Catholic School Uniforms Questions

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I went to a special Mass where the public was invited to attend along with the parish’s school children. They all came in uniform with their teachers to the Mass to celebrate the feast day of their parish and school’s patron saint.

What really surprised me is that the skirts worn with their button down dress shirts worn by so many of the junior high and high school aged young women (age 12 and older) some seemed to be more of a mini skirt compared to the knee length skirts worn by the elementary aged school girls. Some of them did wear dark tights to disguise the shortness of the skirts, others wore knee socks instead of the tights. Some of them were EMHCs, and one read the first reading so you could not miss what they were wearing.

The boys all wore either light blue or white button down dress shirts and tan khaki pants, and all wore ties. Age did not matter as all of them were wearing the same.

Is that normal for those girls attending Catholic schools to have their skirts / dresses seem to be short when many have shared opinions here and other places online (and other places) that dresses/skirts should reach to at least the knees to be considered modest?
 
Most Catholic Schools have a uniform policy that requires the girls’ skirts to be a certain length.
Some schools may not enforce their own rules… but it’s certainly not a universal problem.

At our school it’s no more than 2 inches above the crease in the back of their knee.
It is checked and enforced on a regular basis.
 
It all depends on how strict the dress code is for that particular school. The school my children attend is very diligent in keeping with a modest dress code and you never see a girl with a skirt above the knee. The parish school, on the other hand…well, sometimes I think there’s a contest to see who can have a shorter skirt!

I suggest penning a note to the parish and school and let you know what you observed.
 
I went to Catholic schools in the 1960s and 1970s.

I seem to remember that the official rule back then was that there wasn’t to be more than 2 or 3 fingers width between the bottom of the skirt and the knee. Younger girls tended to follow this rule. But when it came to junior high and high school… it was a constant contest between students and faculty to enforce the rules. Girls would usually have a skirt that was the proper length but they’d roll the waistband so it would hike up the skirt and make it shorter. If someone called them on it they’d just roll it down again. There were also other tricks for temporarily shortening skirts.

My guess is that nothing much has changed since I went to Catholic school.
 
I complained about the same thing at my former parish. The priest saw nothing wrong with it. It was not good.

Of course in the acceptance of lax standards, those who accept and thus become part of the worldly culture distinguish themselves in relation to that same worldly culture, not by the standard God gives to us. This is not good either.
 
MissRose73 said:
I Is that normal for those girls attending Catholic schools to have their skirts / dresses seem to be short when many have shared opinions here and other places online (and other places) that dresses/skirts should reach to at least the knees to be considered modest?
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it is normal for the uniform skirts to be sold at the proper length, and it is also (sadly) normal for many girls to roll their skirts (we did it, my daughters did it, my granddaughters do it) and even for parents to shorten the skirts (also sadly).

what is your question? if you are seeking to place blame seek out the parents, don’t blame the school. The uniforms were fine when they sold them

to be fair, it is also normal for girls especially in middle school to have rapid growth spurts and outgrow their clothing in the space of one school semester.
 
I understand about growth spurts to happen during teen years as my niece & nephew who are now pre teens, and growing fast themselves, and will over tower their short aunt.

But I would think a parent would notice that their daughter’s skirt for Catholic school was too short, and get her the next size and/or length of skirt if she did indeed go through a growth spurt. I’ve read in many church bulletins in places I’ve visited that have their own schools that they often have uniform swaps or sales to save money. I’ve even noticed more stores having “uniform” type clothes in their kids and teens departments, and some even special order based on specific school requirements.

I am not surprised that some Catholic school girls roll up their skirts higher as they do rebel against things just like any other teen is capable of doing at one point or another in their lives. Then again, I went to public school and many girls did push the dress code limits themselves, and we did not wear uniforms.

I do not ask the teachers to be the clothing police but they should notice if a skirt is too high, and find out either if its the rolling up thing or a growth spurt in a private setting, and deal with it based on their findings.
 
A lot of school don’t enforce the skirt length issues until they become egregious. I know ours was basically a credit card width above the knee … yeah, right :p. We all rolled our skirts.

I was once called out on it by a male faculty member. I shot back at him, “Are you scrutinizing the length of my skirt?” That conversation ended immediately, and he never mentioned it to me again.

We argued then that the schools should go to letting girls wear khakis, and I think it’s still the case now.
 
I went to a co-ed Catholic high school.

When I was a freshman there was a dress code, but not uniforms. This had been the policy for about 10 years. That particular year enough girls got in trouble for wearing khaki shorts that were to short that the school decided that uniforms were the way to go.

The funny thing is that, with uniforms, the girls would roll their skirts at the top to make them shorter. The skirts were shorter than the shorts ever were. The school never seemed to do anything about it.

I of course was not complaining, being a high school guy at the time. Funny thing is now that I am of child rearing age I would never let a daughter wear anything like that.
 
SMHW said:
I went to Catholic schools in the 1960s and 1970s.

I seem to remember that the official rule back then was that there wasn’t to be more than 2 or 3 fingers width between the bottom of the skirt and the knee. Younger girls tended to follow this rule. But when it came to junior high and high school… it was a constant contest between students and faculty to enforce the rules. Girls would usually have a skirt that was the proper length but they’d roll the waistband so it would hike up the skirt and make it shorter. If someone called them on it they’d just roll it down again. There were also other tricks for temporarily shortening skirts.

My guess is that nothing much has changed since I went to Catholic school.
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puzzleannie said:
it is normal for the uniform skirts to be sold at the proper length, and it is also (sadly) normal for many girls to roll their skirts (we did it, my daughters did it, my granddaughters do it) and even for parents to shorten the skirts (also sadly).

what is your question? if you are seeking to place blame seek out the parents, don’t blame the school. The uniforms were fine when they sold them

to be fair, it is also normal for girls especially in middle school to have rapid growth spurts and outgrow their clothing in the space of one school semester.
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Some girls probably always have and some always will roll their skirts.

