Wednesday 8 July 2009

Aussie School Uniform Summer Dresses, Soap Operas and Inspiration

Hi folks! You know, generally I hate TV soap operas (That’s ‘TV’ as in television, folks) but I used to just love those Aussie school uniform summer dresses that appeared on 'Neighbours' and 'Home and Away' (and probably still do for all I know) on the rare occasions that I came across either while Chanel-hopping. There is something juvenile about the styling, an image so robust that it persists no mater how adult the actress wearing it appears - and actually is, in chronological terms. And isn't that something a strict governess might strive to achieve with her charge - to undermine the young lady's burgeoning sense of adulthood and thus self confidence and Independence. Its all in the little details, the collar, the half-belt to the rear (right), the (some how essential) invert pleat at the front (top left). Quite a few of my ideas were informed during those fleeting views - and then later further bolstered by my discovery of a Yahoo group featuring those very uniforms (actually I seem to think there were once three, two featuring uniforms from 'Neighbours' and one featuring 'Home and Away' but the latter seems to have vanished).
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Of course, for my girls, my creations if you will, I would prefer to think of something a little more tailored. In my mind's eye I can see perhaps a nipped-in belted waist, a subtly flaring skirt and a high buttoning collar - either large, circular or of the 'peter pan' type - teamed with subtly puffed 'lamb-chop' shoulders and long, button-cuffed sleeves yet nonetheless essentially juvenile in the extreme.
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Why the long sleeves and high-buttoning bodice in a garment apparently deemed suitable for wear in warm weather? Discipline, simply that!





Anyway if you appreciate those Aussie school summer dresses you'll love the Yahoo groups: Neighbours Uniform Babes and its sister / overflow site Neighbours Uniform Babes 2 (As always; just click either to visit or see the rapidly growing Yahoo group list in the sidebar to the right)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

My name is Judith. I have been told, as part of my punishment and behavioural correction plan, to again provide a public update of my punishment as part of my humiliation. Following review of my behavior during the previous six months during which I have been living and been treated like the naughty junior school girl which my behavior had demonstrated I was, my Aunt concluded that I was ready for some alterations to my regime which will ultimately lead to me being able to live without such severe restrictions although even in the end I am to expect there will be appropriate limits to my freedom, dress and opportunities.
I am now again in employment my Aunt having found me full time work as a cleaner for two days per week at each of three of her friends houses. I work from 8 am until 6 pm six days a week doing all of the household work for these 3 homes. This includes cleaning the house, all laundry and ironing, menial aspects of food preparation, washing –up, washing cars and some garden chores e.g. mowing lawns. Whilst doing this I continue to wear a junior school type uniform at all times consisting of half-thigh length maroon school knickers including a medium size sanitary pad at all times, grey ribbed knee socks, white shirt, grey square yoked knee length pinafore dress with pleated skirt buttoning on the shoulders, maroon V-neck woollen cardigan with grey trim. I have a badge which I embroidered in blue and white showing my role title, “Trainee Junior Cleaner” sewn to my cardigan. This is to build on the very effective humiliatory effect, particularly when appearing in public, of wearing a school badge on my uniform during the previous six months. My Aunt has asked all of her friends (and their families) to ensure I have no respite during my work and has encouraged them to treat me both as their chattel and a child. Whilst I, quite rightly, have to show the utmost courtesy addressing them as Sir or Maam and speaking only when spoken to – this includes the children in the families.
When I am at home I wear the same junior school uniform as for the last six months- this reminds me that any progress in my conditions will be slow. Old style brown school knickers including a medium size sanitary pad at all times, grey ribbed knee socks, yellow blouse, brown and yellow stripped tie, brown worsted square yoked pinafore dress reaching well below my knees, brown V-neck woollen waistcoat with yellow trim and brown V-neck woollen cardigan with yellow trim both with badges on. At night I still wear a grey woollen ankle length gown buttoning high to the neck in addition of course to my knickers and sanitary pad.
I perform all of the housework still in my Uncle and Aunt’s house before going to work as before and on returning from work and changing into my school uniform I am confined to my room. My time here is spent on making plain clothing and knitting woollens for my own future wardrobe. I no longer have to write lines or essays as before. I go to bed at 8 pm. On Sunday I attend Church, in my school uniform, which is a continuing source of shame and humiliation. After Church I do housework as necessary and still receive at least two hours and frequently longer of corner time or equivalent positional display.
My other conditions remain essentially unchanged – my hair is in a ponytail, I shower only twice per week and clothing changes remain controlled. The smell and discomfort of wearing sweated clothing is a constant reminder of my status particularly during the recent hot weather. I am still made to wear a sanitary pad in my knickers at all times. Thankfully I do not now have my mouth washed out with soap and water regularly, have to take neither castor oil nor do I ask permission to go to the toilet when working in the house.

Anonymous said...

