Catholic School Uniform
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A Catholic school uniform in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
typically consists of a
pleat A pleat (plait in older English) is a type of fold formed by doubling textile, fabric back upon itself and securing it in place. It is commonly used in clothing and upholstery to gather a wide piece of fabric to a narrower circumference. Pleat ...
ed and
tartan Tartan or plaid ( ) is a patterned cloth consisting of crossing horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours, forming repeating symmetrical patterns known as ''setts''. Originating in woven wool, tartan is most strongly associated wi ...
skirt or jumper dress (a sleeveless dress), Mary Jane or saddle shoes, a button-down shirt, and a sweater for girls, while boys' uniforms consist of a button-down shirt, a
necktie A necktie, long tie, or simply a tie, is a cloth article of formal neckwear or office attire worn for decorative or symbolic purposes, resting under a folded shirt collar or knotted at the throat, and usually draped down the chest. On rare o ...
, and dark pants. Actual school uniforms vary widely by location and individual school. In contrast to most schools in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, almost all Catholic schools in that country have some form of dress code, and most of them (especially those with students in the lower grade levels) have a mandatory uniform policy. In most
Commonwealth countries The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an international association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire from which i ...
, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand — school uniforms (often akin to the "Catholic school uniform" type in the United States) are common in all types of schools, whether secular or not and regardless of religious denomination. In most schools in Latin America and the Philippines, school uniforms are common and their design is often very similar to the Catholic school uniform type from the United States.


Purpose of school uniforms

The stated purpose of uniforms, often set forth in school uniform policies, include reducing clothing expenditures for parents as well as avoiding distinctions among children based on whose parents can afford to buy them fashionable clothing to wear to school. The school attire is also said to reduce distractions and help with student identification, ensuring that a stranger will stand out among the uniformed students. Another stated reason for the use of school uniforms is to instill school pride and promote an atmosphere of the school as a working environment.


