Tying ties

By Janet Carr on August 28, 2024

I wore a school uniform for 12 years. We had a summer uniform of a green cottom 'gym' as we called it

And then a winter uniform with tights and a tie. We had to wear our blazers outside the school unless it was over 39°C/103°F. The uniform had a black bowler hat but that fell out of favour as I moved through higher grades.

This means that I learned to tie a tie when I was 6 years old. And though I have not worn one since, the skill remains. In Sweden, which is quite informal as regards business dressing and does not have school uniforms, I have had to help countless men with their ties. Some women do wear ties for fashion, but you really need to be able to carry it off.

I was quite happy in a school uniform. We even had to use regulation underwear and school bags. No makeup was allowed and the only jewellery allowed was a watch or sleeper/stud earrings. Of course in South Africa you did not know anything else, but it did remove distractions and signs of social class. Everyone looked the same. The initial cost of the blazer was quite high but you could buy second hand and my parents bought everything big so I would grow into it. In Sweden there is so much pressure for pupils to wear TikTok trend items and (mostly) girls often wear a lot of makeup. I am rather relieved about school uniforms and the lack of social media when I was growing up.