Fall Fashions of 1974
Childhood, Stuff I hate September 1st, 2009A good friend of mine sent her kids off to public school yesterday. This year her school district implemented a uniform policy that the kids understandably hate.
I can guarantee it’s not as bad as the fashion dictated by my Catholic grade school.
The requirements?
Green and gold plaid jumper no higher than an inch above the knee, preferably below.
A choice from a wide selection of either white or green socks.
Shoes judged to be sensible by a panel of nuns.
Failure to comply resulted in death.
The upside is I never had to worry about what to wear any day of the week. For 18 years. The downside? Plaid is dead to me.
If you have school-aged kids, do they wear uniforms? What do the styles look like nowadays? Do your kids hate it? Tolerate it? Maybe even like it?
Stumble it!
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:41 pm
My 2 oldest kids go to a Christian school and they have uniforms. It’s basically a white shirt (polo or button down) and navy/black/khaki bottoms. Pants, skirts, jumpers, etc. They don’t have a required sock color or shoe style – just no sandals.
Then, on the first Friday of every month, they have to dress up. Girls have to wear skirts or dresses (not in uniform style), boys have to wear a tie.
My son doesn’t mind it. He’s in 3rd grade and doesn’t really care about what he wears to school, as long as it doesn’t hurt. My daughter doesn’t like it. She’s in 6th grade and HATES her uniform. Mostly because they have to tuck their shirts in and since she’s overweight, it makes her feel icky. I LOVE it. I hate having to worry about what they’re going to wear and it’s so easy to just ensure they have a white shirt and uniform pants every day.
.-= Christy´s last blog ..Thoughts =-.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:10 pm
I used to teach at a parochial school. Oh, how I remember those uniforms.
.-= Sherry @ EX Marks the Spot´s last blog ..Just Being Grandma =-.
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Now it’s all “khaki or navy pants, no jeans – and a polo in one of these various colors.”
It sure does simplify the laundry. But it’s expensive, too, because then there’s no overlap between ‘school’ clothes & ‘everything else’ clothes.
.-= Wendy´s last blog ..I Love Old People But =-.
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:58 pm
We almost had to wear uniforms at my school, but I think they prefer having a really strict dress code instead. I always follow it, but a lot of people always have to go home and change.
September 3rd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Never wore a uniform to school, although I think they’re a great idea.
Rofl Stuffz
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September 3rd, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Jessica — Please tell me you copied and pasted that out of the manual because that’s a lot of damn instructions to follow. It sounds to me like your kids have a lot of nice choices, though. Albeit solid-colored. They must look very smart when dressed for school!
Tina T — Do I remember saddle shoes?! Why yes I do! I wore them all through high school. And don’t worry. I’m my Mom, too.
Dorothy Stahlnecker — See, it’s the green. Green’s not the greatest color anyway. Green plaid? Sinful.
Roschelle — Do you live near Philly? We got these at Flynn & O’Hara. Thousands and thousands of kids got them there.
Shieldmaiden1196 — We know where they won’t be looking for a summer job then.
Jenn Thorson — Yes, let’s say I did! It was probably all that was clean.
Crabby Blogging Lady — I’d dare any parent who home-schools their kids to make them wear a uniform to the dining table anyway.
staciesmadness — Absolutely. And not a lot of loads of laundry either.
Christy — Does your son mind wearing a tie? I always felt bad (and still do) for boys/guys who wear ties. God, that’s one thing I’m glad we don’t have to wear. Looks like it hurts and don’t they sweat when it gets hot? Ugh. I feel for your daughter. I wasn’t a skinny minnie either.
Sherry at EX Marks the Spot — Neat flashback, eh?
Wendy — I still think kids would badger their parents for more clothes for school if there wasn’t a code.
Regan — If they’re making kids go home and change, I’d think they’d prefer instituting a uniform policy. Not much to argue over then. I hope for your sake they don’t, though.
Rofl Stuffz — They are, actually. Overall. But I wish I’d had a choice from some of the other uniforms described here. Sound much nicer than what I had to choose from.
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Never had to wear a uniform to school. Glad about that. Always thought they were ugly and goofy looking. It does make things easier for the school though.
.-= Karen, author of “My Funny Dad, Harry”´s last blog ..Hurry Up And Wait–Bring A Book Along! =-.
September 3rd, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Somehow, my siblings and I all avoided the uniformed schools. There’s plenty of photos around with some really God-awful outfits and I’ll be damned if I’ll let anyone see ’em. They’re staying in those storage boxes, where they belong. (What was I thinking??)
.-= kathryn´s last blog ..Mom of the Year, Not. (Thanks, Elton) =-.
September 3rd, 2009 at 7:11 pm
I never had to wear school uniforms, although it would have made my childhood easier. I could have done without the teasing: “Oh, do you have an older brother? Cuz those look like his hand-me-downs” UGH!!
.-= Margaret (Nanny Goats)´s last blog ..Wanna Flick My Bic? I Got a Million of ‘Em =-.
September 3rd, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Oh, they don’t send them home to change. They either have to go to the nurse to get new closes, or have their parents bring in clothes for them.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:11 pm
I don’t think I have any full length school photos. I’ll see if I can find one. I do have a ‘First Holy Communion’ photo though 😉
.-= babs – beetle´s last blog ..I’ve eaten in some funny places, but… =-.
September 5th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Back in the days when I was in school in England we also wore uniforms. It was great to finally become a senior when we could wear long pants instead of shorts!
.-= Robin´s last blog ..Memories – Trying to Remember =-.
September 5th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
The uniforms haven’t changed a bit. My grandaughter is wearing nearly the identical jumper to school every day.