When a staff person mentions it, the staff person can be accused of harassment, because, as one poster already mentioned, the students can accuse staff of looking at the skirt area. So, ideally, the parents should be the ones saying something; however, a student can walk out of the house perfectly in uniform, but roll immediately upon arrival at school.

Pants are a good solution!
 
The dominican sisters that run my daughters’s school are pretty strict. Two inches above the knee is acceptable. Any higher is a uniform infraction. They do send letters home.

But the girls do go through growth spurts and it is difficult to keep up. My daughter could go several months and then all of a sudden the skirt looks like a miniskirt. The sisters sometimes have to send our a blanket reminder letter.

By the way, my daughter’s school wears skorts, not regular skirts. Dress uniforms require bicycle style shorts underneath but the older girls usually wear gym shorts under.

-Tim-
 
Our school has a rule that the bottom of the skirt must be no shorter than the fingertips when holding arms straight at the girls side.

Unfortunately, our school also has a rule that uniforms must only be purchased from a single uniform store that has a standard lenght/waist ratio. If the girl is chubby, the skirt will be longer but if the girl is thin, the skirt will be shorter and it’s even worse if she is tall. The parents try but there is only so much that can be done with the choices available.
 
It occurs to me that sometimes, the waist in these skirts are too big for tall/slender girls?

Although not tall, I had a tiny waist. Getting a skirt that fit properly in the waist, NOT leaving room to roll up, well, the skirt was too short by then. If it were long enough, it was too big in the waist, requiring a roll so as not to fall down over not yet expanded hips.

I always think of the boys with their high water pants. Can’t get a long enough pant in a waist measurement that stays on them. I deal with this now with my 6 y/o who has a size 4-5 waist, and 6-7 length. Belts are troublesome for him.

With childhood obesity the way it is now adays, to even find a “slim” in anything is nearly impossible. Although I imagine things can be ordered.

I was quite pleased at my Catholic school we were allowed to wear navy pants. THOSE I could find in my size.

Currently struggling with the idea of sending my kiddos to Catholic school. Uniforms for the 2 will run several $100, even if I get used. And they are likely to spurt through them during the year… And then tuition… OUCH. $1k+/month…:eek: NOTHING is like when we were kids.
 
alwayslooking said:
I went to a co-ed Catholic high school.

When I was a freshman there was a dress code, but not uniforms. This had been the policy for about 10 years. That particular year enough girls got in trouble for wearing khaki shorts that were to short that the school decided that uniforms were the way to go.

The funny thing is that, with uniforms, the girls would roll their skirts at the top to make them shorter. The skirts were shorter than the shorts ever were. The school never seemed to do anything about it.

I of course was not complaining, being a high school guy at the time. Funny thing is now that I am of child rearing age I would never let a daughter wear anything like that.
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You enjoyed what you saw in high school, but wont let your daughter’s classmates do the same? Hypocrite

Actually you simply see things differently as a parent

Personally I think the hem of the skirts should rest on the top of the knees

I hate being tall, it can be hard to find 38 length and 34 width pants
 
I used to work at a Catholic K-8 school, and most of the junior high girls wore teeny tiny skirts. I read a lot of uniform guidelines for Catholic schools, and a lot out here don’t have a length requirement. Those that do also explicitly state that skirts must not be rolled or altered in any way to make them shorter. If girls roll them, the school can take disciplinary action. I’ve seen rules anywhere from 1" above knees to 6" above knees to I forget how many inches above fingertips.
 
faithfully said:
It occurs to me that sometimes, the waist in these skirts are too big for tall/slender girls?

Although not tall, I had a tiny waist. Getting a skirt that fit properly in the waist, NOT leaving room to roll up, well, the skirt was too short by then. If it were long enough, it was too big in the waist, requiring a roll so as not to fall down over not yet expanded hips.

I always think of the boys with their high water pants. Can’t get a long enough pant in a waist measurement that stays on them. I deal with this now with my 6 y/o who has a size 4-5 waist, and 6-7 length. Belts are troublesome for him.

With childhood obesity the way it is now adays, to even find a “slim” in anything is nearly impossible. Although I imagine things can be ordered.

I was quite pleased at my Catholic school we were allowed to wear navy pants. THOSE I could find in my size.

Currently struggling with the idea of sending my kiddos to Catholic school. Uniforms for the 2 will run several $100, even if I get used. And they are likely to spurt through them during the year… And then tuition… OUCH. $1k+/month…:eek: NOTHING is like when we were kids.
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Our school had to work with the uniform company directly to work through this problem (waist/length issues)… they actually had a seamstress come out from the uniform company to help accommodate new uniform purchases this year… and the uniform company promised to have a longer hemline by next year…
 
pentecostbaby said:
I was once called out on it by a male faculty member. I shot back at him, “Are you scrutinizing the length of my skirt?” That conversation ended immediately, and he never mentioned it to me again…
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:eek: Are you somehow proud of this exchange?

What is so wrong with following these rules? Why is it that girls want to display as much of their bodies as they can get away with?
 
Are you sure they were wearing actual “skirts” and not “skorts”? Skorts tend to be shorter.
 
PaulinVA said:
:eek: Are you somehow proud of this exchange?

What is so wrong with following these rules? Why is it that girls want to display as much of their bodies as they can get away with?
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Something about our culture makes women desire to be objectified, our culture teaches them that when men want your body you are powerful

🤷
 
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