School uniform

In August, we went out and bought Rosemary’s school uniform. There was a list of items, which included things like:

• school sweatshirt (worn once so far, incidentally, and bought two of them)
• summer dress
• grey, navy or black dress, skirt or trousers,
• black shoes
• white or blue polo shirts
• black shorts for PE
• plimsolls.

Most (British) schools have similar lists. We have a school uniform shop that has various items with all the local schools’ logos on, as well as standard items. We also got a few items, such as socks and tights, from Tesco. It wasn’t too difficult and hopefully it won’t all be too small before the end of the school year.

What wasn’t on the list, though, was the uniform for mums. You can’t see very clearly what I’m wearing in the picture above, but it’s a black T-shirt with a short, flowery skirt – and opaque tights. This, I’m afraid, is not official school uniform for mums. Official school uniform consists of a pair of jeans and a top. You’re allowed to vary the top a little, it might be a simple plain T-shirt one day, a smart blouse another day or a glamorous sparkly spaghetti strap number if you’re out on a mums’ night out. Jeans are pretty much compulsory, though.

The trouble is (aside from the fact that I’ve always been a bit wary of conformity) I look bloody awful in jeans. I can just about get away with it on a winter day, teamed with a big chunky jumper and boots. For the most part, however, jeans accentuate all the bits flabby bits and draw attention to wobbly thighs and bums and the lack of a tight waist. Of late, I’ve mostly been wearing skirts – maxi patterned skirts with my lovely green shoes (that I practically sleep in, they’re so comfortable) or short skirts with my new long black boots (so very pleased with these boots, I could probably write a whole, totally unsponsored, post about them). If I’m running early or on time, I’ll slap on some make-up, too, though frequently don’t manage that.

Of course, I’m not the only non-conformist but, even so, when I stand in the playground of a morning or wait, perched on the wall of an afternoon, I wonder if I should be trying to fit in a little bit more, and if maybe that would require buying a new pair of jeans. Maybe, as well as kitting Rosemary out in the school’s uniform, I should be doing so for myself as well. Maybe I could find some jeans that look OK.

What about you? Is there a mum’s (or dad’s) uniform at your school? Do you conform to it and, if so, do you do so purely to conform, or just because those are the easiest clothes to put on the morning? Or do you go for individuality? Or something else?

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