Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes;
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes;
Silver-white winters that melt into springs;
These are a few of my favorite things.From “My Favorite Things” by Rogers and Hammerstein (1959)
When I started first grade in 1966, girls weren’t allowed to wear pants to school, not even in the winter. A year or so later, we were allowed to wear them in the winter, but only under a skirt and they had to be removed once we got inside. Around 4th grade, we were finally allowed to wear pants. I was thrilled, because I had this horrible scar on my leg that I had gotten when I was 5.
I thought the days of requiring girls to wear skirts to school was over. Apparently not.
Richmond mayoral candidate Paul Goldman says he wants students to wear uniforms. From the RTD (emphasis mine):
Goldman wasn’t precise about his proposed dress code, but he said students would wear standard shirts and pants — no T-shirts — and girls would wear dresses or skirts and blouses to public schools.
I just want to know what decade Goldman is living in. Earth to Goldman – this ain’t the 1950s.
I’m not sure why men (and some women) are obsessed with girls and women wearing dresses. Twice in the last few days someone has said something to me about it. Now mind you, these folks don’t see me when I go to church and wear a dress, or when I go to client’s offices, or when I go to other events – in other words, when I go places where I think a dress is appropriate. No, they see me in settings where dresses (and the attendant hose and heels) are simply not practical. And, of course, neither of them is aware of my scar, faded but still visible enough that I had someone ask me about it just the other day.
Besides, what exactly are we saying about girls and women here? That they are not acceptable as girls and women unless they wear dresses and skirts? Does putting on a dress or a skirt somehow change the equipment? And given the studies that have been done about girls’ self-esteem issues as they relate to these forced gender-role issues, why in the world are we still talking about dresses and skirts today? I ran across this:
In a study conducted at Suffolk University in Boston, researcher Krisanne Bursik studied the ego development of 209 undergraduates and compared the results to gender-related traits. She found that students who were more likely to express non-traditional gender role traits had higher levels of ego development.
And I’ll bet the women in the study wore pants.
Folks need to get over it. Little girls and women wear pants, too. It’s no reflection on them or you if they choose not to. And no one who wants to be mayor should be telling little girls that they have to wear skirts or dresses.
If skirts and dresses are so wonderful, boys should be wearing them, too.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
So, in reading this, I assumed that Paul Goldman must be one of those slightly nutty single-issue guys that city campaigns tend to attract. Googled, just to make sure.
Umm, I guess not.
Oh, and also:
When I run to be the mayor of Richmond, that will be my platform.
Vivian,
As a tween I went through a tom-boy phase. I did finally get to the place though that I enjoyed dressing up and being feminine. That said…when I was in high school I went to a small private Christian school and everyone had to wear a uniform. For the girls it was a blouse with either a skirt or jumper. I’ve got to tell ya’ the first thing I did in the afternoon when I got home before a snack, watching T.V. or talking to friends on the phone, was go get that dang’ uniform off and put on a comfortable pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt. Ah!
Little girls do need to learn about being lady-like, but in this day and age I think it’s more practical for girls to wear either slacks, jeans, capri pants or a skort (looks like skirt, but has shorts underneath) to school. Plus it’s more comfortable, and there are no worries about the boys pulling up your dress or as they did when I was in jr. high, put a mirror on top of their shoe and then stand up next to you to look up your skirt.
So what’s next if Mr. Goldman is elected, girls walking 15 paces behind the boys?
Mr. Goldman should be applauded for at least discussing ideas, istead of the typical practice of telling us that he is from a family, with family values and that he is part of a congregation, etc.
I think school uniforms are an affront to our core sense of Liberty. I also know from first hand experience that by allowing flexibility in the available selection of school clothes, poor citizens are able to afford to clothe their children.
This must not be turned into a circus of pants versus skirts. We have a political leader who offers many ideas, and he listens to the feedback he gets. In this case, he is hearing that we don’t like school uniforms for various reasons. However, we should encourage those who aspire to lead to follow Mr. Goldman’s example. Discuss your ideas freely and debate their merits in the public square, then listen to what the people support.
