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Native
(7,359 posts)and most girls went braless. We also had designated smoking areas on campus (high school).
It didn't cause boys to become sex-crazed pervs.
Native
(7,359 posts)
lark
(26,081 posts)They changed the rules in 1970 to allow shorts in school, in Florida! It was miserable before then when we were required to wear long pants or dresses or skirts/blouses down to our knees. Of course, us girls rolled our skirts up when we thought we could get away with it. Still even then, no straps, no cutouts, cutoffs or rips, no skin showing below bottom of top (ie no crop tops). You could wear hip huggers, but the tops had to cover everything down to the beginning of the pants.
However, when I started working, crop tops were allowed. I quickly learned the price for wearing them, though, in the comments from the male workers there. I was stubborn, but finally got tired of it and went out and replaced the couple of crop tops i had been wearing. While I was in great shape at the time due to tons of yoga, hiking, dancing and tennis and looked good - it was simply not worth the hassle of constant snark or unwanted flirting.
Nay
(12,051 posts)until 1970, and pants had to be a part of a matched pantsuit set. Dresses and skirts only. And your skirt hems needed to reach the middle of your knees.
Mini skirts came in a few years later, and of course that was always a fight about what was too short. IIRC, boys had to wear collared shirts (no T-shirts) and nobody could wear jeans.
lark
(26,081 posts)Every day there was some girl getting sent home for wearing her skirt too short, and at many of my classes, we were challenged to stand up and prove our skirts were the right length. We quickly learned which teachers were the sticklers, and our skirts were always the right length when we walked by their rooms, or horrors, had one of them for a class.
A good friend of ours was a wild one. He took a white button up shirt and drew designs all over it with a sharpie and wore it to school. He was in my English class and that teacher was one of the sticklers for the dress code. He said "NO T-shirts". Michael pointed out that this was a button up shirt, not a t. There was nothing in the dress code about clothes that were altered with writing. None of the writings were lewd or crude, just things like Mighty Zep, and King Crimson Rules are what I remember. Anyway, he got taken to the principal who called his mom and she went to town on him and he had to back down and apologize and Michael didn't get suspended or sent home. I loved his mom, she was the best!!
Native
(7,359 posts)I was tall and skinny, so I could rarely find pants that fit me. I remember buying some gorgeous, real silk material and making a hot pants outfit - flowy short-shorts and a sleeveless top. My teachers were always asking me where I bought my clothes. LOL.
In my senior year I moved to Fredericksburg, VA - talk about culture shock. Girls were wearing skirts to the knees and shirts with Peter Pan collars. And everyone was white.
Nay
(12,051 posts)right before girls could start wearing pants.
Remember backless maxidresses? My friend from high school and I went to the same college in Florida -- we sewed colorful maxidresses and of course didn't wear bras underneath. We were stopping traffic on the main drag! 
Native
(7,359 posts)for the tops. Talk about something super easy to make! And remember putting fabric or braided bands at the bottom of jeans? That was the only way us tall girls could get pants that were long enough.
Nay
(12,051 posts)ribbon at the hem), maxi skirts and dresses -- all from Simplicity Patterns. I worked at a fabric store and used the hell out of my employee discount, LOL.
TheBlackAdder
(29,981 posts).
My kids would go to school and I would run into parents, teachers and school admins who were heavy partiers, engaged in premarital sex, smoking in school, doobies, hash, coke and other drugs, they would throw food in the cafeterias during Animal House reenactments, throw toilet paper up on the ceilings, stuff the toilets, and a whole bunch of other those things. Back them, the teachers in the cafeteria would just allow the food fights to occur, as several would pop up each day. After a minute, they'd just ask us to stop.
Guys would wear tight jeans, shorts, and gym clothes that would show bulges. The girls would wear crop tops, tight tops, booty shorts, tight gym clothes and Daisy Duke jeans--especially when The Dukes of Hazzard was on the air. My year book has a bunch of sexy photos that would be denied now.
Fast-forward:
Now 30-40 years in the future they are the hard-asses who have zero tolerance rules and bust student's balls.
This is like how I know a bunch of cops who used drugs, drive drunk, stole, and then jointed the police force. Their motto was "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" Now, they are the assholes who fuck with other drivers, because they know exactly how they acted and assume others think the same way they do.
A lot of these changes started to manifest in the mid-70s when Phyllis Schlafly's movement started to take off and the Moral Majority was founded in the 80s.
.
Tree Lady
(13,282 posts)Micromini skirts and dresses along with long hippie dresses, it was the time and freedom of choice. Boys had their own styles of clothes and long hair.
Rorey
(8,514 posts)ALL students should have their midriffs covered when in school.
Jim G.
(14,814 posts)That was one of the main reasons I posted the poll.
According to the article, that's what that one mother says. She's misrepresenting what's in the district handbook.
well, then. I side with the school. No crop tops for either sex.
Jim G.
(14,814 posts)I know when I went to school the dress codes were enforced much more strictly for girls than boys.
Rorey
(8,514 posts)But is that true? And, if so, maybe that's what she should be fighting for......that the dress code be equally enforced.
