School Uniform: School Regulations

Schools have differed greatly from country to country and over time in the required uniform pants. Curiously while British boys in the 1970s at some schools were arguing to be allowed to wear long pants, some American boys wereasking for the right to wear shorts. Schools have had various ways of assessing the proper length or who could wear longs. In most cases it was bygrade or form, but in some cases by age or even height. Schools and students have also disagreed over the length of the shorts. Schools have had rules in some cases prohibiting to long or to short shorts or other details such as material. Some examples include:

Matsuyama School (United States--California, 1997): Navy Bottoms and White Tops. Boys' Clothing: Plain white collared shirts without any logos showing on the outside. Long pants or short pants that are as long as the end of the students fingertips when the hands are extended. Denim blue jeans, sweats, baggy pants or bicycle shorts are not allowed.

Norwalk-La Miranda (United States--California, 1997):II. PANTS, SHORTS, SKIRTS, DRESSES Dark navy blue pants, skirts or dresses. Jumpers which are solid color navy blue are permitted. short pants are permitted if they are no longer than the knee and no shorter than fingertip length when arms are straight to the side. Skirts and dresses are to be no shorter than figertip length when arms are straight to the sidel. Pants must not be more than 2 inches larger in the waist, thigh and mid-calf. Pants, shorts, skirts and dresses are to be of proper length and hemmed (no cut-off, no draggers, no flooders, no half-mooners, no pants with slits).

Dougherty County Board of Education (United States--Georgia, 1999): Shorts must be no more than 2 inches above the knee (presumably while in standing position, but this isn't made clear) BUT also not below the knee. Socks must go above the ankle and "be visible above the shoe" but also socks worn with shorts must not go above mid-calf

Elementary school: The elementary school I work for does not allow make up and these kids are to young to worry about hairstyles. They aren't allowed to wear hats in the bulding. Unless they want to wear bright shoes, they don't have much other "in" styles to fight over. Shoes are not really a big deal around here except that all of the girls want to wear those big platform tennis shoes. After the first girl sprained her ankle we had to say no to those. Parents buy them, but the school is responsible if they get hurt on campus.




Christopher Wagner

histclo@lycosmail.com


Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Late 19th century] [The 1930s] [The 1940s] [The 1930s] [The 1940s] [The 1950s] [The 1960s]
[The 1970s] [The 1980s]




Created: November 10, 1998
Last updated: August 28, 1999