Vivian:
Great point, some people are so old fashion. I am so thankful that Hillary Clinton has made it totally acceptable for women to wear pants any where now. I am somewhat amazed that no one has blasted her on that either…..any way I feel she has liberated me from dresses. When someone asked me what they should wear to the JJ dinner back in Feb. I said, well Hillary will be wearing a pant suit. Enough said.
My mom didn’t get ahead in life by being lady-like. She got ahead in life by being smarter than the rest of her colleagues. Mr. Goldman should be more concerned about what’s in a woman’s head and less about what’s covering her legs.
MB – glad to help you out on your platofrm 🙂
DAR – just curious – do you equate being “lady-like” to wearing dresses or are you saying they can learn that while still wearing pants?
JTB – I think it’s fine for Goldman to be discussing ideas. I just don’t want the ideas of the 1950s.
sj – agreed 😉 Can you imagine how many pairs of panty hose HRC would have to carry around with her if she wore dresses all the time? I don’t know that guys think about that.
anon – no doubt your mom is very lady-like, just in a very smart way 🙂
Well, hell, I guess this means we might as well repeal Title IX, ’cause girls won’t be participating in sports any more.
Seriously, this may not be a disqualifier in and of itself, but it speaks volumes about a man who is totally out of touch with girls (and women, presumably) and with the world in which we all live in 2008 (boys and men included).
I hope Richmond can do better than this Neanderthal.
“If skirts and dresses are so wonderful, boys should be wearing them, too.”
They’re called “kilts,” ’cause people got “kilt” for callin’ ’em “skirts.”
(And there’s nothing wrong with kilts, either.)
Vivian,
I believe a girl can be just as lady-like wearing pants, as she could a dress. Most of what we’re about comes from the inside. =)
Thanks, DAR. I thought that was what you meant 😉
Viv — This is a “surf” comment @ best … but one I’m afraid has eminantly larger secondary discussion issues than most of us will address — I ABSOLUTELY and TOTALLY agree w/ your final quote … “If skirts and dresses are so wonderful, boys should be wearing them, too. ” I cannot help but think of the literal thousands of intelligent, but seemingly narrow minded women I have heard that complain of being required to adopt ANY form of “Donna Reed”-isms in their dressing, but @ the same time are seen frequenting Nordstrom’s annual sales in search of that “ultimate soft and caressing” But let me as a boy utter the same wish, and my likely first alternative to that same shopping might well be hiring a full-time security guard ! The world I live in DESPEREATELY needs to understand the truth in your other words … ” She found that students who were more likely to express non-traditional gender role traits had higher levels of ego development. ” I’m not a fan of dollar scoring Vivian, as ANY form of comparison in our society, but as an engineer in AEROSPACE PHYSICS and MATERIALS w/ a salary in excess of $800,000/yr, I can assure anyone that my overly broad (read that as fair and gentle a VERY high % of the time) background, success and happiness in this demanding workplace is ENTIRELY due to my gender role norming growing up w/ a sister who was a TOTAL LADY not to mention a soft, intelligent, vibrant, and FANTASTICALLY CUTE girl, whether in capri pants or a closet full of pouffy petticoats ! I guess what I am saying is I am just FRUSTRATINGLY INCENSED @ girls who want both sides of the closet, but deny me the same feelings. I ALSO have a terrible pre-12 scar on my left leg, but find it amazing to be “socially abraded” if I choose a pair of pretty tights to cover it, while your Calvin Klein chinos get smiles and compliments for their slendring fit ! Thank you Vivian, for this chance @ what I hope is taken as a polite diversion from the main topic, but may show the sometimes connection of a boys heart not only to his favorite garden tractor, but to the SAME feelings women get when they actually WANT to dress in something that makes them feel like a girl — connection to the cosmos and beauty of our world that should NEVER be mutually exclusive to just one gender ! Maybe a small word substitution is the best proof: “I believe the girl [inside of EVERY boy] can be just as lady-like wearing pants, as s(he) could a dress. Most of what we’re about ALSO comes from the inside. ” :)) Here’s hoping I live to see that proof in my lifetime !