What did you wear to high school?

Parent Cafe
41

I graduated in 1973. We had a uniform my freshman year, but it eventually disappeared.

Freshman year green cotton skirt in fall and spring, hideous cut. Gray wool in the winter, it was much nicer. White shirts. Three colors of pullover over sweaters. Brown or black oxford shoes. Kneesocks in colors that matched the sweaters. I’m not sure if stockings or tights were allowed. At some point when winter got cold we’d get an announcement we could wear “well tailored wool slacks”. I got in trouble once wearing my Dad’s Marine Corps jacket over my uniform as my coat. The riders were allowed to wear jodphurs all the time which seemed unfair to me.

One winter someone persuaded the headmistress to let us wear jeans because wool slack were pricey.

The following winter, she never made the announcement that we had to go back to wearing uniforms, so we didn’t. We wore Levis or Lees mostly I think- often but not always bell bottoms. Looking at my year book there’s really almost nothing we couldn’t still be wearing except ponchos, a few embroidered peasant type shirt and one person in tie-dye.

A friend of mine went back in the early 80s to visit campus and was horrified that girls were dressing up and it was much more obvious who came from money and who didn’t. In my day we all looked exactly the same.

42

2000’s

No brands - I wasn’t and still am not into brands. I wore clothes from big-box stores - Kohl’s, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc. No jeans. I didn’t like to wear what everyone else is wearing (still don’t - not a fan of fashion trends for trend’s sake, although I will wear something from a trend if I just happen to like it), so that’s why jeans were out. I actually didn’t start wearing jeans until my late 20’s. Basically, I would describe my outfits as business casual (my choice - I went to a public school, so no uniforms). Skirts and dresses with a top in the warmer months and black slacks with a sweater in the winter. I still have some of my high school clothes, and I still wear some of it to work :slight_smile:

43

Oh, and back when I was in high school, mixing blue and green together in an outfit was considered “controversial” by some.

My parents considered the Villager brand way over-priced even though they could have afforded to spend the money without putting necessities or even savings at risk, and I guess I did too when it came to spending money that I earned through babysitting and other part-time jobs, so I mostly wore cheaper brands or homemade clothing. However, I was aware that I was being excluded from some social circles on sight because I did not wear the preferred clothing and I will admit that this was hurtful at times. Ah, peer pressure…

44

Graduated in 1980. We wore TopSiders, Weejuns and Tretorn tennis shoes( in warm weather). Ralph Lauren Polo button down collar shirts, Polo sweaters (often worn tied around our necks) , plaid wool skirts with knee socks, jeans with cuffs turned up, Add-a-Bead necklace was a must. The more beads you had the cooler you were. In the warm months Bermuda shorts and sleeveless polos.

45

Graduated in 1970. No pants or jeans allowed. We rolled our skirts up to be shorter. Knee socks. Weejuns. Villager and Lady Bug in earlier years. Sweaters with “dickeys” under them. Pleated skirts then A-Line. Pucci (?) floral print dresses when we got into the British/Beatles stuff. Jeans outside of school were Levis, Calvin Klein, Wranglers. Izod was really in.

46

I was always “into” clothes, but not brand names. I think I had a Gunne Sax prom dress, but that was it. In junior high, I remember earth shoes, hot pants, maxi skirts, and jeans that I trimmed with a colorful ribbon-type border. I was first to wear saddle shoes. I didn’t mix and match anything. I don’t remember much about my high school clothing. College was bandana-type scarves,straight-legged jeans with spike heals, disco clothes with lots of metallics, black satin pants, boucle cowl necked sweathers, gauchos with boots,and painter pants. I actually had a small painter’s brush that I wore in one of the loops. How geeky! (in retrospect)

47

Pants. Almost every day – starting with the wonderful day when they loosened the dress code to allow them.

No more standing at bus stops in the winter in Connecticut in a miniskirt. Glorious.

48

I think I wore clothes. Just kidding but for the first high school it was uniform blue skirt and white blouse. For American high schools, I think mostly pants and tops that I made from scratch. I loved to sew when I was younger.

49

I wouldn’t be caught alive my senior year without my Candies high heeled sandals! Also…hiking boots were the rage my Jr. year in H .S.

50

The posts are bringing back memories. I wore Levi 501 shrink to fit, Levi boys cords and Dittos. I remember salivating over a store in the mall that was an entire store filled with a rainbow of ditto pants. Wallaby shoes. T shirt over collared blouse. Op and Hang Ten boys t shirts. Polo with the alligator if you were rich. Members Only jackets.
Summer outfit was Op corduroy shorts with a surf brand T. I remember begging my Mom for cotton tops. She hated to iron and her comment whenever we shopped was “is it permanent press”.
Sbica platform shoes.
The coolest shoes were Vans. You could go to the Van store and order them custom in two toned colors.

51

Nottelling: Thank you for a fun thread :slight_smile:

I graduated in 1974 from a very large public, suburban, southern HS, where football ruled and we were always in the playoffs, if not the state champions. A lot of time was spent in a dark red, snap up the front, gym suit, white knee socks & sneakers, red or navy bandanna around my neck, hair up in orange juice can rollers, out on the field with the team, the band, the majorettes, the cheerleaders and the marchers/dance squad - all of us practicing either for the game or the half time shows.

