Summer dress codes

[IndominusRex]

There have been quite a few stories the past few days about men and boys wearing dresses/skirts to flout uniform restrictions in the hot weather.
On the one hand - good on them. Lots to like about this.
On the other - women and girls have much stricter uniform enforcement and no one cares. Enforced wearing of high heels and make up, and trousers still off limits in places, and when women speak up about it they don't get treated in the same way these boys/men have.

I was just reading a story about the french bus drivers and thinking about this. I'm all for dress codes being gender neutral. But yes, enforced high heels and make up. Grrr.

I think it has been treated differently because firstly it has been group action and so not everyone can be sacked/ suspended/overlooked for promotion and secondly because there is a very definite (and temporary) reason for them wanting to wear skirts.

Teenager Josh Baxter said: 'I wore a skirt yesterday and was told to take it off because I had hairy legs.' Another boy added: 'I liked wearing it yesterday. It was a nice breeze.'

I just read that - DM are saying 50 boys turned up in skirts to a school in Exeter today.

I'm actually sitting here simmering at the boy being told to take it off because he had hairy legs - as if that was a reasonable and valid reason.. Talk about body policing.

I'm actually sitting here simmering at the boy being told to take it off because he had hairy legs - as if that was a reasonable and valid reason.. Talk about body policing.

Yes. Awful.

Yes re hairy legs! Way to give all the girls there even more of a complex too.
It being group action is a good point.

Did he just sit there in his pants after being told to take off his skirt? Sounds wrong.

I'm sick of restrictive dress codes all round.

Everyone should be allowed to wear practical and comfortable clothing

Well done to the boys for protesting and wearing skirts to school. There's no reason boys shouldn't be allowed skirts or shorts. Likewise it's ridiculous that there are still a number of schools which require girls to wear skirts which is in my opinion more damaging in enforcing divisions and notions of how girls should look. Requiring women or girls to wear high heels in any situation is also terrible and it's ridiculous the government refused to legislate further on the issue despite the petition and great campaigning from Nicola Thorp (who received sadly predictable levels of abuse for it).

Yes re hairy legs! Way to give all the girls there even more of a complex too.

Very good point - as if there's not enough pressure on girls (and women) to ensure no hair is visible anywhere except our heads this kind of reason for a boy not to wear a skirt enforces it.

Whats wrong with hairy legs? Presumably it's the same hairy legs as would be seen in shorts and would have been acceptable

Hopefully all this will just go to show how ridiculous school uniform has become. School children have to suffer more restrictive and sexist dress codes than pretty much any workplace uniform for no good reason.

What is the bloody problem with smart short trousers on either sex? If skirts AND trousers are allowed there is no sensible reason shorts should not be allowed. Shorts are incredibly practical and can also be smart what is the problem?

If they just said boys or girls could wear skirts or shorts/trousers, then some girls would wear skirts, some shorts/trousers, all boys would wear shorts/trousers and (almost) everyone would be happy.

I think you sum it up nicely in your OK. Yes dresses/skirts should be seen as good enough to be worn by men. But I don't think that's what this wave is about. There seems to be this undercurrent of "look how women have it so much easier than men". Despite the fact that this might be the case for about 3 days of the year. Let's face it is men who don't want to wear skirts/dresses for the other 362 days of the year.

*your OP

ts wrong with hairy legs? Presumably it's the same hairy legs as would be seen in shorts and would have been acceptable

Yes, but if you're going to wear a skirt it's obviously to show off your sexy legs.

Opps! Sorry OP I didn't realise there was already a post on this.

Whats wrong with hairy legs? Presumably it's the same hairy legs as would be seen in shorts and would have been acceptable

I think they were protesting being forced to wear long trousers.

Though I do wonder ... would the girls at that school, or comparable schools, if it is an all boys school, be allowed to wear trousers if they had hairy legs?

... presumably, if the boy had shaved his legs, it would have been easier for the school to declare him a trans girl and be happy that gender norms were enforced.

I think good on the boys, I don't think anyone should have to suffer in the heat. I might be a bit surprised if certain professionals were wearing shorts but I would hopefully quickly give my head the mumsnet wobble and realise that everyone gets hot. Shorts would be acceptable in my line of work unless work trousers were required for PPE, though, so I'm quite used to the apparently shocking sight of hairy legs.

However, I am a bit fed up with hearing the men I know complain about how awful it is for them to wear trousers and a tie, while thinking high heels and makeup are just fine to enforce. They're very happy to shout sexism for a hot week in June, but the rest of the time it's a different story...

I think good on the boys. They complained that girls were allowed bare legs so when it was suggested they wore a skirt like them then, by a teacher, they did. I don't think it's gender anything it's just rising to the challenge! If anyone said anything like that to me I'd do the same.

In most tropical countries, men wear shorts for work. They are not short shorts (deffo not beach styled or coloured) and worn with socks and shoes. There are formal type shorts; why should schools not include them in uniform protocols for hot weather? If enough schools add a single line to their uniform guides to cover the topic (for boys and girls alike) supermarkets will include them in the school uniform ranges and they will arrive in store at Easter. Job done.

Primary school children can wear smart uniform shorts, so why can't secondary age children? It's a long time ago now, but when I was at secondary school in the late 80s boys could wear tailored shorts with shoes and socks. It looked absolutely fine. I find it crazy that schools don't allow it now.

The boy was put in detention for his skirt being too short, not for his hairy legs.
Exactly the same as a female student would be.