If you’re a long-time reader, you may know that I attended Catholic grade school and high school and thus wore a uniform every day to said Catholic schools. While we had some restrictions on what we could wear, there were definitely ways that we tried to stand out in a sea of sameness …whether to feel more unique or even to be considered part of a certain group or clique.
. . . so
I’ll start with oxfords because really, that’s all we wore to school in the 90’s. We had to wear a dark “dress” style shoe {but couldn’t wait for rainy days when we could wear our converse low-top all stars with huge scrunch socks} …and like the 90’s, oxfords are all the rage right now. Wear them with or without socks, tights and/or leggings with your skirts or pants.
.. . .these are an adorable option as well {also topshop}
…if you have a uniform with pants and want to give them more of a harem feel
cuff them up or make a small slit about 3″ above the ankle bone and slide a cute ribbon through it and under the bottom hem and tie it on the side.
If your uni consists of mostly pants, you can make a statement by sizing up and wearing them baggy/but cuffed or even cutting and hemming them shorter.
We mostly wore skirts. In fact, they didn’t introduce the pant option until I was a senior and I was locked in on skirts by then. ALso …the pants were ultra-unflattering!
I used to hem my skirts up and use the excess material from the skirt to make scrunchies and other hair accessories.
While American Apparel may be selling scrunchies again, you may not be sold on them yet, so use your extra material for headbands or flower brooches.
Again, now that the 90’s have made their way back into fashion, bodysuits are easy to come by. We used to wear them under our button down shirts …with the top buttons left open and the cute details of the body suit or lace tank peeking through.
Wear a scarf!
Adding a cute blazer or jacket is a great option as well. Leave it unbuttoned or fold it over and belt it …push up or roll up the sleeves for a contemporary look.
Don’t forget to check your local thrift shops for the most recent throw-back trends! It’s better for the environment AND your wallet …and you’ll for sure have a one of a kind piece!
. . .and since fashion is just another form of self-expression, an outward extension of who we are or who we want to present to the world I hope schools allow at least a little bit of accessorizing to your uniforms so you can stand out and be just a little more yourself ..in a sea of sameness.
Have Fun!
