Too old to wear knee socks to school?

[Rex46]

Does your daughter ever complain about taking off her school tights and changing into knee socks? I know that my daughter would.

What about hair styles etc. Does she have a choice about this is this is restricted. Does she ever ask to wear jeans?

Excuse me for the questions, I am just interested in this different way of parenting. If it gets good results in final year exams and she is obedient and happy then it's a good thing.

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Jenny,

In answer to your first question, my daughter never complains about removing her tights and putting on white socks. She has been doing this now for five years and is more than used to it. It is not a problem or concern for her but I could understand that if you were to suddenly impose the same rule on your daughter she might complain. How old is she?

My daughter is not allowed to wear trousers and that includes jeans and she has never asked to wear them. As for hair style she wears it off the face with an Alice Band and and her hair is about shoulder length.

We have never had any trouble with our daughter and she has always accepted our rules and regulations without question. She has told us that she believes in this style of upbringing and has no desire to be rebellious. I like to think that her attitude is because we have brought her up properly and not allowed her freedoms at too young an age.

[Guest-at-1pm]

The posts from Rex and 1970s Kid and the others seem to make a lot of sense to me. Why should a schoolgirl or schoolboy for that matter be allowed to dress as an adult when they are still kids. Doesn't make sense but they do. Its crazy letting a 16 year girl dress like a tart for school. She should wear uniform and socks.

[Experienced Mother]

A girl of 15 or 16 in a traditional school uniform with a pleated skirt and blazer and white knee socks can look extremely smart and attractive. White socks are much better with school uniform than tights. They are also more comfortable particularly when the weather is hot. If I were a headmistress I would have all my girls wear them.

This is the uniform I wore at my girls school in the 70s/80s including white socks until I was 17. I liked wearing uniform and took a pride in my appearance and I would like to see schoolgirls dressed like this today. Wearing socks never bothered me as we all had to wear them but I started becoming self conscious about having to wear them with my uniform for church on Sundays when I was 17. In 6th form we wore tights which I found very uncomfortable and wished I could have stayed in white socks but I was too embarrassed to suggest it to my parents.

Helen, did you continue to wear white socks when out of school when you were in 6th form since you found tights uncomfortable? If so to what age and did any of your friends and family say anything. Also, did you start 6th form at 16 or 17 as you imply it was 17? Were you a year behind?

[Helen123]

This is the uniform I wore at my girls school in the 70s/80s including white socks until I was 17. I liked wearing uniform and took a pride in my appearance and I would like to see schoolgirls dressed like this today. Wearing socks never bothered me as we all had to wear them but I started becoming self conscious about having to wear them with my uniform for church on Sundays when I was 17. In 6th form we wore tights which I found very uncomfortable and wished I could have stayed in white socks but I was too embarrassed to suggest it to my parents.[/quote]

Helen, did you continue to wear white socks when out of school when you were in 6th form since you found tights uncomfortable? If so to what age and did any of your friends and family say anything. Also, did you start 6th form at 16 or 17 as you imply it was 17? Were you a year behind?[/quote]

I wore white socks at home sometimes but only when my parents and sisters were out because they would have made fun of me if they had known. Also I used to wear them when staying with an auntie in Wales who was relaxed about it. I went out with her in public wearing white socks and I was 19 when I last did this.

[Kandahar]

I do not allow my daughter to wear tights. A skirt and socks are totally suitable for girls of school age.

Are you saying that all girls whilst they remain at school should wear white socks with a skirt? Does this include girls in sixth form who would be at school until they are 18/19? If this is the case it is quite old for a girl to be still in socks. What about when they are out of school? Socks as well then?

[Guest]

I do not allow my daughter to wear tights. A skirt and socks are totally suitable for girls of school age.

Are you saying that all girls whilst they remain at school should wear white socks with a skirt? Does this include girls in sixth form who would be at school until they are 18/19? If this is the case it is quite old for a girl to be still in socks. What about when they are out of school? Socks as well then?

Yes, of course. Why not?

[Kandahar]

I do not allow my daughter to wear tights. A skirt and socks are totally suitable for girls of school age.

Are you saying that all girls whilst they remain at school should wear white socks with a skirt? Does this include girls in sixth form who would be at school until they are 18/19? If this is the case it is quite old for a girl to be still in socks. What about when they are out of school? Socks as well then?

Yes, of course. Why not?

How old is your daughter? I take it you will keep her in white socks until she leaves school. At 18? How does she feel about this? Surely she must object.

[Guest]

The way society has allowed girls to behave over the past 20-30 years has contributed to many of today’s social problems. Girls are increasingly being pressurised to behave like boys this has led us to the “ladette” culture. Then there are those girls who are becoming sexualised at a relatively early age and are allowed freedoms such as being able to smoke or drink alcohol in their early teens. Many girls exclusively wear trousers, or those who do wear skirts and dresses will often chose clothes similar to what young women, who are much older, will wear. The way people dress can influence behaviour and that is why if society is to rid of itself of today’s problems there must be a return to a more conservative and age appropriate standard of dress. For these reasons girls under the statutory school leaving age should be put back into skirts and dresses with socks to demonstrate they are only children and be treated accordingly.

