What do girls wear under their uniform?

[flamingoland1]

I have DD starting next week and am wondering whether to get something to wear under her dress like cycling shorts. Do kids wear them to cover their knickers?

In my country we used to wear them under our skirts so wanted to ask what people in Uk do. Many thanks.

[Parker231]

This is the first I’ve heard of anyone wearing cycling shorts under their skirts. DD and her friends just wore knickers which fitted properly.

[Oblomov20]

No. Just no. In the UK it's not necessary, nor the 'done thing'.

[TheBitchOfTheVicar]

If it's not necessary, not the done thing and girls shouldn't feel they have to, why did my DD ask to when she was in year 3? She has done so ever since. I'll admit I wasn't too happy about it when she initially asked, but why would I want her to feel vulnerable at school when I could easily buy cycling shorts for a few quid?

[feelingverylazytoday]

I wish this had been a thing when I was at school. I hated showing my knickers when I was doing handstands, it made me feel very self conscious. In my experience, both boys and girls do not want to show their underwear, boys don't have to so why should girls?

[Howzaboutye]

When I was at primary school we just tucked our school dress into our pants, did handstand etc, then when finished- untucked.
Don't understand why kids nowadays don't just do that?

[feelingverylazytoday]

@Howzaboutye

When I was at primary school we just tucked our school dress into our pants, did handstand etc, then when finished- untucked.
Don't understand why kids nowadays don't just do that?

Probably because they don't want to display their underwear. The clue is in the word really.

[TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross]

The idea of girls having to wear shorts, etc, because boys might look under their skirts reminded me of this moment in the graphic novel Persepolis...

[BikeRunSki]

DD just wear shorts - her choice. She has never liked skirts, even before she started school,, and found culottes too “flappy”.

She also chooses shoes that may be traditionally thought of as “boys”. Better fir running and football, especially when her knickers are safe lay hidden under her shorts! 😊

[TheDayAfterTomorrow]

I think just knickers, I chose to wear cycling shorts in high school but that was just me and my insecurities

[timeforanew]

@TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross you don’t need to look under skirt. young girls have their pants on display a lot if they wear skirts. if the pants gape - which many do - they have their private parts on display, equivalent to a boy with his pants down. I don’t think that’s appropriate

[ShinyGreenElephant]

Just knickers, in about y4 my DD started wanting shorts on so she could walk on her hands without showing her knickers - until then she didn't care about anyone seeing them so I wouldnt worry until she does

[Polkasquare]

@Jellycatspyjamas

I’m really not bothered by girls wearing stretchy shorts, I am bothered about girls getting a message that they need to cover themselves with multiple layers of clothes to take part in daily life.

My child’s knickers cover her perfectly well, there’s no barrier to her doing whatever she wants in terms of play or activity. She doesn’t worry about her arse or groin being on display because she has perfectly fitting pants covering her arse and groin. Which is what they’re designed to do.

But then why do boys wear shorts over their pants when the weather is warm? If the pants cover them well?

[Polkasquare]

@Howzaboutye

When I was at primary school we just tucked our school dress into our pants, did handstand etc, then when finished- untucked.
Don't understand why kids nowadays don't just do that?

Presumably Because knickers these days are too flimsy for you to be able to do that! Plus perhaps girls don't want to show other people their underwear.

[Jellycatspyjamas]

But then why do boys wear shorts over their pants when the weather is warm? If the pants cover them well?

Because society dictates that people wear clothes. Skirts and dresses are clothes too - my daughter doesn’t walk down the street in her pants, if she does a cartwheel or hangs from a climbing frame her pants might be on show for seconds, in the same way as a boys shorts or trousers might slip at the waist, showing his pants for seconds at a time.

I’m not telling myself daughter to wear another garment (shorts) underneath existing clothing (dress/skirt) to prevent someone seeing yet another piece of clothing (pants). I’m really not sure why a girls vulva is so offensive, or powerful, that it needs to be contained in three layers of fabric.

[Iwouldlikesomecake]

When we were at school, girls wore knickers that actually covered your bum, with a decent amount of fabric. Now they seem to be mini versions of adult pants in a more bikini cut. This, coupled with thinner more flimsy fabric as people try and use the cheapest materials possible, is probably why it’s an issue when it wasn’t 35 years ago when I started school.

[Sleeprocks]

H&M shorts pants - comfy, no gape, no riding up the bum, cotton, no self consciousness, no need for extra shorts

[kateybeth79]

My DD 8 is a gymnast and spends a lot of her time upside down and flipping around. Due to this she chooses to wear stretchy shorts over her knickers whenever she wears a dress or skirt. This is totally her choice because she feels that her underwear shouldn't be on show as it is precisely that - Under Wear, not Outer Wear. She also says she feels more comfortable. Each to their own.

[woodlandwalker]

My younger GD wore shorts under her skirts in years 5 and 6. She felt easier being active like that - it was her choice and her older sister didn't do it. She wears trousers now.

[sunflowers45]

@flamingoland1
I bought some of these from Amazon which are great. she wears these as 'underwear' but are long enough to be modest. She also wears these in summer anyway under her skirts and dresses.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07G728G27/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?psc=1&ie=UTF8&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[randomsabreuse]

I wouldn't advise a playsuit shorts dress/shorts pinafore thing unless you have lots of time to practice getting out of it quickly and not dropping it on the floor/down the toilet.

Reception age kids tend not to accept that they might need the toilet until they need to go right now, and aren't necessarily used to dealing with a queue! Most things are more exciting than going to the toilet so any need is generally denied until unavoidable!