"smart business suit" for sixth form - bit tacky or a good idea? Mixed 6th

[Sparrows12]

I'm in the "bit tacky" camp myself. Don't want daughter going to school everyday dressed like a candidate from the Apprentice. There are plenty of years to get used to dressing for the world of work, so why start at 16, especially as these children will be back in jeans etc for university. A sixth form uniform would be my strong preference. And i can foresee all sorts of disagreements in Next, Top Shop etc over what is "smart". I already find myself fighting to keep quiet about unsuitable (frankly "large handbag-style") bags being taken to school - aargh, and school shoes from unsuitable places like top shop that last one term before falling apart.

[HullyEastergully]

Thanks, bruffin.

I've noticed that it's usually (not always) people who didn't go to sixth form themselves that are the most prescriptive about it, in a kind of huh, it never did me any harm kind of way. The parents at my dc's school who want suits are the ones who went straight out to work and never got to enjoy that time.

[Jins]

I stayed on for sixth form Hully.

I wore footless tights, grandad shirts, big lacy shawls and doc martens. I had a mullet that you could lose a badger in. (Early 80's)

The majority of my friends stayed on and wore much the same as I did although coloured chinos were popular. A small number of my friends went to apprenticeships and wore whatever they had to wear and some went to sixth form college and wore the same as me but their hair was dyed brighter colours

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

Cheesecloth. That's what I wore in sixth form. Quite a lot of it

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

Cheesecloth?

[Aboutlastnight]

Yes many of my friends who didn't do A Levels went to work in insurance and banking in the City. Fair enough.

But those ALevel years were some if the best of my life.

[HullyEastergully]

I wore fishnet tights and stillettos and big hair and make up thick enough to drown in and got stopped by lorry drivers at nine in the morning offering me lifts. The OUTRAGE and HORROR.

Still somehow managed to stagger off to uni, even have two further degrees.

[Jins]

Cheesecloth was a bit lower down the school for me. The joys of trying to get away with a white cheesecloth shirt instead of the regulation white shirt.

[seeker]

and whoever it was said briefcases- wtf? Apart from anything else, how do you carry everything you need in a briefcase without damaging your shoulders and spine? Unless your chauffeur carries it in for you, of course.....

[HullyEastergully]

My parents made me take a briefcase. My dad's old monster. I had a twenty minute walk, a bus ride and then a 15 min walk. I was a real shortarse and I got mercilessly teased in and out of school with it until the day I killed it with a compass and freed myself.

Thanks for that, parents.

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

I had BIG hair - took aaaaages and used a whole eye liner almost everyday!

There will be no photos.

But yes managed to stagger off

[Jins]

The only people I've met at work with briefcases are young men on their first day :) Obviously bought by their parents so they look right. Only contents are a sandwich box and an apple.

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

Don't actually remember any school bag though

[bruffin]

"he parents at my dc's school who want suits are the ones who went straight out to work and never got to enjoy that time."

Again why do you think we didnt have time to enjoy ourselves and dressing how I wanted to. I probably had a better time because I was earning money and could afford to spend it on the clothes i wanted and going out. I had £200 a month. My DS is having a wonderful time as a teenager. The wearing the suit to school has very little impact on his style. His gf wanting him to have his hair cut (he has lovely shiney brown floppy hair) for her bday party has more impact on his style than school does.

[Jins]

School bag fashion was big at our school

First it was big zipped top black shopping bags like this with pockets, then it went to green army bags then straw shoulder bags

Shoes were fun too

[bruffin]

DS has cyberdog record bag for school

In my day it was shopping bags as well.

[HullyEastergully]

I meant "enjoy" at school which is very different to working.

Perhaps it's just different personalities.

[bruffin]

DS is loving school, wearing a suit doesnt stop him enjoying it, why should it. Theres far more to being given indepence than just clothes
And I suspect his friend has far bigger hair than you ever had Hully, all worn with a suit

[Jins]

I've been reminiscing about shoe fashions now

Year 1 was some sort of hideous Clarks sensible shoe because Mum was in charge. these were the coveted home shoe though

Year 2 was the year of the ankle strap and most were banned but we got away with these

Year 3 they must have thought their luck was in. No shoe related detentions for the moccasin. Slightly gathered front, leather lace up shoe with low heel made from a light coloured rubbery substance. No pictures on google

Year 4 was the granny shoe. Like this but with brogue detailing on the front

Final year of uniform involved trying to get away with your green flashes instead of shoes

Summer wear throughout??? This (with socks)

Sorry for the highjack

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

We had a sixth form uniform! I, rather sadly, liked it: nicer colours than main school, v distinctive and with VI on the tie.

I don't know any schools of any kind now where there's a sixth form uniform. Except the one in Inbetweeners.

[HullyEastergully]

[Jins]

Oh indeedy. Shoes are important.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

We were all about the kickers in the sixth form...

[Jins]

God yes. Kickers or suede desert boots (weren't they also called chukka boots or something similar)

Then pixie boots a la New Romantic. I have a picture somewhere of me in lower sixth with a pair of white trousers tucked into a pair of pixie boots topped with a combat jacket and lace shawl. It needs destroying

[bruffin]

In my day it started off with trevira trousers usually very very wide legs and a bit of bay city roller check. Then went on to cheese cloth and gypsy skirts and by the time I left school it was hacking jackets and cords. Hair syles were purdy bobs, charlies angels, long and flicked back and then birds nest.
We could wear any style skirt to school as long as it was black. There was the trevira A line with huge pockets, then sun ray pleats and french pencil skirts with long slits up the side.

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

Adam Ant had a lot to answer for!!