In North America

Until the early to mid-1970s, the uniform for girls almost always consisted of a
skirt A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards. At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos). However, most skirts are ...
or jumper dress; but it is now common, in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, for female pupils to wear uniform shorts or slacks, depending on the weather. This is mainly the result of changing societal norms that, beginning in the late 1960s to early 1970s, resulted in a trend for women and girls in most levels of society to wear trousers and shorts, instead of skirts and dresses, for everyday life. Today, most schools require girls to wear skirts, while others allow girls the choice of skirts, dress or
culottes Culottes are an item of clothing worn on the lower half of the body. The term can refer to either split skirts, historical men's breeches, or women's underpants; this is an example of fashion-industry words taken from designs across history, ...
and pants including ankle pants that stop at or just a little above the ankle and twill jogger pants. A
kilt A kilt ( ) is a garment resembling a wrap-around knee-length skirt, made of twill-woven worsted wool with heavy pleats at the sides and back and traditionally a tartan pattern. Originating in the Scottish Highland dress for men, it is first r ...
ed skirt is sometimes worn, especially in schools with predominantly Celtic student populations. In some parts of
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, the skirt has been modified to include an attached pair of shorts beneath, for modesty called a
skort A skort (a portmanteau of skirt and shorts) is a pair of shorts with an overlapping fabric panel made to resemble a skirt covering the front, or a skirt with a pair of integral shorts hidden underneath. History Initially called "trouser sk ...
. Bike shorts or
leggings Leggings are several types of leg attire that have varied through the years. Modern usage from the 1960s onwards has come to refer to elastic close-fitting High-rise (fashion), high-rise garments worn over the legs typically by women, such as leg ...
are often worn under girls' skirts or jumper dresses for modesty and to prevent individuals from looking under the girl's skirt or dress. The leggings can be ankle-length or capri-length with crew or knee-high socks worn over the ankle leggings. Culottes or ankle pants that stop at or just above the ankle are also sometimes substituted for a skirt, especially at non-parochial private schools; however, for special events, the skirt is usually still worn. Also knee socks or tights are two other commonly worn items with the skirt. Students in preschool and, less frequently, kindergarten, are held to be more likely to engage in messy activities. As such, they may be asked to wear their school's physical education uniform as their regular uniform. Younger girls are often seen wearing jumper dresses in tartan (often called "plaid" in America) over a blouse under their skirts. Many schools require a jumper dress up to the fourth, fifth, or sixth grade, presumably because the lifestyles and habits of younger girls may make blouses more likely to become untucked from skirt or culotte waistbands. They are often worn with tights or knee socks and flats, Sperrys, or sometimes dressy sneakers. After that, the jumper dress is often discarded in favor of a tartan skirt with bike shorts, capri or ankle length
leggings Leggings are several types of leg attire that have varied through the years. Modern usage from the 1960s onwards has come to refer to elastic close-fitting High-rise (fashion), high-rise garments worn over the legs typically by women, such as leg ...
, with crew or knee socks over the ankle leggings, tights, knee socks or culottes and blouse or polo depending on the weather and season. Often the skirt and blouse or polo must be worn with a sweater (what "jumper" means in British and other
Commonwealth English The use of the English language in current and former Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, countries of Commonwealth of Nations, the Commonwealth was largely inherited from British Empire, British colonisation, with some exceptions. Eng ...
) or sweater vest, or the polo is worn by itself or with a layering long-sleeved tee underneath or with the polo worn underneath a sweater or sweatshirt with the polo collar turned over the sweater or sweatshirt collar so it's visible. Usually flats, or Sperrys, and sometimes other dressy shoes are worn. Boys typically wear a collared shirt and tie or
polo shirt A polo shirt, tennis shirt, golf shirt, or chukker shirt is a form of shirt with a collar. Polo shirts are usually short sleeved but can be long; they were used by Polo#Players, polo players originally in British Raj, British India in 1859 and ...
, and slacks of required colors. Twill jogger pants are becoming a comfortable but still appropriate uniform pants choice worn by boys. Polo shirts have to some extent replaced dress shirt. In the winter colder months the polo is seen worn with a layered long-sleeved tee underneath or a sweatshirt or sweater over the polo with the collar of the polo folded over the collar of the sweatshirt or sweater so it's visible. Many times in warmer weather dress shorts can be worn usually with crew or knee length socks with ankle socks allowed in some schools. Usually Sperrys or sometimes other dressy shoes or occasionally sneakers are worn. Both sexes usually wear a sweater or blazer (or both) or polo with a layered long-sleeved tee underneath or a sweatshirt or sweater over the polo with the collar of the polo folded over the collar of the sweatshirt or sweater so the polo collar is visible when required by regulations or weather. Some schools have unisex uniforms—most often a distinctive shirt, and sometimes pants of a given color. They may also require that a specially designated, more formal uniform be worn on liturgy days or other special occasions. Uniforms may vary based on time of year. At many schools, students are excused from having to wear the fairly formal (and warm) uniforms described above during the hotter months of the school year in favor of lighter uniform clothing such as skorts, skirts, or shorts worn with knee socks, crew socks, quarter socks, or triple roll socks, or capri leggings under the skirt. Capri pants are also allowed in some schools. However, at some schools appearance and formality prevail over comfort and students must suffer through the warm weather in their full uniform, which can include long-sleeved dress shirts, ties, wool sweaters, blazers, wool skirts, jumper dresses, leggings, and
tights Tights are a kind of cloth garment, most often sheathing the body from the waist to the toe tips with a tight fit, hence the name. They come in absolute opaque, opaque, sheer and fishnet styles — or a combination, such as the original concep ...
. In many schools, flats for girls and Sperrys for both girls and boys have become popular and acceptable footwear with the uniforms. Scrunchies,
headband A headband or hairband is a clothing accessory worn in the hair or around the forehead, usually to hold hair away from the face or eyes. Headbands generally consist of a loop of elastic material or a horseshoe-shaped piece of flexible plast ...
s, or headwrap-style headbands are usually worn in school colors and patterns.


In popular culture

The Russian pop duo
t.A.T.u. t.A.T.u. (, ) were a Russian pop duo consisting of Lena Katina and Julia Volkova. The two started out as part of the children's musical group Neposedy before being managed by producer and director Ivan Shapovalov and signing with Russian reco ...
also wore clothing resembling Catholic school uniforms in a video for their song " Ya Soshla S Uma" (also known by the title of its English-language version, "
All the Things She Said "All the Things She Said" is a song by Russian music duo t.A.T.u. from their first English-language studio album, '' 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane'' (2002). The song was first released in the United States as a DVD single on 13 August 2002, then ...
").


See also

*
Catholic school Catholic schools are Parochial school, parochial pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest parochial schools, religious, no ...
* Gymslip tunics


References


Further reading

* {{cite book , first=Sally , last=Dwyer-McNulty , title=Common Threads: A Cultural History of Clothing in American Catholicism , isbn=978-1469614090 , publisher=The University of North Carolina Press , date=2014 Fetish clothing
Uniform A uniform is a variety of costume worn by members of an organization while usually participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency serv ...
School uniform