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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that this isn't the best outfit for school?!

143 replies

User3billion · 14/12/2019 13:28

Went into school for an assembly on our school's Christmas jumper day & one of the staff had a jumper dress on & boot style shoes (photos attached from a website so not actual staff member).

Aibu in thinking that it isn't really appropriate) practical for school when you're teaching small children?

I know "clothes are clothes" & all that but can't help feeling this was a bit much.

To think that this isn't the best outfit for school?!
OP posts:
lazylinguist · 15/12/2019 13:25

The only relevant thing is the length of the dress. If, as the OP says, it was very short to the point you could practically see her knickers, then it was definitely inappropriate.

The joke here is, I'm certain this teacher is wonderful at her job

Why is that a joke? Being a wonderful teacher in no way stops you from dressing appropriately for work. It's not difficult.

T0tallyFuckedUpFamily · 15/12/2019 13:25

She should have worn a full length dress and bonnet. The vulgarity and whoreishness of modern women disgusts me.

I completely agree. I believe some of them even canoodle before they’re married, nowadays. I bet she’s just looking for a rich husband to look after her. Wink Don’t worry, once she’s married she will obviously leave the teaching profession and concentrate on her wifey duties. Now where did I leave my copy of

FriedasCarLoad · 15/12/2019 13:27

Skirts that short look unprofessional.

T0tallyFuckedUpFamily · 15/12/2019 13:28

Oops...

Home economics

To think that this isn't the best outfit for school?!
LolaSmiles · 15/12/2019 13:31

I am an academic, everyone wants whatever they were, plenty of geniuses walk around campus looking decidedly scruffy. No one cares, our job is not about our looks, it’s about our brains
As an academic then surely you're perfectly capable of understanding that different jobs have different dress expectations.
I find the whole "in my job we are valued for our brains / ability to do our job" a bit of a red herring and a silly argument.
Before teaching I could wear what I liked as long as I looked smart when doing front facing things. In teaching I've seen some schools expect business dress with jackets for all and others more laid back. Some of my friends work in early years and have nursery polo shirts and fleeces to wear.
It's not rocket science that different workplaces have different expectations and that doesn't mean people are only valued for their looks.
Male stuff might be expected to wear suits but no one discusses whether the PE teacher’s shorts are too short and he is exposing too much flesh!
In my experience PE staff usually don't wear anything that risks their bum or underwear being on show (male or female).

JKScot4
You're totally right.
Regardless of whether the outfit was appropriate or not there's absolutely a hint of school mums bitching in the playground about this.

Lipperfromchipper · 15/12/2019 13:37

One of my colleagues wears a faux leather Short black skirt some days!! And she rocks it!! I generally wear jeans, hoody and converse. Parents don’t get to say what we wear!!

WaggleWiggle · 15/12/2019 13:48

As an ex-teacher I’d actually say it is inappropriate, just because teaching often involves standing on step stools to do displays, bending over desks etc and I wouldn’t want kids below me on stairs to be able to see up my skirt.

puds11 · 15/12/2019 13:55

I doubt any small child would bat an eyelid at her outfit choices unless she dresses in a unicorn onesie.

Slut shaming is boring.

cavabiensepasser · 15/12/2019 14:02

Bet she looked amazing.

Jealousy isn't a good look, OP, it'll only make you even more frumpy. ;)

SchrodingersKitty · 15/12/2019 14:29

I remember my mother complaining about the very short skirts worn by my infant school teacher. This would have been in about 1968! Her complaint wasn't so much that the skirts were short but that she hadn't learned the requisite 'dip' of the knees which prevented you from exposing your pants. I'm pretty sure her skirts were shorter than this.

Scrapbookqueen1 · 15/12/2019 14:34

I’ve always been more concerned with the state of some of the parents when they come into school. Have definitely seen some sights! Yet have never been bothered by a Christmas jumper dress.

MsChnandlerBong · 15/12/2019 14:50

My god I'd hate to be a teacher. Forget judging teachers on their ability to do their job well or the kids liking said teacher, nah let's throw out that good old MN word "inappropriate" and berate someone for wearing a festive fucking dress.

lazylinguist · 15/12/2019 14:58

There are many things that are shit about being a teacher. Being required to wear clothes that don't risk flashing your knickers isn't one of them. Nor is that a requirement that's restricted to teachers.