Polybius
(21,902 posts)I know they were gender neutral in the 80's, but haven't seen a male wear one in decades.
hlthe2b
(113,973 posts)is the very least of their potential problems. Wow. And I went to school in the late 60s/70s when pretty much "anything goes" after early years in elementary school where teachers measured one's skit and sent girls home for wearing pants. 
I'm torn, to be honest, as I think letting teens express themselves is a part of growing up. That said, there is some data that suggests schools where both genders wear similar non-gender based "uniforms" (as disdainful as I've always been of them) have substantially better test scores (as disdainful as I frequently am of that single metric) and higher success getting into and completing college. Maybe that is all confounded by comparative higher incomes and resources given the schools, I really don't know. I do think an argument might be made that with epidemic levels of body dysmorphia and the impacts of celebrity culture on body image, that they might just have a point with the non-gendered "uniforms."
All I will say is if there is going to be a clothing crack-down on the female students, there damned well needs to be one with the boys. And as you say, I've seen plenty of boys wearing crop tops, so...
Rorey
(8,514 posts)"I'm old and tired of fighting, but this is the hill I'll die on."
Really??? REALLY??? Of all of the HUGE problems in our country today, THIS is the hill she'll die on????
She's misrepresenting the district's policy. The dress code is for all students, not just females. I agree with the statement by the district that "the code is based of professional and academic standards".
janterry
(4,429 posts)The kids were horrible about clothes (making comments) at one elementary school she went to. FWIW, she went to a public school, following a few years at a 'hippie' school. It was more 'urban' and the kids made fun of her.
She enjoyed the uniforms at her next school.
I think that rules should apply evenly, of course, to both sexes - if the school has rules about muscle t-shirts for boys, then the same should apply for the girls.
Rorey
(8,514 posts)At one time I didn't think I'd agree with the idea of uniforms, but when it was instituted at most schools where I live, I came to agree with just what you're saying. It takes so much pressure off of kids to try to measure up. Here it's generally just a specific type of polo shirt, and a choice of color of pants, shorts, or skirts.
Jim G.
(14,814 posts)Khakis & Polo shirts. My Grandson in SC wears a similar uniform, but my Granddaughter in PA doesn't.
JI7
(93,618 posts)that I have started to support reasonable things that help make it less of an issue.
The focus should be on students learning.
MissMillie
(39,653 posts)and closed-toe shoes
Croney
(5,017 posts)to school and I complain more about the price than anything else. If it's 85 degrees and no air-conditioning, let them be comfortable. Boys can roam the streets topless when they walk out of school.
TexasBushwhacker
(21,204 posts)
pamdb
(1,439 posts)Should boys?
Phoenix61
(18,829 posts)was Baldwin County AL. White or navy polo shirt and khaki or navy shorts/slacks/skirt. Belt, brown or white shoes. The funniest thing was the 8th grade boys started wearing ties on their own. Really neat ones too, Looney Tunes characters etc. Anyway, sure made getting the kids ready for school in the morning easy. Saturday school from 9-12 for multiple infractions which rarely occurred.
davsand
(13,446 posts)As long as the local public decency laws are followed why does anybody think a school has a right to set a dress code? If you can tie a bandana around your "naughty bits" and walk down Main Street without a legal issue, why is a school any different?
Dress codes, IMO, are just another way to control kids and assert dominence over females and their bodies.
Laura
mopinko
(73,726 posts)sexism needs to die, and soon.
police their behavior, not their looks.
Auggie
(33,151 posts)Parents are legal guardians and entitled to have a say.
MoonRiver
(36,975 posts)A teacher in group email complained about all the "nearly nude young girls" walking around. I agreed with her. My daughters wouldn't have been able to leave our house dressed like those girls.
yellowcanine
(36,792 posts)Getting of everyone telling educators how to do their jobs.
pinkstarburst
(2,020 posts)should be permitted to wear them in school. Would the parents be okay with the teacher wearing a crop top? Would the parents be okay with a male or female teacher baring their midriff or showing undergarments peeking out from beneath their clothes?
I am perfectly okay with there being a higher standard in school than what some parents think is okay in their own houses. For every child that would wear the fairly tame crop top someone posted, there would be someone wearing one that was practically a sports bra and there would be no explaining to the idiot parent that allowed it why this is inappropriate. No crop tops is a good rule.
Rorey
(8,514 posts)I feel that there should definitely be a higher standard for school than for home, just as there's a normally a higher standard for the workplace than for at home. Save the "fun" clothes for their days off.
Elessar Zappa
(16,385 posts)Abdomens aren’t obscene.
MineralMan
(151,269 posts)Not enough of that going on in the schools.
Mossfern
(4,716 posts)Somehow we've gotten away from the purpose of school - to learn. School is not a fashion show nor a dating site. I graduated high school in 1965. Girls were required to wear skirts that were not too short (yes, they measured) and boys were required to wear button down shirts. In my Senior year, girls were allowed to wear pants - not jeans.... and we still managed to have fun!
