Fashion. When a new fad takes on and employees adopt it, aspects of behaviour of corporations and government departments alter as they wrestle with their image. Those in charge who disapprove of a new fad or change in fashion have difficulty tolerating its existence, as it keeps spreading and spreading.New trends and ‘fashion statements’ have had more newsworthy impacts on the teaching profession than on most other occupations.
There was much consternation in Queensland in the early 1960s, for instance, when some male teachers started to wear shorts and long socks to school. Edicts and instructions called for caution without daring to be didactic. Then Principals and Inspectors took up the fashion and no further comment was necessary. It was the age of dressing for comfort.
This was a far cry from the days when males were expected to wear coats [even waistcoats] as they taught, but, in the west and north of the state particularly, the practice was honoured more in the breach than in observance. At the same time, a coat hung behind most school doors, just in case someone important called. It was the age of being hot and sweaty.
The Beatles’ era of the mid-sixties saw long hair fashionable for men; then sideburns and beards. Hairdressers were frantic. As the fashion became more acceptable, High School prospectuses had to delete references to maximum length of hair for pupils. After all, the male teachers were wearing their hair long with sideburns down to lip level; and beards to boot. It was the age of the hirsute.
Schools have had to tolerate as cheerfully as possible the impact of fashion changes such as these. They have included the wearing of pantsuits and sarongs by lady teachers, although the most impactful of all has been the mini-skirt. Its appearance outdid all the rest. Many a large school in all parts of the world experienced a modified version of the Harper Valley P.T.A. story that became a part of its own history. At Harper Valley, U.S.A. in 1968 a Junior High School student was sent home for wearing a short skirt and a popular song about the incident headed the charts for a while. It was the age of legs.
The mini-skirt appeared in the fashion world in the 1960s. It was popularised by fashion designer, Mary Quant, and its popularity in Australia spread quickly when model Jean Shrimpton wore a skirt that was twenty centimetres above her knees to the 1965 Derby Day in Melbourne, just prior to the Melbourne Cup. Her photograph on the pages of the world’s newspapers helped to spread the cause celebre. Teachers followed the fashion.
One Regional Director sent a notice to schools that delicately said, “May I remind young ladies that there are certain school situations which render the wearing of short skirts somewhat inappropriate?” Ray Kelley responded…
WHO DAT GIRL IN DE MINI-SKIRT
[Tune: "Who Dat Girl in De Mini-Skirt"]
Who dat girl in de miniskirt,
De teacher dress’ in de miniskirt?
Who dat girl in de miniskirt,
De teacher dress’ in de miniskirt?
Ah gotta say dat she look de part,
Her legs so cold dat day warm mah heart;
And you can tell by the way she dress
She Eddication wit’ a capital S! WHO DAT GIRL?
She take a chalk on de board to write,
Jes’ gotta be dere to see dat sight.
De boys all smile and de girls all frown,
De words go up and de eyes go down. WHO DAT GIRL?
If she go mah way after school
Ah mean to foller de golden rule.
Ah stand aside when she board dat bus -
De gent should let de lady go fus’! WHO DAT GIRL?
She take a class when dey do P.T.,
Ah hope dat class is includin’ me.
It’s healt’y out in de sun to go,
Ah feel so fresh when de breezes blow. WHO DAT GIRL?
