School uniform

[Charlescav]

I find that skirt as an option for a school uniform is both discriminatory and also inappropriate for winter.

I appreciate that teenagers (girls) want to show off and wear very short skirts but if trousers was the only option then firstly they would be warmer and secondly girls wont be discriminated/different to boys.

AIBR or AINBR ?

Sorry, no offence meant (assuming you are the OP - now a different name!).

You say temperature is your main concern - please realise that everyone can regulate their own temperature with clothing according to their preference. You don’t need to concern yourself with other people’s temperature, other than your own children and only then if they are very young.

Understand that other people have different comfort levels. If I walked around in what you say you wear I would be far too hot - all the time, even when it’s cold. It’s none of your business to police what other people want to wear on grounds of temperature.

OP, are you one of those annoying people who go round town telling mothers to 'pop a blanket on the baby', or telling clubbers 'you'll catch your death in that'?

Seriously, choice is always a good thing, even if those choices are different to the ones you would make.

Or worse - continually berating someone for not having a jacket on a kid who is strapped into a car seat.

Or someone who thinks that somehow, bare legs are going to make someone catch the flu/cold.

I don’t remember a day in my life that I was on my period and I told to myself “it’s a skirt day today at work because you are on your period” !

Just because you personally have had the phenomenal good fortune to be blessed with periods light enough to manage in trousers, don't assume every girl has.

I actually find such ignorance unforgivable from a fellow woman. Men have no idea what its like to have periods, but women do, so come on, just imagine one 10x heavier than yours, and you will know that a child wont be able to manage it in trousers

( I say 10 x, just because when packing for a school trip with a friend once, when we were aged about 15, it transpired, just be the amount of sanitary protection we were each packing, that my periods were around 10x heavier than hers - however yours might not be that light, but you get my gist)

I can't get on board with the whole argument that having an option to wear skirts is discriminatory.... (my 11 yo dd wears trousers or shorts, period or otherwise. She hadn't worn a dress since she was about 6).

But blazers rather than proper coats does concern me. DS only wears a big coat over his blazer in especially foul weather. He says it's because he has nowhere to leave it at school, and hates dragging a wet coat round all day.

@Nimbostratus100 It's not that I can't imagine a heavy period, it's that I don't understand how tights are easier than trousers. How do tights improve things?

@Nimbostratus100 can you explain the heavy period skirt thing? You've mentioned it a few times but not actually explained why skirts are better.

I had awful periods as a teen and found trousers preferable- I used to wear a pad on one pair of knickers, put another pair of knickers on top and then trousers. I'd have been worried about blood trickling down my legs if I wore a skirt (trousers were dark).

Yabu. It's great that they have the choice. I would have hated to have been forced to wear trousers. I liked my school skirt. My boys have the option of trousers or shorts with long woollen socks. One loves the trousers. The other wouldn't wear them if I paid him and is happily going to school in shorts even now.
I'd say leave people alone to make their own choices. It's great that they have them now.

How are skirts not appropriate in the cold? Have you heard of tights? DD wears black, thick wool tights with her school skirts. She’s 9; not a teen “showing off” what a strange thing to assume from a school girl wearing a school skirt :/
She hates school trousers and has never worn them. She’s tall and very slim so for them to fit her waist; they’re too short and for them to fit her legs; they fall off her waist.
Skirts are brilliant for her.

having the choice of a sensible skirt or trousers is much better than forcing one or the other imo.

we have two neighbouring secondary schools. One has the option of knee length pleated skirt or trousers for the girls, it seems to be 50/50 which is worn and all look equally as smart. The other has the option of pencil skirt or trousers many more girls seem to go for tne skirt there - possibly influenced by ease of rolling up - which doesn’t look as smart imo but it’s still their choice.

I disagree OP and the choice should be there. I get that short skirts mean girls may be spending too much time sitting in an awkward/uncomfortable position to preserve their dignity and less concentrating on lessons, but that is about length not the choice of skirts.

According to my mother who is in her late 60s, rolling up of skirts was very much a thing in her school days!

Skirts and tights are as warm as thin school trousers and easier to fit on changing bodies. I find getting trousers that fit really hard.

YABVVVU and totally ridiculous actually.

Some girls like skirts. Some girls like trousers. I have one of each and as they have a choice then no one is being discriminated against.

One of my sons wears shorts everyday, through Scottish winters. The other one wears trousers. Their choice and uniform compliant.

Perhaps I should force them all to wear the same thing because it would save me (a lot of) money. Or I can continue to respect their right to choose for themselves what is comfortable and appropriate.

Weird thread

The fact that this is what they want, doesn’t mean that I will let them do it.

Make your daughter wear trousers then. Problem solved. YABVU

I wouldn't have worn trousers in school even if they were an option. Skirts are so much more flattering and you're so conscious of your body at that age.

Pick your battles springs to mind here.

Has anyone actually tried to find decent school trousers that actually fit a girl?

Dd has to wear grey trousers. We've tried matalan, next, trutex, tesco, sainsbury, m&s, David luke, banner, generic amazon stuff, new look and all are so baggy and saggy in the wrong places so she can't bend her knees and simultaneously look like she's wearing a nappy. I have 4 pairs of black ones that were her sisters and fit her well but she can't wear them.

I'd much rather boys amd girls can choose between skirts shorts and trousers than be limited to whats turned out to be a very difficult option. The only grey trousers that the high street provides are the ones that start at age 3 and go all the way to 16 but they are also the ones that don't Take body changes into consideration in their design and just get made bigger. They don't fit.

As far as periods go dd2 has already said as her current and rather tight too small trousers that we are currently trying to replace but with no luck ( three pairs on their way back as we speak) shed rather manage them in a skirt. That way she can wear cycling shorts and tights and not worry about leakage onto light trousers.

The solution should be to add not take away. Equality does not mean treating everyone the same. Thats the worst thing you can do and the most discriminatory. Default male is not Equality

That depends on the skirt and the body shape. Sadly the pencil skirts one local school have as the only option of skirt isn’t at all flattering on a lot of body shapes.

that’s why having the choice is better

This is a weird take.

I find skirts and tights so much warmer than trousers. I always have - I think it's the direct contact with the skin.

I also lived in Iceland for two years, I know how to dress to keep warm.

Our school uniform is non gender specific, so everyone has the option of skirts or trousers. Problem solved.

Most schools round here have ‘gender neutral’ uniforms, so can choose if they wear skirts, trousers, shorts in summer etc. Nothing wrong with that. I always wore a skirt to school, I always remember feeling warmer in tights.

I’m guessing your don’t actually have a teenager? They all refuse to go in a coat. Mainly as it’s not allowed to be seen in side and school and they no longer have lockers.

Our two local schools don’t allow skirts, they have a trouser only policy but are also very strict on the type of trouser. It’s a night mare shopping with differently shaped girls.

I live within a mile of 3 secondary schools (5actually but 2 are boys only)

All schools have trousers as an option and it is not chosen as much as skirts. One school (my dd3 attended) is super strict on rolling skirts and it means most of the girls do not roll or only roll waistband once. They all at this time of year wears thick tights with them. In summer 95%of the girls wears the summer dress

Other girls only there is a higher %who wears trousers but the skirts are rolled super high. In summer I'd estimate 50% wears the summer dress

Last co Ed fewer trousers yet not as much rolling as school 2 I cant recall any strictness of rolling at the school. (I was on placement there for 1 year) I don't think there is a summer dress uniform

I personally wear skirts and dresses 80% of the time as u find them far more comfortable than trousers. So why should our daughters not get this option too?

Sorry school 1 and 3 are coed the way I wrote that suggests 1 is girls only.