Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Tie me kangaroo down sport

One of the things I like about our school is that it doesn't have a uniform.  I know some parents say a uniform is easier, but my kids are male and easygoing and we've never once had a clothing dispute, so this argument cuts no ice with me.  It would make my life harder, I reckon. I'd have to make sure a uniform was cleaned and possibly ironed, and it would cost  money, unlike the bulk of hand-me-down clothing my kids get around in.  And I'm a bit anti-uniform on ideological grounds too; uniforms seem to me repressive tools of corporate branding and homogenisation.  This is obviously because I am the sort of person who expresses myself via my clothing, and usually the message I'm expressing is: I really like purple.  Fortunately the high school we're looking at for Climber has just changed their uniform from navy blue to purple, thereby making it slightly more acceptable to me.

Anyway, at our non-uniform school, it was school photo day today. In terms of appearance, I had the kids wash their hair the night before and this morning asked them to pick out a nice t-shirt.   Climber came and consulted over his choice, but Cherub knew exactly what he wanted to wear: a tie or bow-tie, because and I quote ties and bow-ties are cool.

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And actually, although I absolutely hated wearing a tie at his age to school, when I look at him in his get-out, I thought he looked very cool indeed.  Apparently quite a number of kids at school were rather impressed as well.

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Also, for the class photo he and his best friend were consigned to the front row of seats (neither of them are tall) but Cherub got to sit dead centre because of his tie.  I was speaking to a friend who elected to wear a tie to school photo day many years ago, and he said he got beaten up for it.  Tie-ms have changed.

13 comments:

  1. This is our first year without uniforms and it has been a blessing. Your offspring are cutie's! Gotta love the tie. ~*~Lisa

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  2. I have to admit I like that our school has uniforms, but then our mornings are fraught enough without my children (particularly my youngest) choosing bonkers outfits that don't match themselves or the weather. I certainly don't have easy going children!

    Cherub looks so sweet in his tie. Sorry. Cool in his tie. Not sweet. Oh no.

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  3. "Tie-ms have changed"...love it! Cherub looks great.

    I like ties. I'm very disappointed that the corporate tie is rapidly going out of fashion. Only about half the men on Collins Street wear them now.

    And I like uniforms. But that's because I have girls...and without uniforms I don't think we'd actually make it to school most mornings.

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  4. I love uniforms! My year 12 is still wearing the jumper,winter skirt and summer dresses I bought for her in year 7. ( She's the same height and only a few kilos heavier). I am cheap .... and lazy - don't iron any of it.Cherub looks totally adorable in his tie. Maybe you have a little Alex P. Keaton there - remember "Family ties" where the hippies had the conservative son?

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  5. Although he didn't wear it to be conservative, he really saw it as a cool dress-up and a bit Doctor Who-ish!

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  6. Your boys both look very cool!

    I loathe uniforms and would campaign to get rid of ours if a) I didn't have a whole lot of other things to do and b) there were enough other parents who felt the same way. Sadly lots of people seem to love the uniform. Sigh. Grace has no trouble getting dressed in the morning - if her outfit is too weird for the day ahead I just ask her to modify it and she does. Easy. Some of her school uniform looks are pretty weird too but to be honest, I encourage that!

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  7. DAMMIT delete that previous comment for me would you? I swear to god Lastpass logins are more trouble than they're worth.

    Love both the looks! Black and white all the way...

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  8. How great is it that he just wears what he wants like that? I see guys, grown up guys, who are so comfortable in their own skin they can set the pace for the fashion they wear...and their confidence ensures they carry it off!

    Good on him, apart from looking gorgeous (they both do) it is so friggin amazing that he is confident enough to just DO IT!!

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  9. Surely "ties and bow ties are cool" is Matt Smith inspired. School photos will be a little extra gorgeous this year. Are you sure he didn't sneak a sonic screwdriver into his pocket?

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  10. He is beautiful! We don't have school uniforms at any level. I can see pros and cons, but prefer NOT to have them myself. I lay out the kids clothes the night before (with their help in choosing, but with me having veto power), hang them in the same place, and they get up and go through their morning routine with a minimum of drama. Minimum meaning I just have to remind them to move from one thing to another.

    Very Dr. Who Cherub. Love Climber's tshirt as well!

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