As kids, we were expected to dress for school. Key word: “dress.” Being a girl in the 1960s and ’70s was not a good time here in rural Michigan, where the winds at recess whipped across bare legs when there was no time to pull on snow pants — only our coats. Most of us, in our wool skirts and sweaters, just stood up against the building and shivered, but we sure looked good when we got back inside! Back-to-school shopping for clothes was an event, and we couldn’t wait for colder temps so we could wear those outfits. The boys, meanwhile, could and did come in like they had just done farm chores. Ah, the good old days of a double standard.
School dress codes are looser now, but ironically, I see kids wearing shorts in the winter and some not even wearing jackets. They have them; I know their parents. They want to be cool.Marian Latimer, Brown City, Michigan
Real Life of an MSW 