School insists skirt is too short

[yesterdaystotalsteps123]

Dd doesn't like wearing trousers and has been told her skirt from Y6 that still fits her is too short. Fair enough I ordered a sensible one from Amazon, it is just above her knees and school are still saying it's too short! Wtf?? How can I address this?

I have had this problem with one of my daughter's schools which insists on below knee length which is hard to find if you want the waist size ok, as the vast majority of cheap school skirts in supermarkets are on or above the knee. You can get longer length skirts but they are harder to find and sell out.
It is totally about the policing of women's bodies, my dd doesn't wear trousers as the school ones give a lovely camel toe so she prefers a skirt. We have used the ridiculousness of the school and their insistence on correct PE skorts which show the entire leg, but a knee length skirt, to discuss issues of appearance, feminism and the policing of women's bodies.

Don't bother arguing with the school, the type of school who is fanatical about clothing rarely back down.

It's also bad for the environment and the pocket to keep having to get new skirts which are longer rather than accept a bit of growth, All those saying get a longer skirt- they are hard to obtain! Standard cheap skirts are not below the knee.

Check the policy, at DD's last school they had to be on the knee or just below (private)

At the start of the academic year they will be expecting skirts to be on the long side, not already too short to meet the uniform code.
By June/July they might well accept a slightly above knee one, but not in October.

It's a tricky one, OP. Lots of schools go down the 'professional attire' school of thought, that says children should be dressing formally for school. There is a nuance to skirt length- above the knee is not automatically unprofessional, but there is a point at which it becomes so. Lots of schools choose knee-height as an easily enforceable and understandable limit. If they didn't use a black and white rule, lots of people would end up arguing the toss.

@MythicalBiologicalFennel

Strange, I’ve never met any woman/girl who had a complete aversion to wearing trousers?

Me. I have wide hips and upper thighs and a smallish, high waist. Anything that goes over my hips gaps at my waist. Trousers tend to drop below the waist - dreadful fit. The fat in my upper thighs makes trousers restrictive and uncomfortable. Dresses and skirts are so much more comfortable and practical. I put them one and just get on with my life.

I know this isn't style and beauty, but please can you advise what skirts you do wear for that body type? ta

Yr 6 and primary boys at my DCs school wear shorts with the length way above the knees and this doesn’t seem to be an issue. Is this the same in your school? At some schools, there seems to be one rule for boys legs and one rule for girls legs. They have to be consistent for all children. Well it's a different item of clothing. Trousers to the ankle, skirts to the knee, shorts mod thigh. But yes, the girls should be in skirts the same length. I assume it's about underwear not knees

Strange, I’ve never met any woman/girl who had a complete aversion to wearing trousers?

I will wear jeans, shorts, track-pants - but I hate all other trousers. I once ordered a uniform pair for work, wore them as far as the footpath then went back inside and changed into a skirt. Never wore them again.

I’d agree there are endless wider discussions about attitudes to ‘appropriate’ clothing for women and girls, and the costs of specialist uniform at specific lengths/embroidery etc required by some schools.

But I don’t necessarily think it’s a feminist issue that the school has pulled you up on breaking the dress code. I would generally advise not becoming ‘that’ parent over something like this.

You have to follow the school rules, I'm afraid. Above the knee is not on or below. Let the hem out as she grows.

Not completely relevant but I was just talking the other day to a woman who went to Rugby, they have ankle length skirts and she said they all genuinely loved them!! (I did notice she was wearing jeans now though.) There was a referendum at Rugby earlier this year whether to scrap the long skirts in favour of trousers or knee length skirts, and it was firmly rejected by the female students because they liked being able to throw the long skirts on straight over their pyjamas. Girls at Oundle like their culottes for similar reasons.

Sorry , I don't understand this at all, the school has a policy about clothing, you have breached this rule and think you are the victim?
If you think the rule is unfair than you should speak to the school (they would have been put their for a reason, usually for the benefit of the pupils but you can still argue your case) about it or send your DD to a different school.
In the meantime, if you want DD to attend you need to follow the rules. Schools either have a uniform or they don't, they cant change it on the whim of every parent.
Finally cut the sexism rubbish, unless a boy can go in wearing the same outfit and not get told off then you are talking out of your hat.

