I'm uptight because I consider it inappropriate?

Oh and thanks for the casual bullying there too, I do wear glasses thanks.

Staff should dress appropriately for the job they do.

Having seen snippets of those Educating Yorkshire or Essex or Somewhere television programmes, I have to agree. Some of the teachers shown are Pastoral Care staff - usually overweight women - who are trussed up in stretchy layers and look anything except professional. If you want respect, from kids, colleagues and parents, you really have to try harder.

@MaisyPops your last post regarding differing dress codes for male and female teachers, wasn't for me was it?

Some of the teachers I know wear high heels in primary so they are still taller than the children! I don't really care what they wear a long as they're good teachers.

Some of the teachers shown are Pastoral Care staff - usually overweight women - who are trussed up in stretchy layers and look anything except professional. If you want respect, from kids, colleagues and parents, you really have to try harder. Now that's not a nice comment - I don't really care about stretchy layers, just don't want to see my dc's teacher's underwear, or watch them flirting with my dh!

Ha ha! Teachers wearing high heels. Good luck to them. They’ll have stopped that nonsense by half term.

I do not think the OP is unreasonable. Underwear should not be visible.

lolarose control, perhaps?

There is a lot of body shaming and misogyny in a lot of these posts - although a few “cock and ball” comments perhaps balance them out. While I would double take at a teacher being half naked I think it’s fairly pathetic to object to stretchy clothes or flowery dresses.

Teaching is a very physical job and if teachers choose to wear high heels while on their feet all day let them do so. Unless they are in so much pain they can’t mark your kid’s work it’s really nothing to bother about.

Namebot
Sadly I think the dominance of comments towards female staff is because it is generally female staff who don't dress professionally for the environment, especially in summer.

I always think it's ridiculous when I'm in professional dress in the summer and there's some people wearing flip flops, those 3/4 cullottes etc. On one day in the summer I visited another school and saw a woman wearing what can only be described as a short t-shirt dress to mid thigh. It had no place in a professional environment in my opinion.

We were trained that smart casual was acceptable, no bums, tum or tits. Lots of schools have a ban on denim but apart from that you can be fairly flexible.
I work in asn so trousers with a tunic top/dress and trainers are my go to clothes. Can't be ripped off easily to reveal body parts and i can rum whenever i need to.
There are a few teachers who seem to striggle with appropriate. Skirts that don't cover when you bend and tops so low your bra is higher. Dress code is rarely mentioned but this work wear can and does cause issues for my kids.
As for uniform,i work.in a big school, the uniform isn't strict a coloured cardigan or jumper with grey/black trousers. Cheap and simple but it helps when out of school at events to apot our kids or to apot a stranger in the playground.
So op yanbu. There is an expectation that we will dress professionally and adhere to registration bodys policies.

I can't imagine teachers wearing very high heels all day, far better to be comfortable.

Dresses or skirts should not be so short as to show knickers. No vest tops.

Trousers are fine.

Are we allowed to flip this to pupils dress too then? Their underwear should also not be visible however MN regularly agree that girls can wear the ridiculously short skirts all they want and it's the pervert male teachers that can't control themselves that have the issue

I remember a couple of female teachers at my all girls school used to wear very short skirts and a fuck tonne of makeup. It definitely wasn’t setting a bad example in their case though, as we were all desperate NOT to dress like the teachers . So, it had the opposite effect.

I never noticed a male teacher dressing in something a bit unexpected, apart from the time my poor chemistry teacher who was new to the school was tricked by his colleague into wearing jeans and a periodic table t-shirt. The colleague had said it was non uniform for teachers . Meany. Chemistry teacher was all anxious as he had a meeting with the headmaster that day. And they said the girls were bitchy! These were two grown men.

It was actually a glow in the dark periodic table t-shirt, he proudly told us. Bless him.

