School’s rule: clothes must allow the student to fully participate in all classes.
My rule: no pajamas unless it’s pajama day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s people’s reasoning for now allowing character clothing?

If I had to guess, because it looks cheap.
I let my kid wear character clothing though because she likes it. It’s rare tbh… sge mostly wears athletic brands. Every now and then though she wears a Spider-Man tshirt.

It looks cheap and it is cheap, all poly. I did once find a 100% cotton Mickey shirt from Gap or somewhere similar that I did allow. Real talk : Disney, marvel, and Nintendo characters used to be worn by poor white people when I was growing up, now it’s Hispanic people along with poor white people. We are neither, but DS being mixed is sometimes wrongly ID as Hispanic so especially in these times I don’t have him wear Disney, characters, or certain brands like Adidas and Puma. Nike is universal and fine.

Oh, heavens! Identified as Hispanic? I just…don’t know what to say…

In my wealthy neck of the woods, where half the families send their kids to public because they like them, not because they can't afford private, you'd be seen as way too try-hard. So have a care how you're perceived.

My son briefly spent some time in an international private while abroad - I was so excited about his uniform, given I loved mine when I was in a British boarding school... but no. It was all polyester and outrageously overpriced for what it was. I was disgusted.

I don't mind at all what my kids wear in their public schools of the DC area. They know how to dress appropriately for important occasions. They're well-behaved, straight A students. Our social standing does not depend on how they dress in school, and dressing more formally in school does not confer any sort of moral superiority!

Kids were in private that required uniform and after we moved them to public, we all breathed a sigh of relief not to have to wear uniforms.

Their clothes are casual, I make sure they’re weather and context appropriate but they and me are both happier they’re out of uniforms.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. My kid dresses more formally than I would expect her to, by choice. She likes shirts tucked in, loves dresses with stockings, and often wears a little cardigan with just the top one or two buttons buttoned to finish it off. I have never asked her to do this, and most of the other kids don't dress that way. She likes it though and I buy clothes she likes.

I think the teachers find it charming, some of the other kids find it off-putting, but the girls she's friends with admire her style. I wouldn't force a kid to dress this way, because if it wasn't a choice, I think it would feel bothering or embarrassing.

I bet some of the teachers and other parents think I make her do it. Oh well.

This is my DD too! And I grew up in the days of "Pretty in Pink" and "Heathers" where the fashionable kids really did it up with blouses, vests, broaches, paisley! She gets all the same reactions you mentioned above except that I know the teachers don't think I'm putting her up to it because all I wear now when they see me is athleisure.

I think she is very much influenced by manga/Japanese dressing up, victorian steam punk, office goth, etc. So another side of the same wheel.

PP here and that is so funny because my DD is very much influenced by anime and manga and Japanese styles of dressing. She talks about things being kawaii (cute) and does not believe in wearing sweatpants outside the house. Meanwhile I wear joggers all the time and mostly dress in dark colors. Not kawaii! DD likes taking me shopping and encouraging me to wear color and accessories. It is sweet.

Anonymous wrote:I would be happy if I could just get my teenagers to wear a damn coat.

This.

Anonymous wrote:I’m going to be honest: no. Kids can be mean, and bullies will make fun of children dressed up every day. Let them wear sweatpants and athletic hoodies. They’ll have a better school experience, I promise.

Bullies will always find some excuse to bully. Lax clothing does not solve the bully problems.

I love uniforms and that’s one of many features I love about our parochial school. That said, I wouldn’t force my daughter to go above and beyond the dress code—the dress code is what prevents conflict over clothes in our house, because it’s not us telling her what she has to wear—it’s the school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not allow my kids to wear pajamas to school. But they can wear sweats and athletic gear.

I don’t love pajamas for daywear but I’d rather my DD wore pajamas than look like a hooker. Some of the girls in her MS hardly have any clothes on.
DD wore grinch flannel pajama bottoms all day. I’m not complaining

Pjs are much much better than what the non pj girlies are wearing.

I'd rather kids have a bit of fun than have to dress "professionally" for school. I had to do that for private school and the only time in my life, so far, where I could have fun with my wardrobe was in college. Koda will have to dress for work soon enough.

Koda?

I think they meant kids. Typo error

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not allow my kids to wear pajamas to school. But they can wear sweats and athletic gear.

I don’t love pajamas for daywear but I’d rather my DD wore pajamas than look like a hooker. Some of the girls in her MS hardly have any clothes on.
DD wore grinch flannel pajama bottoms all day. I’m not complaining

Pjs are much much better than what the non pj girlies are wearing.

I'd rather kids have a bit of fun than have to dress "professionally" for school. I had to do that for private school and the only time in my life, so far, where I could have fun with my wardrobe was in college. Koda will have to dress for work soon enough.

Koda?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s people’s reasoning for now allowing character clothing?

If I had to guess, because it looks cheap.
I let my kid wear character clothing though because she likes it. It’s rare tbh… sge mostly wears athletic brands. Every now and then though she wears a Spider-Man tshirt.

It looks cheap and it is cheap, all poly. I did once find a 100% cotton Mickey shirt from Gap or somewhere similar that I did allow. Real talk : Disney, marvel, and Nintendo characters used to be worn by poor white people when I was growing up, now it’s Hispanic people along with poor white people. We are neither, but DS being mixed is sometimes wrongly ID as Hispanic so especially in these times I don’t have him wear Disney, characters, or certain brands like Adidas and Puma. Nike is universal and fine.

Anonymous wrote:I come from a foreign country that all public schools (ES/MS/HS) are required to to wear uniforms. They are not as cute and as short as the ones compared to Japan or Korea, but they are similar styles. It makes life easier for parents and kids.

+1. We are British and it’s the #1 thing I miss about British schools. That said, we do encourage our kids to dress appropriately/respectfully. In our experience it hasn’t been ostracizing at all. In fact, quite the opposite. More and more kids seem to be dressing like DS in his immediate circle.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I come from a foreign country that all public schools (ES/MS/HS) are required to to wear uniforms. They are not as cute and as short as the ones compared to Japan or Korea, but they are similar styles. It makes life easier for parents and kids.

I wish…but we are not dearly as disciplined as a society to be able to do this.

You’d also have tons of parent complaining too: their kid has sensory issues and can’t wear a uniform, their kid has anxiety and needs there polyfleece pajamas pants to help them cope, etc. Our school banned hoods on sweatshirts being up and hat on during school and parents FLIPPED. Apparently all the kids with their hoods up and head phones in during class need to do this do manage their anxiety (eye roll). And it is is discrimination to then say that said kids can have that written into their IEP. Apparently requiring an actual diagnosis and IEP is discrimination and cost prohibitive for many- therefore, the school must allow all sorts of ridiculous things to help students “cope” (blankets, hoods on, head phones, on, pajamas, slippers, etc.)