to think suits are inappropriate for sixth formers?

[allsfairin]

I have had children go to several different sixth forms, some require suits and ties for boys / matching tailored skirt and jacket for girls. Some have a much more relaxed dress code.

My niece is now attending a sixth form which requires her to wear the matching tailored jacket and skirt, and she bought quite an expensive one, but the skirt is deemed too short and she needs to buy another. These items of clothing cost a lot especially for girls, and she has to wear the same one every day, as she can't really afford two.

My son attended this school more than 10 years ago, and I was happy enough for him to conform to the suit rules then, particularly as boys can quite often pick up suits in second hand shops, so nothing like the expense. It was, and is, a great school, he did very well, and has gone on to a great career.

However, he has never worn a suit since the day he left school, and nor have my other children. It did seem a bit old fashioned ten years ago, but these days, suits seem to me to quite often be a long way from acceptable business wear, and in fact to denote low status in the work place, whereas successful individuals generally wear smart/casual, or even casual/casual.

Looking at my own adult children and their friends, I know successful young people in music, science, finance, event management, energy, engineering - not one ever wears a suit, or even owns one, I know that by the frantic whats apps about 9pm on the evening before an interview recently when a friend of a friend suddenly wondered if he should be attending his interview in a suit and was messaging everyone he knew to see if he could borrow one, and the answer was no, no one possessed one

So IABU to think the insistence on suits in sixth form is outdated and obsolete, and these days denotes low, rather than high status? I think quite a lot of teachers still wear them, and maybe politicians, but these seem to be the only areas of life where they are still quite common

I don’t know why people think it’s a binary choice between suits or inappropriate clothing 🤦🏻‍♀️ we had no uniform in my sixth form, but we did have a dress code - which essentially meant no inappropriate clothing…it’s not hard.

This is also workplace dependant. Everyday the head layer at my company wears a suit without a tie and the regular lawyers wear dark jeans and shirt/blouse and cardigan/jumper. Occationally dressing up if there is something going on.

There are three sixth forms here and none have suits as a dress code. In the wider area, it’s not a thing either. Most of them are stand alone, there’s just one school I know with a sixth form and their students can wear whatever once they’re in sixth form. Only years 7-11 have to wear the uniform.

I agree with you OP, and my 16 yo decided to go to college rather than school sixth precisely because she was sick of all the petty school rules regarding things like uniform.

I went to a school sixth form many, many years ago and we had no dress code whatsoever, we got good results on the whole, went on to uni where we we also allowed to dress how we wanted. And then moved onto the world of work with no major outfit dilemmas. And that was back in the time before home working and the relaxed work dress codes we have now.

Schools need to move with the times, but they seem to be going backwards if anything.

Wow how outdated- I can’t even believe that’s a thing! I’m in Scotland and 6th year pupils at state schools have to wear uniform same as other kids sometimes with a special tie but that’s it.

I worked for a company that did dress-down Friday. Mon-Thurs, I wore black skinny jeans. One Friday, I wore blue boyfriend jeans with a couple of patches (not rips) and HR told me I wasn’t allowed to wear them cos they weren’t smart enough. Fine for her to wear leggings with a top that didn’t cover her cottage cheese, though.

I don’t like the British style of school uniform at all. I find it very old fashioned. I cried when my son started reception and had to start wearing proper trousers; I think they look awful on little kids.

In China & Japan, most state schools have tracksuits as their uniform. They look very smart and are obviously much more comfortable and practical.

It’s nothing to do with preparing them for the world of work.
It’s to stop young people turning up in entirely unsuitable outfits and the endless fashion show.

I agree - most business dress these days is not suits. Suits are impractical and not comfy to sit in all day. I do t even think there should be a dress code at all for sixth form.

I never really understood the argument about preparing them for work. How much preparation do schools think is involved in putting a suit on? If I’d never worn a suit to school then got an office job requiring one I’d have gone and bought one, tried it on and then the morning of work… put it on. Does it really require years of training 😂

At DT’s non uniform school (ages 4-18), they didn’t turn up in unsuitable outfits or as at a fashion show.

The Uk school uniform is unsuitable - it’s not practical for travelling to school in or comfortable for learning. Most are poor quality fabrics and often with an expensive price tag.

It makes them look like estate agents. Horrible aesthetic.

Yep, "it prepares them for work" shows how out of touch they are.

I'm an accountant - no one wears suits anymore - it's "smart casual" everywhere - in the office, on seminars, etc.

Son has just started work in the UK's largest insurance firm as an actuary - it's smart casual in all their offices. He bought a suit, just in case, but it still has tags attached. He didn't even wear suits for job interviews - all said "smart casual" in the email with instructions etc and he said the interviewers were amart casual (several UK banks and insurance firms!)

Just managed to get a GP appointment face to face - he was the practice's senior partner - he was wearing smart casual!

The only people wearing suits these days are con merchants (door to door types), car salesmen or estate agents (as I say, con merchants).

In court, yes, but they are a lot more relaxed, dressing wise, in their offices.

I assume you work at the school so saw every child, every day, whilst also travelling around the UK to view every other child?

Yet, Unis don't have stupid dress codes and they manage fine. After all, lots of sixth formers go to Uni. It's not a fashion show - most uni students slob around lecture to lecture in jeans and hoodies. You think an 18 year old is going to wear an "unsuitable" outfit in May, but then changes to hoodie and jeans in September the same year?

Makes no sense to impose stupid rules to 18, then free for all 18-21, then smart casual 21+.

My son has to wear a suit to 6th form, it’s preparing him to work in the 1980s. It’s the insistence on “smart shoes” that baffles me most.

In the 14 years DT’s spent at the school with time spent doing drops and collecting together with numerous school events and time DT’s friends spent at our house, I’ve a pretty good idea of what they all wore to school each day - and I paid for DT’s clothes.
Daily trips on the Tube and time spent as a school governor meant I saw what school uniforms children wore.

Full suits for girls is really strict. The sixth forms around here where suits for boys, and the girls just have to have some sort of jacket or blazer, but it doesn’t need to match their skirt or trousers.

YANBU

I don't understand why secondary schools insist on the type of uniform anyway. It's like schools have never been out in the real world. Suits haven't been worn in offices for decades.

I have always thought that sixth form and university is the time to where what you want, until you have to conform to society norms.

It wouldn't be my choice, but if DC and I chose a school/6th form/college then I'd accept that we've signed up to the package, which includes their dress code or uniform.

It's outdated now, and with a COL crisis a little unfair I think. Having said that it's probably coming from a good place in wanting to set them up for work, albeit extreme.
I work in a college and some young people dress extremely inappropriately for an educational setting.
Vinted would be a great place for her to look for reasonably priced suits.

Which is OK if you live somewhere like a city with choice of sixth forms/colleges.

In lots of places, there is little or no choice, even more so if you live somewhere with crap public transport.

Pointless nonsense. That said I really don't understand why some are saying that if you choose a sixth form with these rules around dress you shouldn't complain as you had choices. Imo it's perfectly fine to choose a college based on other factors - location, quality of education, courses offered, friends going there etc and still not be happy about the rules regarding clothes and appearance.

I teach in a school that insists on this and am a 6th form tutor and hate it. It’s also ridiculously anachronistic- workplaces have become far less formal in terms of dress. We have to have endless conversations about skirt length etc and it’s nonsense.