.-= Buggys´s last blog ..Just Flippin’ Funny =-.
September 5th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Oh, gosh … I didn’t have to wear a uniform at my primary school (4-11) but did at the next one. It was a gymslip (what you called a jumper) in navy blue, with horrible box pleating – and yes, just above the knee, with white socks, a white shirt and a tie in red, blue and gold, for the first two years. And a ‘purse belt’ to cinch in the middle bit and show off every last bump and bulge. Stockings NOT allowed. Sensible shoes, and navy blue blazer too, with the school motto on the pocket.
After that it was marginally better because we could wear stockings, and we could lose the gymslip in favour of a skirt, but any uniform infractions resulted in ritual humiliation and suitable punishment – because the humiliation wasn’t enough, of course.
Hmm. Could that be why I very seldom wear either navy blue or a white shirt?
September 5th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
This is the same fashion as in 1954 except we were not given leaway on the socks and shoes, they were uniform also. I really didn’t mind as I still can never decide on what to wear.
.-= zizzybob´s last blog ..Beverly’s Pink Saturday =-.
September 5th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Karen — Ugly and goofy are exactly the words I’d use to describe this.
kathryn — But you have a blog! You’re obligated to post them. It says so in the manual.
Nanny Goats — Yep, there’s a hazard right there for wearing your own clothes. I wasn’t a fashion plate either.
Regan — Still a huge pain. I bet kids don’t do it twice.
Babs Beetle — Oh, please do post your Holy Communion photo. I did and yours can’t be worse than mine. I bet you look adorable!
Robin — Oh, I bet you looked so cute in your shorts. That’s what I love about English uniforms.
Buggys — Sorry to hear that.
Jay — OMG. Who needs another bump at the waist?!? That’s criminal. Yes, it sounds like the damage was done.
zizzybob — Brutal!
September 7th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Be glad you had such cute uniforms. I went to grammar school in the 1940s-50s and spent 8 years in blue serge pleated skirts and middy blouses. It was a thrill to move on to high school and graduate to plaid!
.-= Bev´s last blog ..Afterglow =-.
September 8th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
I take it you were the “nonconformist” in the white knee socks?
I remember seeing Catholic school girls wearing stuff just like this when I was growing up.
I was sixteen in 1974 and fortunately went to a public high school, where I was able to wear my hair as long as it is now.
My son was also fortunate not to ever have to wear a uniform for school, either.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:32 am
When I was in kindergarten, I went to a Catholic school. You didn’t have to wear uniforms until first or second grade. We thought the older girls looked cool because they had “stairs” (pleats) in their skirts. Ha ha. I bypassed it because I went to public school after that. But then I went back to Catholic school during 8th grade, but we didn’t have uniforms. We had a dress code.
The assistant principal rented belts out for $2.00 per day and gave the money to charity to save boys from having to go home and get a belt when they forgot one.
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September 10th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Looking for a St.Gabriel 1969 girls uniform.
Can anyone assist me in finding this?
Thanks in advance
September 13th, 2009 at 7:40 am
Bev — And pleats are almost never a girl’s friend. Unless you’re a size 0.
Libertine — I’m surprised I wore white socks. I was absolutely a conformist. That’s what catholic school will do to you. Yeah, the hair. The boys in our school were constantly monitored for too-long hair. I’m surprised the nuns didn’t take scissors to it right there in the school. They’d have gotten away with it, too.
Chris — You were lucky to just have a dress code for high school. All catholic schools around her are strict with uniforms. The belt rental is a hoot!
Debbie Kennedy — Hope you find what you’re looking for. If you’re in the Philadelphia area, contact Flynn & O’Hara, makers of school uniforms around here.
September 15th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Funny! Ours were red and black plaid and I don’t remember if we were allowed such autonomy as picking out our own socks… hmmm. Ahh, the good ole days of not having to change clothes 3-5x before leaving home.
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September 16th, 2009 at 4:53 am
Heidi — Wow, I feel special that I was at least allowed to choose my socks. Red and black plaid actually sounds nice to me. Anything better than green and gold.
September 18th, 2009 at 2:43 am
it seems nice fashion…
thank u very much
.-= Tsamy´s last blog ..Cholesterol and Heart Disease =-.
September 18th, 2009 at 8:16 am
We were polled at the end of last year to determine if there was a desire for uniforms. I am a fan of kids being allowed to express themselves through clothes, hair, etc. (within reason) so obviously I voted no. My kid was SO happy that enough parents voted like me to not have uniforms. So my 8-yo is currently expressing herself as an indie-rocker. Who knows what she will be tomorrow?
.-= Rhiana´s last blog ..Chasing, Spacing =-.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:32 am
I went to a christian academy in 78′ to 80′ and we had to wear a plain brown jumper and a gold shirt. I hated it soo much! I would take clothes with me to change as so as school was over. To this day I don’t wear brown!
October 16th, 2009 at 10:28 am
You look cute Kathy! Just like the kids at old St. Thomas the Apostle where I suffered!
.-= Chris Casey´s last blog ..For an aspiring writer, reality sets in, and that is okay =-.
December 1st, 2009 at 11:12 pm
I had to wear a uniform in elementary school and high school. Perhaps I was just used to it, but I found that it did help in terms of preventing kids from making fun of one another about the clothes they wear. So even though the plaid skirts are ugly, at least everyone looks the same and there is less competition with brand name clothing.
January 22nd, 2010 at 11:02 pm
Those look like the uniforms my neices wear at their school in Cool Springs Tennessee!
January 28th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
I would never wear a uniform to school. If one had been implemented while I was in school, I wouldn’t wear it; even under penalty of death. I would also not force my child to wear a uniform.