school skirt - please take pity on us and help!

[shiklah]

I cannot find a school skirt or trousers to fit my DD13.

The requirements are:

Either a knee-length straight black skirt with a small vent at the back for movement, or a plain black knee-length skirt with box pleats or a black knee length A line skirt. Close fitting or stretchy material is not permitted. Whichever skirt is chosen the height from the top of the patella (knee cap) to the bottom of the skirt should be a maximum of 2.5 cms.

She is athletic and mixed race and has what was described at the uniform outfitters as an "extreme waist to hip ratio". The outfitters said they could not alter a skirt to fit her.

This year we have had 4 skirts, 1 professionally altered. All have been unsuitable in some way or other. The shirt rides up and gapes or comes untucked, the skirt rides up and is too short, it has too much stretch, it bunches up on her tummy and is too short.

I don't wear skirts and am really struggling with the requirements. Assistants in John Lewis and M&S have just provided a selection and they do not fit.

I am determined to sort this before next school year as she has been getting upset. I am starting to get upset - why can't I get this right? :(

I have nothing productive to add I’m sorry but I am horrified at the use of ‘extreme waist to hip ratio’.
Who even SAYS THAT TO anyone never mind a young girl clearly struggling to find a decent fit!!! I’m fuming on your behalf about the school and the bloody extreme ratio...... really hope you get something suitable

I will try with the school again but hold little hope. They are incredibly rigid with this, and say it is a big clamp down again next year. I really really appreciate the solidarity. It is odd to be discussing your DDs bottom on the internet in any circumstances and I do avoid discussion of her body shape - maybe I need to address it directly. She is right there thou, surely they can see!

The uniform shop has a traditional cross older woman, she was blunt and straightforward but not entirely unkind, she was trying to be sympathetic but yes, its not nice being 13 sometimes.

I feel much better after a little walk and all this support.

MN women rule.

coldhandscoldheart - (your name is what I say when I cuddle DC btw) I will look into those :)

I’m still —ignoring— doing the ironing muttering ‘extreme bloody ratio’
People wonder why girls have these hang ups then stride around being all ‘extreme’.
Pisses me right off!
Good luck OP

Sorry, I realised I didn’t really finish that post. I think they wear them so long as a form of rebellion - you don’t want us to have our skirts too short? Right then...
I mean it looks disastrous to me, but every girl has a mid calf length skirt, sometimes longer. I’m pretty sure the skirts are designed to be about knee length.

Would this work?

Or this?

The school seems to have a very difficult policy on skirts. the way you describe it, it sounds as though a new skirt must be bought whenever a girl even grows an inch - must be very impractical.

I once told a headmaster his school was sexist. He was quite upset that I was calling him sexist. I pointed out that girls have hips and bums and that they should not be punished for this.

I used the example of the army. If you see female soldiers they look like their trousers are tighter than the men standing beside them, but it's not it is their shape.

Could you identify which other girls are wearing the same skirt as your dd and tell them specifically - "Amelia, Millie and Emily all have the same skirt, here is that skirt on an M&S model from the website if you don't have a problem with those girls wearing that skirt then you are discriminating against her on the basis of her body shape shich is due to her ethnic origins. I am willing to work on the school with this issue. Here are links to please let me know which of these will meet your specifications and I will order them to try on."

Have you tried the clothing bit of bravissimo for the shirt? Sympathies.

In addition to getting a seamstress to put in darts, if you find one that fits her waist/hips but is too long then hemming it shorter should be a cinch.

That is absolutely bloody insane! Your poor daughter should not have to be subjected to this.
If I was better at dressmaking I'd make her one. She might not want to wear it though 😁 but, as others have said a seamstress will be able to make you one if the linked to ones don't work.

Would she be able to get away with a pinafore and wear her school shirt over the top? Probably not.

Or, would it work if she just wore the skirt on her hips? Bypassing the waist issue. You could also, instead of sewing a shirt to it have it buttoned from the inside?

I have size 10 hips and used to have a 20in waist (now after 2 kids and hitting 40 it's 26in which is a bit better) and I'm quite short so completely understand your daughters predicament - it's hard.
I do have 3 skirts that sound like what you are after, one from Next (ladies suit separates), one from Wallis and one from French connection.

They are all past seasons though so not sure whether they still would have something similar. I would try to get a woman's skirt rather than a school uniform one. Mine tend to sit lower on the waist and she may need to have it shortened (I did one of mine myself)

SimplyBe have some that might work, including this one.

This website is good for finding what brands work for what shape -
sizes.darkgreener.com

What did you decide in the end, @shiklah?

If you haven’t come up with a plan yet, I think perhaps either:

butterick.mccall.com/b6179

Or

mccallpattern.mccall.com/m6994

Would work quite well? Patterns are a good option because they usually have multiple lengths, so can be cut to fit. If your daughter has had a few textiles lessons I think the ones linked would be within her capacity, but would need to nab the school machines to overlock the seams. It sounds like you’re quite up north, but if you were based in the East I’d be happy to give you a hand.

Thanks so much everyone.

We went back to M&S and got 3 skirts, one very like the banner one, one box pleated and one straight. They are being altered and hopefully one will be acceptable.

Her waist is age 9 and her height is age 16 in M&S sizes, it can't only be us struggling.

Thanks so much for all your help

That isn't dissimilar to my DD but more of an age 14 but without the booty issue! They only have one choice of school skirt and it looks a state on here, very annoying.

I really hope you find something for your DD.

Today I noticed DS trousers are at least an inch too short (end of term)
No one has said a peep..... It does seem very unfair

Have you tried trutex online? My daughters have to have a straight skirt with back vent and they do various waists and length combinations. My youngest is really small so we have to buy smallest waist and length. They also do a box vent one but apparently that’s not cool

I think part of the problem is that for quite some time now, too much clothing has not been designed for the commonest female body shape. Yes for your daughter it is more pronounced, but I've had difficulties getting skirts for my teenage daughter too - school skirt has the adjustable waist elastic pulled in further than suits its style so doesn't look at its best, she also needed a "Sunday suit" which led to extreme fun and games trying to find a short black skirt that vaguely fitted (and then we had to find a jacket that matched - no hope of getting a set).

I've only found it easier to find clothes that fit since I put weight on and developed a tummy - much as I'd like to get rid of it!

I think your efforts to get this to work have already gone above and beyond. My inclination would be to identify a female member of staff wtih an appropriate level of responsibility, and say, I cannot afford the time or money to keep trying on this, I am turning this over to you to find her something that is suitable and that the school will accept meets the dress code.

Good luck!