Wearing long pants to school? That was usually not allowed. Especially not in schools where the Catholic Church had a finger in the pie. Whoever wanted to wear one had to wear a skirt or dress. And even that wasn’t always allowed. Go back home to change. These Plus readers still know it well.
tickle tights
Elly: “I usually forgot my skirt in the hope that the skirts were out at school. Not often happened unfortunately, because they had a lot in stock. The head teacher was also at the bottom of the stairs to see if your own skirt was not too short, because otherwise you had to go home for a longer one.”
Marianne: “In the winter I also wore a skirt, but with those itchy tights underneath.”
In revolt
Thea: “I also forgot my skirt on purpose, but then had to put on a curtain as a skirt. I rebelled and refused. Then I had to go to the headmistress. There I made a plea about the girls who were so cold on their bicycles. And that long pants were now really fashionable. I had to go home to cool off. Then I held a signature campaign. And it worked! We were allowed to wear pants afterwards.”
Gym class with skirt
Tonny: “At the MULO with the sisters you wore a skirt with a skirt to gym class. We pulled the pants up so that they really popped, but the beguines pulled the pants down to the knees.”
Monique: “I attended a Catholic nun school in the late 1960s. We were allowed to wear long pants, but not short ones. Until the hot pants came into fashion. The principal of my school was a fairly progressive nun. Until then, then.”
Knees on the floor and measure
Ria: “The nuns also checked whether your skirt was long enough. If you were on your knees, the skirt had to reach the floor. Otherwise, go home and change! Can’t imagine nowadays, but then very common.”
Els: “In the summer I wasn’t allowed to go in my shoes with bare feet. You had to wear socks at our Catholic school.”
Anne: “That’s right. There was a nun, Sister Simona, who said to me, ‘If you don’t have socks on this afternoon, I’ll put a bandage on your feet.”
Bow in the hair
Olga: “But we all had a nice bow in our hair. We didn’t know any different and didn’t feel discriminated against. We had to be nice to each other and have respect for the teacher.
What are your memories? Leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
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