General Chat

My school primary and secondary was all on the same campus just different buildings and school uniform was awful and you could only buy it from one shop. In winter we had a mid green blazer and tunic, is a mint green blouse, bottle green tights and brown shoes. In the summer the bottle green tights were swapped for light brown ankle socks. We also had a bottle green jumper with a blue and white striped collar that we could wear if we were cold. In primary 7 around 10/11 years old during the summer we wore a mid green skirt and white blouse with green pin stripes. PE kit was a green games skirt, blue shorts, white polo shirt and plimsolls.

By secondary school the uniform for the whole school changed to white shirt, school kilt, black tights and shoes. We still had the same jumper and blazer.

Most schools in Edinburgh now at the very least have a school jumper but the rest of the clothes can be bought anywhere. The only school that I’m not convinced does is the Rudolf Steiner school as they have a more relaxed view to learning.

We had to get our uniform from the school. They had run out of the pe kit Mum had ordered so the nun dishing the stuff out told us not to worry as she would make the huge pair of thick woollen pe shorts fit.

So whilst my class mates grew out of theirs and moved on to lightweight netball skirts I had to glump around in my heavy woollen pleated shorts. I also had my blazer all through school but I don’t think I could do it up by the end of 6th form.

My granddaughters wore uniform at both primary and secondary school. Most of the schools in their area of Hampshire do.

When I was at school clothing was rationed and most of us had very little that wasn't uniform. These days there is so much choice and keeping up with fashion is an expensive business.

My DIL told me that one of the reasons that school uniforms had come back into general use was so that the children all looked the same and were not constantly asking for new clothes "because everybody has them"!!

Belle, you made me laugh at the thought of gym.

We wore rompers - yes, they were just like baby romper suits with pleated bodices, one piece that you pulled on feet first, with a square-necked top and buttons to fasten along the shoulders. It was bare feet in the gym unless you had a verucca - feet were checked regularly and you had to have little rubber pumps for the shower if you had anything wrong with your feet.

Gawd, what was it Frankie Howard used to say - 'the ignominy of it.' One of my pals suffered that! :-D

Happy memories as our little band of school pals who lunch is well-depleted. <3

Almost everything else for us was as you wrote. <3 :-D

My school uniform also came from one outfitter. A gymslip with a long sleeve blue blouse and school tie with long white socks for the winter with either a beret or a hat with the school badge and a black mac. In the summer there was a polka dot summer dress, blazer, short white socks and a straw boater.

We also had to have indoor shoes (brown) and outdoor shoes (black); detention if you were found with your black shoes on indoors :-0

I can remember almost being in tears when I tried on my gymslip in the shop....I can still hear the Assistant saying "it's alright dear, you'll grow into it" :-0 :-0 I looked like one of the juniors in St Trinians! She was right though, come the 3rd year the gymslip was above my knee and oh so tight around the bust :-D

Of course, it didn't just stop with the uniform, there was all the different PE clothing! Light blue PE top with your name embrioded on it, dark blue knickers , light blue knickers, netball skirt, plimsols, hockey shirt, hockey boots, hockey socks, short socks, running shorts, swim suit and on and on it went :-0 My poor parents weren't made of money...bless em <3

Gwyn, you are right to mention costs. My school uniform was only available from one outfitters, as were my children's - in two different countries too.

Of my three grandchildren, the uniforms of the two now left school were, as you said, supermarket bought for trousers, shirts etc.

The blazer and a couple of other items for the younger grandchild still have to be bought from the specialist school outfitter but the trousers and shirts come from M & S.

I think school authorities now are much more in tune with parents' finances and their reluctance to spend too much on a garment that may be ruined or grown out of quickly than they were in my younger years.

I remember working at an infant school in late 1960s / early 1970s and the headmistress commenting in assembly one spring that she was pleased that certain boys had worn shorts right through the winter. They must have been so cold that winter.

There are some families with boys in state primary schools, who choose to dress
them in long trousers from Reception class onwards. A few boys do wear school shorts in summer months, but as the children get older, the numbers are fewer.
My son wore shorts and trousers in primary school. One pair of trousers lasted just 3 days before they got a hole in the knee, but they didn't get thrown out. Careful cutting and sewing turned them into school shorts, which were worn until outgrown.

I'm not sure about costs.
In secondary school, my daughter's school uniform was only available from a certain outfitters. Back in the 1990s, her blouses cost about £9 each and kilt cost £25.
Generally, locally the schools mostly now have uniforms available in supermarkets, with just a blazer or sweatshirt personal to the school.

JoyLouise,
I smiled at your comment about large hems.
Starting secondary school, my gaberdine raincoat was bought to last. It was well below the knee and lasted me until I left that school after the 6th form.

The trousers, dresses etc must have had big hems in those days, eh Brian?

We had to wear tunics (winter) and dresses (summer) right through, with ankle socks in summer and three-quarter length socks in the winter, now known as knee-highs. The slight leeway was in sixth form.

All senior schools in our area still seem to have a compulsory dress code but it would be interesting to know how other areas compare.

Our DiL was saying that our grandson (10) was growing out of his school trousers again.
In olden days boys wore shorts and girls skirts or dresses until going to secondary school and they lasted years rather than months. And no holes in the knees either.

Why has it changed, is it just fashion? After all the weather nowdays is warmer overall.

Modern school dress code must be costing parents much more than it used to.