If we were to return to a society where girls and younger teenagers are dressed differently from adult women then no teenager should have to feel embarrassed or inferior to their peers about wearing socks. Adults will understand that this girl must not be sold alcohol, cigarettes, allowed to watch an unsuitable film and to tell young males that this girl is below the legal age of consent.

[Kandahar]

The way society has allowed girls to behave over the past 20-30 years has contributed to many of today’s social problems. Girls are increasingly being pressurised to behave like boys this has led us to the “ladette” culture. Then there are those girls who are becoming sexualised at a relatively early age and are allowed freedoms such as being able to smoke or drink alcohol in their early teens. Many girls exclusively wear trousers, or those who do wear skirts and dresses will often chose clothes similar to what young women, who are much older, will wear. The way people dress can influence behaviour and that is why if society is to rid of itself of today’s problems there must be a return to a more conservative and age appropriate standard of dress. For these reasons girls under the statutory school leaving age should be put back into skirts and dresses with socks to demonstrate they are only children and be treated accordingly.

If we were to return to a society where girls and younger teenagers are dressed differently from adult women then no teenager should have to feel embarrassed or inferior to their peers about wearing socks. Adults will understand that this girl must not be sold alcohol, cigarettes, allowed to watch an unsuitable film and to tell young males that this girl is below the legal age of consent.

I agree with your sentiments and would like to see this implemented but I think it would be difficult to impose unless schools started to demand that female pupils wore white socks and skirts/dresses thereby making parents dress their daughters in these clothes.

I assume from what you wrote that you are saying girls should remain in white socks until 16 which is the age of consent and the statutory school leaving age. Would you like girls who remained at school beyond their 16th birthday to continue to wear white socks? This would include sixth formers and girls would stay in socks until they left school at 18 or 19. Is this what you wold prefer?

[Guest]

There are schools that make girls wear white socks until they are 16, mostly in Northern Ireland and North West England, so it can be legally implemented. I would be very surprised if many of these girls of that age wear socks as part of their “home” clothes. From a personal prospective, outside school around 14 is probably a suitable age to graduate to tights, but if parents prefer they should have the freedom to decide if their daughters stay in socks longer. If I felt my daughter was immature for her age she would remain in socks, even if her friends wore tights.

[Sharon Kay]

White socks were de riguer for all girls to the end of 5th form at my convent school in the 1970's. We wore knee socks in the autumn and spring terms and then white ankle socks in the summer. 6th form girls were allowed fawn coloured tights but my parents kept me in socks until I left school at 19.

There were six other 6th formers in socks either because their parents would not let them wear tights or because the girls preferred socks. Actually though my parents forbade tights I found socks much more comfortable than tights which was just as well as I had also to wear socks away from school. I put on my first of pair of tights a few months before my 20th birthday and they felt horrid but at least I at last looked grown up.

One thing I did not like was having to wear Clarke's black lace-ups round toe shoes with knee socks and then childish T-strap blue sandals in the summer with the white ankle socks even in 6th form. I looked like a little girl out of an illustrated Enid Blyton story book!

Sharon

[Lisa_66]

This coming year, my daughter will be wearing pinafore dresses to school, instead of trousers and skirts, despite being at secondary shool. John Lewis do two styles up to the age of 16 (although the lager sizes seem in short supply). They are smart and you can't roll over them hem to make them shorter. She'll be wearing these with socks, instead of tights.

[Sharon Kay]

This coming year, my daughter will be wearing pinafore dresses to school, instead of trousers and skirts, despite being at secondary shool. John Lewis do two styles up to the age of 16 (although the lager sizes seem in short supply). They are smart and you can't roll over them hem to make them shorter. She'll be wearing these with socks, instead of tights.

Hello LIsa

Good for you Lisa. I think pinafore dresses look so pretty and schoolgirls in trousers look horrid. What colour will be her socks and are they knee length or ankle? Also, how old is your daughter and how does she feel about her new uniform? You do not say, but has she been wearing tights up until now and is returning to socks or has she been wearing socks all the time?

Sharon

[Lisa_66]

Hi Sharon
Her socks wil be grey, knee length in the winter and white ankle in the summer.She is 15 this year. As she used to wear skirts (with tights) and trousers, she isn't happy about her new uniform. However, the school are happy for her to wear a pinafore, especially as she won't be able to roll it up like a skirt. We've decided on tights as we want to understand she is there to study, and not be on a fashion parade. We can't see why she can't wear socks rather than tights. Buildings are heated prperly these days and she has long coat for the winter.
Lisa

[Hotel_Whiskey]

I'm sorry, but at 15 she should be able to think a little for herself. By singling her out in a pinafore if everyone else is in trousers etc, this could really work against her. Whilst she is in lessons she will be listening and working just the same whatever she is wearing.

Fair enough, change curfews and bedtimes etc in order for study, but let the girl have a little responsibility.

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