Is it only me who had to wear a boater like this for school?
We had a beret in winter and a boater in summer. I am only thirty six years old, I am not from Victorian times or anything.
When I saw the above picture I was a bit traumatised. Pictures like that should have warning labels methinks.
We also wore socks like this girl which were horribly uncomfortable, but if I had red hair like hers I would have been spanked until I could not sit ever, ever again.
Shudder.
I suppose it is no mystery why these pictures affect me so.
The boater of course was to keep that brutal English summer sun off your fair head so you'd not get sunstroke and such like. And I know exactly the sorely put-upon pout you wore to go with it too.
But were the socks uncomfortable because you had to keep pulling them up every few minutes?
Poppy, we did not have hats io any kind, but I did wear a uniform much like the girl in the last picture. Except our knee socks had to be navy blue, the skirt 3 inches above the floor when kneeling, worn over black "bloomers", and no makeup or jewelry was ever allowed! Was it just me, or were you taught to curtsy as well?
I had to wear horrible knickers for sport! I remember those. They were grey! GREY! Who makes girls wear grey knickers.
I was taught to dance the polka, walk with a book on my head (which I was rubbish at and more than once ended up in the bluming corner from) and was, as you say, taught to curtsy.
I am so glad to have left school.
My comments are being deleted!
I think someothers are too!
Haahaaa!
That girl stretching looks so very sneaky!
But sure, it´s not good at all to get traumatized
XXX
Maria
I went to an all girls school, no boaters for us Poppy but our Headmistress was very strict about our uniform.
Green skirt, had to be knee length, white blouse, red stripped tie, green cardi, white short socks and black flat buckle shoes and not forgetting we had to wear regulations green thick knickers, they were so uncomfortable. We had spot checks to make sure we were wearing the regulations knickers as well.
Love,
Ronnie
xx
Poppy, I love the idea of wearing a boater! And a beret! I did have a uniform–grey wool jumper (not a sweater, a skirt with a bib) and knee socks and white blouse. And Sara, when we knelt down the skirt had to touch the floor. No boaters or berets, though I think that would have added a jazzy look!
There were no spankings, but there was plenty of writing lines and standing in the hall (but not the corner). But there was the safety of structure, which on a certain level I responded to, even while breaking all the rules and getting in trouble frequently!
The redhead is Alison Miller. I love schoolgirl outfits, never got to wear one to school, although I did modify some plaid skirts to have a similar effect.
We didn't wear boaters, but we had berets in Guides (navy) and Brownies (brown). Our primary school uniform was navy tunics (gymslips) and for high school it was grey skirts, white blouses and maroon blazers. No slacks allowed, ever. Well, except for the boys. And no ties for girls. The boys wore any tie they liked.
Hugs,
Hermione
Whew!
The comments reappeared about the time Poppy was being put to bed so she hadn't time to comment on their reappearance. She will reappear tomorrow as herself to comment further on this and other phenomenon, and meanwhile wishes you all a pleasant good evening.
Blogger should be spanked for confusing me so much.
Alison (thanks Lorraine) does look sneaky, doesn't she? And I have a bit of a thing for that type of school uniform. Not the horrible real ones but the cute plaid skirt ones.
Ronnie, how on earth did they get away with the checking of knickers!
My school was much the same. It was so strict. It was scarey to even think of getting the uniform wrong.
Scarlet, you sound like me. I liked the rules (despite breaking all of them that suited me) and I still do. At my big school (when I was 11-18) we had the cane which was good reason to ensure not being caught. Although, I was just as scared of getting in trouble and being told off as I was of getting the cane. That did not make me good- just cunning.
Thanks, Lorraine. You are most well informed.
Hermione- gymslips always sound cute to me but I suspect they did not feel that way.
And Dev, I did not pout. I never pout. I cannot imagine where you got that idea from. And how did you know that about the socks? I always longed to be one of those girls whose socks stayed up and whose bunches were neat and even. I still kind of do even those girls, they are all grown up now and still look all neat all the time and don't fall over and things like that.
Poppy, you and all the other naughty lady bloggers, sound as if you went to St. Trinians, that popular girl’s school of movie fame. I can imagine how you would all have carried on being all in one class.
Poppy
I am so pleased that I have just found your blog…
I have always been fascinated by the various humiliations and indignities enjoyed by the pupils of our better girls’ schools, and was especially pleased to see that you were still taught to curtsey – a most appropriate form of respect for all schoolgirls, I believe.
My favourite story on this topic concerns the girl and her school-friend, years after leaving school, walking down the high street and totally unexpectedly coming face-to-face with their old Headmistress, whereupon old habits kicked in automatically, and before they realised it they had both dropped curtseys – to their considerable embarrassment, and the bewilderment of the passers-by !!
Hope you like this little tale.
Greetings
Sam.
Hi, Sam and welcome.
That is a lovely tale and I very much understand those girls. There is something about a school like that that gets under your skin.
A girl cannot just shake it off, no matter how hard she tries.