I remember attending a lecture some time ago presented by a quilt historian and taking notes; I wrote: "quilts will be influenced and can be identified, most of the time, by the time period and the geographical region in which they were constructed". Isn't that true of people as well? A high school classmate had posted the dress code, the one to which we were all expected to adhere, on Facebook. I have copied it here for your information and amusement. I graduated from high school (public school) in New England in 1971, I am a product of time and place! I know, inherently, what a "school dress" is; I believe that term would need further explanation today. The notation that "thongs are not acceptable" brought a smile to my face, before they were flip-flops they were thongs and back in the day were not appropriate footwear for school. Sneakers were acceptable for girls (but not recommended) in Spring and Fall and boys were advised not to wear footwear designed for out-of-doors in the Winter!?! Both boys and girls' hair was an issue, the length of bangs was of enough concern to be regulated; and I seriously wonder how this authoritarian statement: "any item of clothing or style of grooming deemed by the faculty to be distracting is not acceptable" would be viewed by students/parents now; I can't even imagine what is printed in rules for dress and appearance today, but I suspect that tattoos, T-shirt slogans and/or visible underwear are on "the list" (or should be)! I don't recall many challenges to these rules when I was a student; there may have been a few rebels, but then I am blessed nowadays with a shorter memory! I do remember the "hem police", teachers who were stationed in the halls between classes checking how short skirts were, but that was about as dictatorial as it got, the rules weren't a problem. This probably explains a lot about me; an oldest child from a Puritan place who has always been an ardent rule-follower, but I'm also like an antique quilt, influenced and identified by the era and area from which I came!
~not to mention being soft, worn and wrinkled~
Life is Good!
12 comments:
I've never seen a seasonal dress code before. Very interesting!
I recall that we were allowed to wear "pantsuits" in 1971, but jeans were only allowed on football and basketball game days.
Oh my what a wonderful post...brought back so many memories. The hem police, I laughed and laughed. I remember rolling the waistband of my skirt a bit when I left home in the morning so my skirt was a bit shorter for the walk to school, unrolling as I walked into the building because we could only all go in one door and the dean of girls would be standing right there every morning checking. Oh how times have changed. I'm with you, 60 years old and still an ardent rule follower.
I dare you to tell Your kids you bought thongs next time you get some new flip flops and watch their faces!!
I, too, remember school dress codes. I graduated in 1958 in California. We also
wore "thongs"! LOL Not to school tho. I especially like.... "I'm also like an antique quilt, influenced and identified by the era and area from which I came!
~not to mention being soft, worn and wrinkled". That says it all!
You know I love this post!! :-) Do you remember some of the "cool" girls like Lisa and Sharon having to go to Mr. Vlahos's office and kneel down to see if their hem touched the floor? Of course, you and I never had to do that!! My Mom used to make so many of my skirts and she was certainly a rule follower so my skirts were LONG! I would roll my skirt up at the waist after I left home. ;-) I'd never be caught with that much bulk around my middle now. ;-) Jim and I laughed when this was posted on FB. He used to wear a string tie under his sweater because technically, it was a TIE. Funny!
What a GREAT post . . . and I love your ending sentence!!
Oh yes the good old days when everything that should be covered was covered! My school had a similar dress code, headbands horizontal around the head were also a no-no. Shy, timid, quiet, don't rock the boat me had a rebellious moment and I wrapped a length of trim around my head hippie style and wore it to school. The trim matched the trim on my dress. I remember some goodie goodie boy pointed me out to the teacher with implications that I should be sent to the office. The teacher, Miss Johnson said she didn't think the headband interfered with my studies and it matched my dress, so I got to wear my headband all day long and so did Merry with the hippie style leather with beads.
Love this post! I graduated in 1969 and we, too, had a dress code. I remember having to kneel on the floor to see if my skirt touched. If it didn't the girl would be sent home. My mother made my clothes too and they were always long enough, barely. She was a rebel and thought the dress code was ridiculous. I was the first to wear fish net stockings: she brought them back for me when she and daddy took a trip to San Francisco. Ah, memories.
I'm right there with you, class of '69. I remember wearing pants under my dress to keep my legs from freezing while walking to school in the winter and having to slip them off and put them in my locker as soon as I got to school. I love the reference to the Nehru jackets - I doubt today's kids would have any clue what they were. I was a public school teacher for 36 years and things have changed, I guarantee you. To today's teenagers, thong has a whole new meaning! Today's dress codes ban things like spandex shorts and leggings, baggy, saggy pants and T-shirts with profanity or references to drugs and alcohol. Shorts are allowed but must reach the fingertips. When some of our elementary and middle schools wanted to go to uniforms, it was the parents who protested - said it would hamper their children's ability to express themselves! Parents in the schools with less affluent student bodies embraced the idea of uniforms. Make's you wonder who's ability to express themselves was really being hampered!
Wow! I'm just a few years behind you, but I guess things were a little "looser" in NJ! I certainly don't remember a written dress code either....
Having attended "parochial" schools all my life I was used to wearing uniforms ... longing for the few days during the year when you got a pass to wear "people" clothes because the uniforms were at the cleaners. Anyway, during the 60's (I graduated in 1967) we would kneel at morning vespers and Sister Mary Seamripper would check to see hem lengths (they had to bunch up on the floor). If you were caught with anything shorter she'd rip out the hem on a block pleated skirt and you'd have to come back the next day with it correctly hemmed and the right length. How do I know this? I'm just sayin..... ;-) LOL
Oh yes, I remember we had a dress code too! If fact, it was a BIG deal when the girls could finally wear "slacks" to school!
I also love your "soft, worn and wrinkled" description. I might have to borrow that one!
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