Continued. I am still subjected to corporal punishment in the form of six strokes of the cane to my behind every other Sunday. Thankfully I am now to be spared further public corporal punishment if my behavior meets the required standards. The spankings applied in front of guests were a severe punishment indeed and one I always hated.
As always if I fail to meet the required standards in any way I am to be immediately and harshly punished. As previously, I will receive corporal punishment in all cases and my Aunt has asked her friends to do the same to me for any failings, even the most minor, when I am at work. When I go to work I have to carry with me my behaviour book in which my employers record my time of arrival and departure, any failings in my work or areas for improvement in my performance and if appropriate and disciplining they have imposed on me during my period of work. My Aunt then reviews my book every day and as she sees fit assigns punishment or additional practice to my schedule. For example during my first week under my new regime last week Mrs. Cartwright commented that my polishing of shoes had been slower than normal – on reading this I was assigned five strokes of the tawse to the palm of each hand, no clothing changes for a week, woollen thumbless mitts in bed for a week and spent my Sunday afternoon on my knees for five hours cleaning shoes. This was in addition to the severe scolding Mrs. Cartwright gave me in front of her teenage daughter after which I was made to stand in her kitchen corner with my hands on my head for 30 minutes.
My Aunt has told me that I will remain under these conditions for a further three months after which, dependent on my behavior, further adjustments will be made to enable me to have greater but still limited responsibilities. It is already clear that I will continue to present myself in a plain and dowdily dressed way and that my freedoms will be limited. I will remain under close supervision and much of my time will continue to be spent on domestic work, the making of my own clothing and potentially some voluntary work at the Church (cleaning the Church and Parish rooms). She has told me that it will be several years before I could be considered responsible enough to be a secretary again, if ever.
Almost a year ago when I was first disciplined by my Aunt having arrived home late and drunk she told me what I could expect as limitations in the foreseeable future. She has now rest these again with greater restrictions than at that time due to my further poor behavior. If my behaviour remains exemplary for the next 3 months and then over the next year or so I will be given greater freedoms but still deservedly be subject to the following upper privilege limits:
• No trousers, stockings or tights. Only blouses and pinafore dresses - longer than knee length to be worn. School knickers to be worn. Ankle or knee socks may be worn. Always to be worn with a minimum of one cardigan at all times.
• School uniform to continue to be worn on Sunday including school knickers, and either knee socks, shirt, pinafore, tie and cardigan or ankle socks, gingham dress and cardigan
• No jewellry or make-up.
• Hair to be worn in a bun at all times and to be worn with my scalp clear back to my hairline. My Aunt will cut my hair to ensure I maintain the required appearance.
• No use of tampons. Sanitary pads to be worn when necessary.
• Curfew at 6:30 PM Monday-Saturday, 6:00 PM Sunday
• All housework to be performed by me.
• No alcohol consumption or smoking.
• Limited TV (maximum of 2 hours total per week) and only with my Uncle or Aunts approval of content.
• All other spare time to be spent in my room dressmaking and knitting to enable me to produce further pinafore dresses, shirts and cardigans and other clothing for my own use. Only my socks and knickers will be purchased in future – I will make all my other clothing.
• All of my pre-punishment clothing to be sold via charity shops. Resulting funds to be used to subsidise cost of my new wardrobe.

Anonymous said...

Continued. As ever my Aunt is pleased to hear of additional and novel methods in which my behaviour plan can be enhanced. I have learnt that she is happy to apply these as she sees fit even where they increase the severity and humiliation of my existing conditions appropriately.
I have heard from my Aunt that someone found my punishment over the recent months to be very harsh and that I should receive greater leniency. Whilst on many occasions over the past months I have thought this myself I now know that my punishment was deserved for my transgressions and poor behaviour over the last couple of years and has helped me to recognize how I can take my deserved place in society. I would therefore not ask for any further requests for leniency as I face the next phase of my reformation plan – as stated in fact if you have further ideas on how this could be done (even if they will cause me further humiliation and discomfort) please provide these.
I hope that this is the last time I have to suffer the humiliation of so publically outlining the full extent of my disciplining and that my improved behaviour will remove the need for this particular sanction to be imposed again.
For some reason I have had to split my essay to load it – if this was a result of my incompetence please highlight this and my Aunt will of course ensure that I am punished or accept your guidance as to how you wish me to be punished. I am not working this morning as there is no one to supervise me at the house I am due to be working at so I have been assigned an array of tasks including this one to occupy my time and if I have waste-d time by doing this incorrectly I deserve to be punished appropriately - I hope this is not the case.

Judith

Anonymous said...

