I went to Ivanhoe Grammar School – Plenty Campus in Victoria, Australia (I finished in 2001). Fortunately for me, the uniform was updated in my last few years there. We were allowed to wear pants in winter. We also had shorts during sports. Before the uniform update I had to wear a skirt during sports. I did not enjoy that, even with bloomers on.
The shorts made me feel much more confident during sports. The pants in winter were lovely and warm and you could wear stockings or thermals under them for extra warmth. A skirt and stockings didn’t compare.
In summer we had to wear summer dresses. I didn’t mind this in high school, as a dress allowed nice airflow on hot days. However, I also remember I loved doing handstands, cartwheels and somersaults around the bars when I was in primary school. I remember boys teasing me about being able to see my undies. I used to yell back that they were just like swimmers so what’s the problem? But I still felt uneasy and watched, when all I wanted to do was spin around the bars and play.
It would have made for a much more pleasant experience if I could have played freely, like a boy, without having to worry about showing my undies and being taunted. I think it is desperately sad if girls are not allowed to wear pants and shorts to school, especially in primary school and during sports.