I live in Ireland but was watching a three part programme recently on British TV about the eleven plus. I was really surprised at how scruffy and dishevelled and even rough some of the teachers looked. I don't think teachers over here generally go into school looking like that. I'm not saying they wear prim and proper clothes, but they usually look tidy and appropriate.

Most staff in the infant department at my kids school wear sportswear, trainers, leggings and tight t-shirts.
The school does provides logo polo shirts for them. The others wear trousers and t-shirts or blouses. DS2's old teacher had an impressive range of super hero and Harry Potter tops.
The junior teachers seem to be smarter, there's more heels and dresses, I always assumed this coincided with less pupils sitting on the floor.

The reception at my dc school wore a very sheer blouse with a panel at the front to protect her modesty. The back was completely sheer, so see through I could see the care label & the five moles on her back. That is a top to go clubbing in and not to wear to work in a primary school. I don't care if people call me old fashioned but there's a time & a place for certain clothes. I don't want to see her lacey black bra nor her moles when I go to drop off forms at reception. Completely inappropriate.

Time and place and styling maccy.
I really like sheer chiffon blouses for work because you don't get horrible sweat patches on them and they're really comfortable.
I wear a strap top in an appropriate colour underneath and it's perfectly professional. If someone get a offended because they might be able to see where my neck joins my shoulders then they need to get out more in my opinion. It's not a sexy outfit, no underwear is on show. A chiffon blouse, office skirt and blazer is absolutely appropriate for work.

Professional clothing should mean that you’re dressed appropriately to carry out your professional responsibilities. A business suit and brogues is unprofessional if you’re a PE teacher or Forest Schools teacher, because you wouldn’t be dressed appropriately for the job it would make it more awkward to teach or demonstrate what you need to teach. Layers can be quite practical in classrooms where there is no cooling or blackout blinds for hot days, or when you can’t control the radiator output , or you can’t predict when the heating will be working at all. Sturdy boots might be entirely professional for an early years teacher expected to teach with all-weather continuous outdoor provision.

Part of being a professional is that you dress appropriately to meet the demands of your role. If particular teachers are not appropriately dressed then their line managers should address that, but a blanket insistence on business dress is crazy.

Inertia
Spot on.
I see no need for very corporate staff dress codes in schools. Most schools I've worked in the norm has been what I believe is termed business casual.
E.g. trousers, shirt and tie for men / skirts or trousers with blouse or smart top for women.
Jumpers/cardigans/jackets optional but tend to be worn by most people.

Men might wear smart trousers, shirt, the and jacket in a contrasting colour.
Women might wear 7/8 length chinos with a blouse and a light weight blazer.

Generally only men in senior leadership tend to always wear a full suit. Even women in senior leadership would wear more formal dress but it wouldn't be matching skirt suit.

It’s only the sixth formers who need to stick to corporate dress codes - who daftit that!

I'll complain about teacher-wear. IT LACKS FUCKING POCKETS!

Where else are you supposed to put the five daisies various kids have picked for you on yard duty, the interesting stone someone's handed you, the three abandoned hair bobbles you've got to stick in lost property when you next walk past and the one functioning whiteboard marker remaining in the classroom?!

Black trousers or leggings, nice top or knee length-ish dress over leggings (don't give a fuck what style and beauty think), vest under anything that might potentially bag at the front and whatever shoes aren't going to bloody cripple me with this plantar fascitis from hell... job done - but I'm an infant person.

I'll complain about teacher-wear. IT LACKS FUCKING POCKETS!
Yes!!!

I really could not give a rats arse about what teachers wear, as long as they are good teachers with empathy towards their pupils and are good at teaching.

As long as they put something over their underwear I can't give a shiney shite. I feel the same towards school pupils clothing.

The best environment for children to learn in is a supportive, positive, calm, friendly environment. All this bollocks about hemlines, heal heights and whether or not jeans are ok are just distractions, imho.

They do nothing of value to the teaching environment.

People should wear what they feel comfortable in.