It was a large NYC school whose students' parents varied in income and culture, and differences in style did in some way Balkanize groups of students. There was no air conditioning then and it got quite hot at times in our crowded classrooms. Somehow we managed to survive without crop tops and short cutoffs - we did not consider ourselves as suffering. Light cotton conservative clothes managed to help us feel comfortable.
I am all in favor of stricter dress codes, and better yet - reasonable school uniforms. My oldest went to private school for a couple of years (that's another story) and the "uniform" there for boys was khakis and golf shirts for warm weather and a button down shirt and sweater for cold seasons. Getting dressed in the morning was a breeze. Girls wore modest (not long, but not mini) skirts or slacks and blouses. No one complained, no one felt oppressed and one could not tell the "wealthy" kids from those who were there on scholarship.
Putting on special school clothes puts kids in a different frame of mind - I think there have been studies about that, but honestly I'm too lazy to look them up. Growing up we had 'school clothes' and 'play clothes'- I see nothing oppressive about that.
Rorey
(8,514 posts)One of my grandsons went to a magnet school that required the students to wear uniforms. There was some variety allowed, with the exception of one day per week when they were all required to wear the "dress uniform". They also wore the "dress uniform" for any school programs. It took a lot of pressure off of students and parents. Nobody felt "less than" when they didn't get a new outfit for a holiday program or awards ceremony.
I visited the school often, and I admired the way the students behaved during school. It was definitely different than the schools some of my other grandkids attended.
Jim G.
(14,814 posts)(a few years back she was 'Teacher of the Year' at her school)
I messaged her a little while ago about this & this was her reply;
Rorey
(8,514 posts)"A school is a professional and academic learning atmosphere."
emmaverybo
(8,148 posts)school is not a street fair or a beach party.
ProfessorGAC
(76,706 posts)The teachers are held to a professional standard of attire. So are subs, like me.
So, it's a workplace. Professional standards are expected.
Everyone should be held to an appropriate attire standard, and the school should decide what's appropriate.
Midnight Writer
(25,410 posts)I think school should prepare kids (boys and girls) for life in the adult world.
If it is appropriate apparel for a workplace, then it is appropriate for school.
How would you react if a co-worker came to work in a crop top? Say, Jen Psaki, for example? Or Dr. Fauci? Would that be a good career move? What if the teachers came to teach wearing a crop top?
I don't think people who come to work in casual dress are going to get the same opportunities and professional respect. They should learn that in school.
niyad
(132,446 posts)of curiosity, how many of these cool districts have anti--maskmandates? Or object to teaching actual history? As chimpy asked, "is our children learning?"
When I was in high school, girls' skirts were measured. Then they complained about granny dresses. I pointed out that objecting to both miniskirts and granny dresses was both hypocritical and contradictory. The policies were revoked.
Wingus Dingus
(9,173 posts)I guess so. Edit to add: this message also goes out to women who wear yoga pants while shopping that look painted on and reveal EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR ANATOMY and men who wear ass-crack saggy pants.
dawg
(10,777 posts)Either allow them for both or allow them for neither.
And I know this isn't popular to say on a liberal message board, but lots of girls wearing crop tops would have distracted the hell out of me in high school.
Sympthsical
(10,969 posts)Unless some kind of sinister time-traveling alien uprooted the district and dropped it in the 1980's somewhere.
People are hanging off airplanes for freedom, but sure. This is important.
I just finished reading a 2,000 word article in a major newspaper about a perceived microaggression at an oyster bar.
We truly are a stupid, navel-gazing country.
"I will die on this hill." What a silly, over-privileged, inconsequential person.
cinematicdiversions
(1,969 posts)I can only imagine what would happen if these people were exposed to a high school in the eighties between the shorts the boys used to wear and the spaghetti Linda Ronstadt style tops that girls used to wear I have a feeling that there's too way too many of them would get the vapors right away.
Of course that's assuming that they get past the part where the kids had their own parking area and smoking center.
Rorey
(8,514 posts)With everything going on in the country, and in the world, they're worried about the fact that their school dress code isn't allowing them to wear anything they please.
Maybe they could use their time better by gathering supplies for the folks who will be displaced by Hurricane Ida. They could even wear their cute little cropped tops while they were doing so.
LearnedHand
(5,500 posts)“Yes, because school dress codes ALWAYS discriminate against girls and people of color.”
Edit: Seriously, fuck school dress codes. If you’re not naked or exposing naughty bits, you’ll do.
Shanti Shanti Shanti
(12,047 posts)Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(135,732 posts)I remember in college some women wore them on hot days. As far as high school goes I recall one or two occasions I saw girls wear them. Again it was when the weather was hot.
tonedevil
(3,022 posts)LearnedHand
(5,500 posts)Well-deserved burn.
Response to LearnedHand (Reply #50)
Post removed
tonedevil
(3,022 posts)Jim G.
(14,814 posts)It seems "nt" is your main contribution to most threads.
tonedevil
(3,022 posts)Thanx.
Mossfern
(4,716 posts)Get off my lawn!
Tomconroy
(7,611 posts)Spring showed up to school in short shorts. I know how I would have voted in the poll back then.
Polybius
(21,902 posts)Boys should be able to too if they choose to. In NY we call them belly shirts.