In my closet were Villager, Lady Bug, Papagallo, Bass, Frye, Butte Knits. There were some very tailored, Jackie style, polyester suit/dresses that were the less expensive, junior equivalent of St John today, but can’t think of the brand to save my life. Anyone else have an idea?

For the first couple of years of high school, my uniform was hot pants with matching vest or jacket, tights, knee high boots. Tooled leather shoulder bag. In winter a mid-thigh length rabbit coat. Straight waist length blonde hair, parted in the middle, and lots of eye makeup. This was “the look” for my time and place and I really rocked it.

Then I decided to do my own thing. My mother was an excellent seamstress and always enjoyed making my clothes. We had a great time planning looks and wardrobes (and she was delighted I was done with the hot pants) She made me suits from Vogue patterns. It was the era of polyester knits. There was a red blazer with matching vest, mini skirt & pants worn with a red/white striped men’s style cotton shirt and navy men’s tie; a royal blue, very fitted, short Eisenhower-style jacket with matching mini skirt and pants. Those were worn with either tights or knee socks, and bass weejuns or bass black/white oxfords. It was sort of an Annie Hall look but before the movie.

Mother used to make me mix and match, capsule wardrobes for school trips and afterwards I’d add them into the day to day rotation. One grouping: Denim polyester blazer, ankle length skirt, pants. Long gored ankle length skirt with alternating panels of solid blue cotton & small blue/ecru floral cotton. Matching floral halter top and long sleeved western style shirt with mother of pearl snaps. Tiny strips of ecru lace were sewn into the seams of the skirt panels and trimmed the shirt and halter top. There were two matching handbags, one in the floral fabric and one in the denim knit, both bags were lined with the contrasting fabric. These pieces were worn with either black Justin cowgirl boots or taffy colored leather clogs that had pointy up-turned toes and wooden heels like balls. And braids wrapped on top of my head.

One of my favorite outfits was a striped seersucker short set. The shorts were knee length with pleats and cuffs. There was a matching halter top and blazer. The seersucker was tiny stripes in light blue, red, white. Blue suede platforms.

52

Jonathan Logan :slight_smile:

53

Early 70’s - bell bottoms, tees. peasant blouses, levis 501’s, tees, chamois shirts

I wore wallabees, docksiders, earth shoes, clogs and buffalo sandals.

54

We wore a hideous uniform, but on dress down days what was popular was super tight stretch jeans and ridiculously large sneakers.

55

oh yes… and the gym uniforms of the 60’s/70’s. So hideous.

56

In jr high, I wore wallabies, desert boots & waffle stompers.( they looked like hiking boots, but really didn’t have the same support)
I wore my bare traps wood platforms, most everywhere in high school.
I loved them so much. The platform made me taller, and the arch fit better than other shoes. The platform was also great for mud and wading through water/beer/?, at rock concerts.
I did not wear gauchos, not a great look when you are not built like Veruschka.

I also loved shopping for cosmetics, so much was geared to teens, like all the Love Baby soft stuff, or Bonne Bell. I didn’t like Baby Soft scent, but I loved Skin musk oil by Bonne Bell. I also remember something that smelled like lemon? I liked that too.
I was so sad when Love stopped making the eyemakeup that came in colors other than black.( with blond eyelashes & eyebrows, black looks harsh)
I always had to have a pot’o gloss by Yardley in my front pocket.
( I usually didn’t carry a purse, but I did have a bag that looked like it was made from a woven rug for a while)

I had a long wool midi coat, but one of my friends had a Neil Young jacket that I absolutely coveted.
I wore a Barbour bomber jacket for years, & when I was 18, my recent ex boyfriend bought me the cutest leather jacket from Jay Jacobs. I wore it the night I met my husband!
( well, actually, my girlfriend was wearing it when she was cold, then H noticed that I had goosebumps so he gave me * his* jacket.:slight_smile: )

He had on patchwork jeans, the kind you buy, not that he made himself. We met in 1976, which was a very unfortunate year for fashion, even if you discount all the bicentennial stuff.

57

I forgot Papagallo. We LOVED those clothes!

58

We weren’t allowed to wear pants until senior year, and even then I don’t think jeans were allowed in school. I remember a few items of clothing…I had a leather miniskirt that I recall wearing with a pale yellow satin blouse. :slight_smile: I had a suede fringed jacket that my mother bought me at Peck&Peck, of all places.

Honestly, I don’t remember much, but what I do remember was vaguely hippieish. I graduated in 1971.

I do have vivid memories of Landlubber bell bottoms in college. :slight_smile:

59

I thought Papagallo was shoes. Was it both? Was it a store?

alh, your wardrobe sounded fabulous. Thanks for reminding me of Eisenhower jackets, halter tops, and seersucker.

My junior high home economics sewing projects were a green Eisenhower jacket, with coordinating high-waisted green plaid pants and a red, white, and orange cotton halter top with matching coulottes.

60

@alh I made most of my own clothes in HS as well. And one of my faves was a seersucker short set, with knee sox and platforms. When I returned senior year, after spending time in Denmark as an exchange student, I rocked the coolest pair of red clogs.