School trousers v. school skirts (for girls!)

[marthamoo]

Was just listening to Jeremy Vine on R2 (I was ironing for my holidays, OK?!) and they were talking about how sales of school trousers for girls, for the first time, have overtaken sales of school skirts. In 2002 only 2% of sales were for skirts, this year it's something like 56%. They had Edwina Currie on who was all for it - for the same reasons as I am (I must be getting old, agreeing with Edwina Currie). It's more practical - travelling to school in all weathers etc. She also said that short skirts in a classroom can be 'distracting' - having seen the shortness of some school skirts (I would worry for a daughter of mine dressed in some of those - they're indecent - now I know I'm old) I'd go along with that too.

I was wondering what reasons the opposition would come up with for school skirts and was gobsmacked when they dug up some woman (didn't catch her name) and the only reason she could come up with for preferring skirts over trousers was - get this - "most women do not have the derriere for trousers" and look "lumpy and ugly" in them. The increase in trouser wearing in British society apparently signifies a "reduction in the feminine role of women."

Well, excuse me - I thought our young woman were going to school to learn - not to look attractive in trousers or provide eye candy for the boys by wearing short skirts. Grrrrrr. First we are not to nork-feed in public lest it offend some dainty Daily Mail reader's sensibilities - now we are not to wear trousers because we will look "lumpy and ugly." Did feminism happen?

I wasn't allowed to wear a skirt at school and I can still remember having frozen knees at the bus stop in winter - we campaigned to be allowed to wear trousers but it didn't happen when I was there. Muslim girls wore trousers, but still had to wear a skirt over the top - not a good look, I have to say.

Thoughts?

(Don't tell me to go pack, I'm nearly done, honest).

I'm with you on this one. Spent all my school days winters with corned beef legs, freezing my bum off.
That old trout sounds like something from the ark! I thought we'd moved on from the thinking that women were there for decorative purposes only. What an insult. I'd go the other way and say most of the women I've seen (me MOST DEFINITELY included) don't have the legs for skirts

Lol @ corned beef legs - that describes mine to a tee

DD1 looks GORGEOUS in skirts, but will she wear them?

Skirts are compulsory for girls at dd's school. I actually think they look very smart. All the girls wear the same style and they just wear tights in winter to keep their legs warm.

It is a pain in one way because they have to be bought from a certain shop whereas you can get boys trousers from anywhere as there is prettu mych one basic style.

There are so many different styles of girls trousers, so sticking to the same skirt is good I think.

I

my dd has refused to wear trousers to school and trousers full stop, she said trousers arnt sexy and boys are supposed to wear trousers. we went shopping for her uniforn and she had a tantrum because i tried to buy trousers

DD will be starting school next week and I must admit, I never even considered buying her trousers. Is it different when they're small? She has 2 pinafores and will just were woolly tights in the winter.

If she expresses a preference later I don't think I'd have any objection though.

Like the pinafore, tights and wellies look too, MT

My dd is starting reception in September and I have bought her a mix of trousers and skirts. I was never allowed trousers at school and hated the horrible pleated skirts that stuck out like lamp shades. Luckily dd has inherited my pert buttocks and looks just peaching in a pair of trews

My dd is starting reception in September and I have bought her a mix of trousers and skirts. I was never allowed trousers at school and hated the horrible pleated skirts that stuck out like lamp shades. Luckily dd has inherited my pert buttocks and looks just peachy in a pair of trews

in the infants my dd wore a skirt, now she is going to the juniors it has to be trousers for her, she now won't wear a skirt as it would appear it not the 'cool' thing to do, my little girl is growing up too fast.

I agree that trousers are more practical

I'm so torn with the whole skirts and trousers thing (DD only 2 so not an issue just yet!!!).

I see the whole practicality of trousers, but I just love the smart school uniform look of skirts. I am planning on her being in skirts until juniors at least.

I am very old fashioned when it comes to uniforms anyway - hate polo t-shirts on school kids, just proper shirts for me, and I've heard rumours that the school I wanted to send DD to is planning on changing to a long sleeve t-shirt with school logo on it rather than shirts!!! It is even putting me off the idea of the school - I feel that when you are dressed in a smart uniform (office clothes etc), you concentrate more. There is always less work done on mufti days - both at school, and when I was in an office.

I've got a few years yet before DD is in school, but I think (unless she gets very stubborn about it) she'll be in trousers most of the time. The uniform for Nursery and Reception is jogging bottoms anyway, so it's only in yr1 that the option is going to come up, but having two DSs already in school I've seen the mess playgrounds can make of your knees! It's just so much easier to run, climb and play in trousers than a skirt.

I bought dd skirts last year, and he looks very smart in them, and they will alst her longer than trousers. Trousers end up too short after a year, but her skirts are still fine. However, my prob with skirts is the expense of tights! She gets through about three packs a term, for which I could buy her trousers anyway!

my daughter wears trousers fot he simple reason that i see how some teenage girls wear their skirts - and i will not give her the oppotunity to roll it up and look like an utter slag

I wore skirts throughout my school life and don't see any reason why my daughter should be any different.

My dd has just gone into yr 8 and doesn't have a skirt at all. She has worn trousers now since yr3 barring a couple of weeks in the summer when she may have been persuaded into the summer dress. She does have 'issues' though with one of her legs so I'm not going to make a big thing about it. And TBH they tend to wear more sensible shoes with trousers - the young lady over the road wears a skirt as short as she can get away with and heels as high as she can get away with.

Lianme - how old is your daughter that she feels she should look sexy to school?

saggers - I posted theis on another thread:

' have just done a search, and emmabiscool has revived 7 old threads, all on the topic of flashing knickers, underwear, and weather girls should wear skirts to school................
If you are genuine, I apologise, but it seems stange that someone's first posts on mumsnet should be about such topics.'

Thanks ginger - still got my bedhead on and didn't even notice how old this thread was!!

bump - look - another school trouser thread revived by emmabiscool.

DD has a skirt and trousers. I think it's good for them to have a choice between the two. I used to have trousers & a skirt also. Prefered the trousers as they were black & the skirt was grey and pleated (it was also long so got rolled up several times!)