School Uniform 'Improvements'

When I was in middle school, I attended a magnet school that required uniforms. The uniforms aren't prescribed. However, I remember some students having a "class/materialism war" over who had the best brands of clothes and shoes. Go figure. My middle school education was the best out of the rest of my public school years. Heck, forget about the uniforms, I wish I could relive the memories...

In Japan, tons of school kids do things to their uniform. I go to a university right now, with no uniforms, but I used to shorten my skirts, tie the ribbon on my uniform much shorter than what the school tells you to, and so forth. There were a certain type of leg-warmer esque socks that were popular at the time, but our school forbade those socks, so us girls would wear those socks straight, instead of slouched. Then, after school, we would scrunch them down like leg warmers.

Other things I did against the school rules were: I got my ears pierced (Universities allow piercings, not other schools). I had long nails (long nails were prohibited). I painted my toenails (technically, you weren't supposed to do that either, even though teachers couldn't see your toenails). I occasionally wore clear nail varnish on my nails, and a little bit of makeup. (Japanese high schools and under forbid any kind of makeup.)

This was not a independent school; just an average school.

leather_girl wrote: In Japan, tons of school kids do things to their uniform. I go to a university right now, with no uniforms, but I used to shorten my skirts, tie the ribbon on my uniform much shorter than what the school tells you to, and so forth. There were a certain type of leg-warmer esque socks that were popular at the time, but our school forbade those socks, so us girls would wear those socks straight, instead of slouched. Then, after school, we would scrunch them down like leg warmers.

Other things I did against the school rules were: I got my ears pierced (Universities allow piercings, not other schools). I had long nails (long nails were prohibited). I painted my toenails (technically, you weren't supposed to do that either, even though teachers couldn't see your toenails). I occasionally wore clear nail varnish on my nails, and a little bit of makeup. (Japanese high schools and under forbid any kind of makeup.)

This was not a independent school; just an average school.

Ever tailor your jacket?

My wife always talks about what big deal it was to shorten it and make it tighter.

EdelBrock wrote:

leather_girl wrote: In Japan, tons of school kids do things to their uniform. I go to a university right now, with no uniforms, but I used to shorten my skirts, tie the ribbon on my uniform much shorter than what the school tells you to, and so forth. There were a certain type of leg-warmer esque socks that were popular at the time, but our school forbade those socks, so us girls would wear those socks straight, instead of slouched. Then, after school, we would scrunch them down like leg warmers.

Other things I did against the school rules were: I got my ears pierced (Universities allow piercings, not other schools). I had long nails (long nails were prohibited). I painted my toenails (technically, you weren't supposed to do that either, even though teachers couldn't see your toenails). I occasionally wore clear nail varnish on my nails, and a little bit of makeup. (Japanese high schools and under forbid any kind of makeup.)

This was not a independent school; just an average school.

Ever tailor your jacket?

My wife always talks about what big deal it was to shorten it and make it tighter.

We couldn't exactly tailor our jacket...it was practically impossible to re-tailor it, and I presume it would be ruined if we tried to re-sew it or something. But on the other hand, back in the 1980s in Japan, it was popular for schoolgirls to have longer skirts for their uniform. People back then would wear skirts that wear significantly longer than the skirts the school told them to wear. Since the 1990s, shorter skirts on school uniforms has been popular in Japan, even though many schools dislike it. (Actually, I don't understand the fuss the schools make over these things.)

SiLeakHunt wrote: Let me tell you the tale of a poor boy Who was sent far away from his home To fight for his king and his country And also the old folks at home

So They put him in a higher divsion Sent him off to a far foreign land Where the flies fly around in their thousands and there's nothing to see but the sand

now the battle it started next morning... blah blah what's Poor Scouser Tommy got to do with School Uniforms?

Missy Jem wrote: I wore pod shoes or kickers. We weren't allowed to wear trousers, so I wore two pairs of socks, the bottom pulled up to either knee or thigh and the top pair pushed down! I also used to roll my skirt up!! I cringe just thinking about it.

We used to roll our skirts up an'all but usually went for the bare legged look rather than socks. Also used to tuck my tie in to the very top button hole of my blouse so that you could only see the knot.

Looked a right state but thought I looked great at the time