JasonPollack · 15/12/2019 15:12

someone said they'd seen her knickers

So, you've all been gossiping in the playground about a perfectly normal outfit? YABU and a bitch.

LolaSmiles · 15/12/2019 15:15

There are many things that are shit about being a teacher. Being required to wear clothes that don't risk flashing your knickers isn't one of them. Nor is that a requirement that's restricted to teachers
That's how I feel.

There are many elements of the job that are stressful, remembering to dress so my underwear isn't on show isn't one of them.

I'm willing to be the jumper dress wasn't as short as that photo and then overall outfit was an above the knee jumper dress and ankle boots (rather than bum skimming short with white heeled ankle boots) so the OP and their playground friend comments about seeing her knickers are prudish exaggeration.
If the teacher really did wear an outfit identical to that photo then it's not appropriate for school, but I'd be willing to bet there's more playground hysteria behind this thread.

Sirzy · 15/12/2019 15:19

I can’t see anything wrong with it, as long as it doesn’t stop her doing her job then I can’t see why it would be a problem.

I always used to wonder how the deputy Head at Ds school managed to wear such high heels, until the day he did a runner at the end of the school day and she showed just how well she could run in them! I was quite jealous.

Readthisearlier · 15/12/2019 15:29

Imagine being the type of person who thinks what material someone puts on their body has an impact on their teaching skills. It must be so embarrassing to be you, OP.

duckyolucky · 15/12/2019 15:30

Offline everyone knows this. Online there's some weird desire to pretend that commenting on attire is inevitably some sort of nasty anti-woken agenda.

I agree with this. I wouldn't be able to wear a short dress/skirt with bare legs & heels or a crop top & joggers for that matter.

ForalltheSaints · 15/12/2019 15:34

Christmas Jumper Day is unreasonable. Encourages single or low use of clothes- a form of fast fashion and possibly produced under sweatshop labour.

You should be talking or contacting your school to suggest they don't participate and do some alternative charity fundraising. Perhaps for the local homeless shelter.

LolaSmiles · 15/12/2019 15:47

Readthisearlier
What I wear to work wouldn't affect my teaching skills, but if I arrived in my yoga pants and trainers or dressed for a night on the town it would show poor judgement.

duckyolucky
I suspect that's the case for lots of us. We all have different expectations of how we dress when at work.
Offline everyone knows this is the case.
Online it's fun to pretend that commenting on workplace dress is always out of order because it's obviously sexist, my place of work we can wear jeans and a t shirt covered in baby puke and coffee stains or our gym kit because we are valued for our brains not our appearance, I met a lawyer once who had purple hair and dressed in full steampunk attire but nobody cared.

Lipperfromchipper · 15/12/2019 15:55

@Lolasmiles Many of my colleagues turn up to work in leggings and trainers Confused...I wear trainers with jeans most days to school. No one bats an eyelid!

Readthisearlier · 15/12/2019 15:56

You aren't allowed to wear yoga pants and trainers as a teacher? How odd. Plenty I know dress like this every day, particularly in primary.

Also she wasn't dressed for a night on the town. She had on a Christmas jumper dress. Even if she was dressed for a night on the town, it wouldn't impact upon anything she did in the classroom.

Judging women for what they wear is so old now.

LolaSmiles · 15/12/2019 16:00

I'm secondary so sports wear is a big no no unless you teach PE.

Leggings with tunics are ok in some schools but I know of some secondary schools that banned leggings in the staff dress code because some people needed telling that leggings aren't trousers.

Read The point is that there's a time and a place.
A Christmas jumper dress could look lovely and be totally ok for work (and the OP and other gossips are just being unpleasant about a woman who looks good).
Or, if it's too short then Christmas dress or not, it's not appropriate for schools.

rhubarbcrumbles · 15/12/2019 16:00

I hope she didn't have to do playground duty Sad (not sad)

JKScot4 · 15/12/2019 16:04

Bet OP and her chums are those parents in moaning when their bratty little Arabella/Arthur gets told off.
I’m glad I don’t know these tunic/leggings bitches.

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