Definitely no underwear on show. No lycra skirts so skirt was office type pencil style but quite baggy as she is very slim. It just doesn't sit right with me. She looked smart and appropriate

Policy states "skirts should finish at or below the knee" hers was just above plus she was wearing thick tights

The skirt doesn't meet the requirements of the school policy then. How is it sexist? Your dd is under no obligation to wear a skirt. She is entitled to wear trousers like the boys, but chooses not to. I understand you don't want to buy another skirt, but the policy is clear - you should have made sure the skirt was the right length. I'm not in favour of school uniform in general tbh,but where there's a policy you can be expected to stick to it.

In my book 'just above the knee' and 'at the knee' mean essentially the same thing. OP, is there enough hem on the new skirt to let it down an inch or so, to show willing? Knee length is a very standard school skirt length and what you describe if accurate sounds entirely reasonable .

Properly cut skirts should fit womens shapes much more readily, and are comfortable and easy to wear. By which I mean a line, pleated or flared designs and the like. Straight skirts and the deplorable lack of basic tailoring in womens clothing generally ... Grrr!

Does the skirt have to be a pencil skirt?
If so that does sound a bit restricting, but presumably the other girls manage. if it is a genuine issue the girls should get together and suggest a redesign.
If it doesn't have to be a pencil skirt, I'd get a different design which is easier to walk/run in.

The thing is, you can look smart and still not meet the uniform requirements.

I think people are missing what the OP's problem is here, which is that you can no longer go into shops and try skirts on, so you have to order them over the internet, which means you can't be guaranteed they'll be absolutely the right size.

At the end of the day who gives a fuck that a girl wears her skirt slightly above the knee? Only a school that spends too much time policing women's clothing and not enough time getting on with the job of education children. IMHO.

If it's a policy that shirts are knee length then you need knee length skirts. Otherwise it's impossible to enforce, as who decides how far above the knee is too far. I've taught kids who wear skirts so short they can't bend over or sit down without flashing their knickers, and then accuse staff of being "paedos" when they saying anything. Which has already happened on this thread. Easier to have a clear line on what's acceptable

It is incredibly sexist and at my nieces school, she was told that it "would distract the male teachers"
If you are distracted by a young girl in a skirt, you shouldn't be working in a school.

Above the knee pencil skirt for school? That's office wear for adults, not school uniform.

Girls at the local school wear A-line skirts somewhere around knee level, often longer.

The policy sounds ridiculous, particularly if boys are allowed to wear shorts that show their knees. However, it IS the policy so annoying though it is, you need to comply. Feel free to start a campaign to have the policy changed, but that is an entirely different matter.

Trousers only fit some body types. I have the small waist, muscular thighs, 'powerful' arse shape which makes formal trousers a nightmare to fit, generally involving alterations.

Chunky thighs also shred the inside legs of trousers so they don't last - jeans generally get a year before destruction and being more expensive doesn't actually increase durability.

I can see having real problems with skirt length for my DD in future. She needs 2 sizes below her age for her waist and would need to size up again to get length below her knees!

As it is y7, it is unlikely to me that the boys will wear/be allowed to shorts (unless there is a drip feed that the school is in Nigeria.)

Well the uniform is clear, agree its probably more that its the start of year, there is much more tolerance of shorter skirts later in the year when they've grown.

I would work on getting trousers DD likes, if you had a son would you have genuinely ever offered the skirt option to try? Trousers are a more practical item.

Meh, this is just uniform policy, sure if the boys were allowed to wear shorts above the knee on a daily basis Ie as standard uniform, and girls nothing above the knee fair enough, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

We don’t enforce uniform in Scottish state schools (We just have a recommended dress code) and we have none of these problems.

I teach p7 (yr6) and the majority of the girls choose to wear dark leggings, black trainers and the school hoodie. Comfortable and practical. Some wear school trousers or skirts. Many younger girls wear skirts/pinafores with leggings underneath (looks bizarre to me, but seems warm and practical). The boys usually wear dark joggers or dark jeans, black trainers and the hoodie. Some children are dressed more formally in school colours and that’s fine too.

We collect and resell outgrown school sweatshirts for a ‘donation’ so everyone has access to them.

As a teacher, I give very little headspace to what the kids are wearing so long as they look warm and clean.