Business attire for sixth form?

[Stopsnowing]

This requires some kind of suit. I am thinking that it would be more practical to wear trousers than a skirt probably wide legged or boot cut. And also that a collarless/lapel-less jacket with a collarless shirt or sweater underneath would also be more practical and streamlined.

what do others think? Any links to suggested looks or items appreciated. (Clothes will need to be machine washable and affordable and in navy/grey/black)

It’s really hard to find because so few people wear suits nowadays! IME most of the girls wear skirts. It might be worth getting basics to start and then a bit more once she’s seen what every one else wears.

Sixth formers just wear something like jeans and a T-shirt don’t they? All of mine did.

Good luck with the studies!

We have this. DD has a range of jackets from charity shops (and one bought) which she pairs with smart plain trousers from Uniqlo, not always in matching colours.

Under this sometimes shirts, sometimes smart t-shirts; again Uniqlo very goof for this.

some things are collarless some not but they all work together.

Check the requirements carefully. At our school all shirts/blouses have to have collars. I think the whole thing is bonkers as no one dresses like this in the real world any more and I have to nag my form endlessly. Generally the girls wear a suit for the first week and then revert to Lycra skirts.

Not all of them. The grammars near me require business dress.

Luckily my DD's school just says no trackies, hoodies, bare midriffs or ripped jeans.

I wouldn't invest too much to start with. As pp said, they start off smart and it quickly slides into anything goes.

Definitely check what they usually wear vs what the uniform regs say. DD would never wear trousers and only ever wore a skirt, as did all of her friends.

Blazers came in later accompanied by much grumbling.

So it was to start with short smart skirt (Lycra etc not allowed), shirt or smart jumper. DM shoes, tights. Then the hated blazer.

Completely agree. My school said business dress for 6th form, but everyone turned up from the first day in scruffy jeans and nothing was ever said. I appreciate that different schools do things differently though.

From what I can see (have younger child at the school) they do actually wear suits but in a very scruffy way and with way too short skirts! The kind of suits they wear are very uniform like (almost like the lower school uniform!) and it seems to me that it would be better to get a suit that she might actually wear to an interview/work experience. So I was thinking of getting one outfit and then as pp have said working out what she will actually wear/get away with

i think lots of collars are irritating and wonder if a more streamlined look would be more practical and look better! Thoughts?

(Agree schools have no idea what people actually do wear in offices these days!)

Oh sorry, didn’t realise you were mum rather than the student.

In which case, good luck to your daughter for her studies!

Nope.

Some VI forms have strict rules about 'business attire' and some have a school uniform, often different to the one they have worn for 5 years.

I think it is ridiculous because if they are going to uni they will live in casual clothing and 3/4 years id just long enough for the clothes to be dated.

OP

I second charity shops.

You’ve mentioned it twice - but I still don’t really understand your focus on streamlining and practicality. Does your daughter herself find collars irritating? And why the insistence on things being machine washable? Tailored items - the jackets, trousers, maybe skirts that make up a suit are not generally made of machine washable fabrics and such laundering would spoil the structures of the clothes. So you seem to be setting criteria that are unusually challenging.

As pp have indicated, separate, individual items can be sourced from charity shops, or pre-owned, or from many of the shops popular with teens. Unless there are other considerations you haven’t mentioned, it really shouldn’t be difficult for her to meet the school’s requirements.

Oh wow! I’m not in England so didn’t realise this was a thing (in fact don’t really understand the 6th form thing at all).

So the schools make 17 year olds wear “business dress” (or are these separate colleges)? And by “business dress” they seem to mean “bank teller from 1998”.

Why?

Yes it's a pain

It's a while ago but I think my dds didn't wear jackets just shirts and skirts or a dress

Because school uniform blazers and trousers are washable? It would make sense to be able to find similar but without the logos surely.
Edited to add this applies to boys so substitute skirts for trousers.

Different schools have different rules.
Ds went to one where the pupils were smarter than teachers. For example ties and suit jackets had to be worn winter/spring term when male teachers just worked in open necked shirts.
Other ds went to one where people generally wore sweatshirts and cargos. They didn’t like ripped jeans but that’s not his taste anyway. There were kids dressed more like teachers (shirts etc ) but that may be their out of school style.

That's exactly it. Which is why charity shops are good places to pick up the clothes.

Both of mine had to wear smart business attire - DD's school definitely insisted on collared blouses. We bought a suit from M&S and another super cheap one from ASOS or similar (which was horrific, and she ended up not wearing it much), and she picked other bits up from charity shops here and there over her Sixth Form life (DD has very 'eclectic' tastes). I think she sometimes wore her old uniform school shirts as well. She still wears her M&S suit trousers day to day (she's just finished her first year of Uni).

Bank teller from 1998 is bang on. My DD's 6th form even banned 7/8th trousers on the basis of it not being business dress and insisted on jackets. I sent them photos of me addressing big audiences wearing 7/8th trousers and no jacket (I have a senior stakeholder engagement role in a public body) but their outdated view of business dress prevailed. It's bonkers how out of date they are.

Completely agree. The men in our office have mostly been wearing shorts for the last few weeks, though I wish a few of them would buy some nice tailored shorts and not wear the pair they play football in on a Sunday morning.
The women are mostly in floral summer dresses and white trainers.

Our old school had this requirement. Practical doesn't come in to it - if a girl she'll most likely want a very short skirt and fitted blazer! That's what every one wore. Boys just got a suit from M&S or similar.

How ridiculous. Many CEOs don't wear suits these days anyway

Ok. - machine washable to avoid dry cleaning costs.

and the collared thing is because I think collars on both blouses and jackets are a real faff plus I am trying to find an outfit that mirrors more what people actually wear in the office

I know I can find a cheap skirt suit that looks like school uniform without the logo but that is not really what I want.

Agree entirely bonkers. Some school heads are too far up their own backside. Being pretentious. Who dresses like that in work these days? Probably just law and finance.
It would be cheaper for parents if they just carried on wearing school uniforms in 6th form. Waste of money for less than 2 year's wear.
I would avoid sending my child to a school who had those ridiculous rules over uniforms for 6th formers.

At DD's school they have the same dress code for 6th form. Most of the girls seem to wear stretchy dresses/skirts with a jacket. A lot wear 7/8 trousers with a blouse tucked in and a jacket. A few wear a more 'traditional' trouser/skirt suit.

I would buy the bare minimum to get her through the first few weeks and let her see what others are wearing.

As others have said, 6th Form Business Dress bears little resemblance to the modern workplace.