Here in India this type of regimes is the normals for many women myself included. My parents accused me of consorting with a white colleague after we were seen together in a bars by a family friend. Until that time I had been working in HR for a multi-nationals company. My parents decided I had to be punished, for the shames I had brought on the family and myself, and serves my role as a daughter until my marriage. Since then I have not worked but remained at home where I do all of the house work to support my parents, brothers and sisters. I am only allowed from the house accompanied by my parents or one of my two elder brothers. I am thus now consigned to spending my days cleaning, doing laundry and preparing and making meals instead of having a responsibles job which provided me with independence.
I was also assigned specifics punishments for my misbehaviour. The most cruels of these was dressed in some of my work clothing to be beaten across my bared behind with the cane by my father in front of 15 of my family members including my brothers, sisters, grandparents and some of my aunts and uncles. I was then in front of them made to take off my smart clothings and burn them before being made to dress in a rough hessian pavada before having to use a bit of sacking from my father’s workshop a s a sari and wear one of my grandmothers old cardigans. I had to dress like this for six weeks with the sacking against my bare skin before I was allowed some fresh clothings. Now at least I have clean items even if they remain plain and very conservative covering me from head to foot. Like this girl I am never allowed out withouts a cardigan on. I still receive the strap to remind me if my works is not as directed but I hopes that if I behave I will be given a husband from here in Mumbai who is a bit moderns in his outlook. If my father sells me to marriage with someone back in his village then I will spend the rest of my life being treated like this. At least this Judith has some chance of a normal live in future.

Syra

Anonymous said...

I am pleased to see Judith that your guardian continues to keep you under an appropriate and strict regime. If the site owner confirms that you have wasted his time by a mistake in your posting of your update of your humiliation then you should, as previously be punsihed severely. In principle you must learn that any failure in obedience will result in a return to the prvious level of punishment for a suitably long period. In this case I would recommend the reurn of some of the punishments you have jsut been relieved of. This means an extar layer of uniform at all times, regular mouth washing, castor oil, having to ask permission to go to the toilet, 2 or 3 hours of detention every night, given the failure was due to your hand twice weekly application of the strap. I would also suggest, because of your previous postings, the imposition of spankings in front of guests but on a wekly basis. These punishments should be kept in place until the next review in 3 or 4 months time. In addition as specific stricture for this offence you should receive 12 strokes of the cane or strap to your behind and for the next month, again because the offence was caused by your hands, you should wear a pair of the previously described woollen thumbless mitts and have to walk to and from Church and work with your hands on your head for the next four weeks as an extra level of public humiliation. In 3 or 4 months time then any relieve should strat from your new punsihed position.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the last post. As I posted once before in the US girls like this used to be dealt with severely either by theirs parents or the police and the supervisors on the State farm. Although an error in posting her humiliation is in itself minor it shows again her disobedience and failure to comply. In addition to the suggested sanctions I would recommend daily application of the switch to her behind and some public drilling in her uniform to ensure her humilation and make an example of her to others. If this does not correct her then perhaps the time for treating her as a child is over and a change to the gown and cardigan of prison uniform 24 hours per day with regular corporal discipline and hard public work should be considered.

Anonymous said...

Our Church runs a program in the local community which would have helped the lady dealing with this young girl. Observation has led us to develop a means for dealing with those young adults (16 -24 years old) who stray from the Lord's teachings' be that by disrupting the community, poor personal behaviour e.g. drunkness and lack of respect for authority and their elders. Those failing in these ways have to admit their sins before the congregation and then depending upon their offences are placed into the Reform Schedule. All of the young adults on the progam are subject to a set of conditions which constrain thier ability to sin again and humiliate and punish them for their sins. Unlike what appears to be the case in the UK this is not seen as an infringement of thier rights since they gave those up in part when they offended against the teachings of The Bible. This young lady would have found herself in the Reform Group uniform, which for girls is a simple light brown gown and grey cardigan without any buttons or pockets (with the word sinner on the back)and black sneekers. This she would wear at all times. She would have public works for the community to perform such as cleaning at the Church hostel for the homeless and maintaining the Church. She would have to report for Bible Classes every day and for six hours on Sunday. She would be subject to the community curfew of being in her home by 6pm every evening. Sinners are also not permitted to enter shops in the Community unaccomapnied or to drive. We have found this approach to be very beneficial in prevention of poor behavior developing in the youngsters in our community.

Anonymous said...

Our church uses a similar approach with good effect and I can thoroughly recommend this to Judith's Aunt if she is still failing to meet standards of mature behavior. Girls like this find themselves in effect in a school uniform at all times (tie, blouse, skirt and cardigan) and with Bible classes and public work as per the previous posting. With agreement from the offender corporal punishment is till used in severe cases with 10 or 12 strokes of the cane being applied. Punishments last until the church members agree that the sinner has been appropriately punished, their attitude shows they are deterred from further offences and that they have been made an example of to other young women. Typically 4-6 weeks is enough although it may last more than 6 months for anyone who does not respond or reoffends or fails to comply with their punishment. Hope this is useful and that you have managed to improve your niece's behavior.