Thailand's 'rule breaker' school uniforms challenge tradition

By Juarawee Kittisilpa and Jorge Silva

 

Models pose for an advertising campaign wearing Thai designer Tin Tunsopon's creations aiming to be an alternative to the school uniforms that are mandatory in the country, in this handout picture taken in Thailand, June 2020. Wacoal X Post-Thesis/Handout via REUTERS

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - In Thai classrooms, showing a rebellious or creative streak through what you wear is difficult.

 

School uniform rules are strict, down to how pupils' hair should be cut and the type of socks and shoes they are allowed to wear.

 

But as students around the country push back against what they call archaic rules and join a broader pro-democracy movement, a young clothing designer is throwing his support behind them in a colourful way.

 

Tin Tunsopon has taken the typical uniform of pleated skirts and white sailor shirts for girls and neat shorts and white shirts for boys and blown them up into exaggerated versions with huge collars and sleeve ruffles made from shoe laces.

 

"By re-creating these uniforms and giving them various designs...people can see that we should no longer be attached to the (traditional) uniforms anymore," 23-year-old Tin told Reuters.

 

Models pose for an advertising campaign wearing Thai designer Tin Tunsopon's creations aiming to be an alternative to the school uniforms that are mandatory in the country, in this handout picture taken in Thailand, June 2020. Wacoal X Post-Thesis/Handout via REUTERS

 

The clothing line labeled the 'rule breakers' was launched in collaboration with the Wacoal lingerie brand in June with prices ranging from $100 to a top end of $475, for a long pleat skirt with a big bow.

 

Tin said they are designed for "modern day girls, who are not afraid to express themselves and move with confidence".

 

"The uniforms break away from the traditional forms, although still resembles a uniform ... I want to support kids to be as creative as they can," said Tin.

 

Tin has named his label 'Post-Thesis', a nod to his graduation project at Bangkok University, where he examined the purpose of uniforms and how they can be changed.

 

The rebellious movement sweeping through Thai high schools has been dubbed "Bad Student" by its leaders. Students have worn white ribbons, publicly hacked off their hair and made "Hunger Games" salutes in a bid to shake up the country's rigid education system.

 

(Writing by Ed Davies; editing by Jane Wardell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-09-29

 

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2 minutes ago, webfact said:

In Thai classrooms, showing a rebellious or creative streak through what you wear is difficult.

in thailand it is all about conformity, thus no critical thinking

Our school uniform was Donkey jacket, jeans and boots....

regards worgeordie

A few years back there was a collage pic of girls from different Universities and the length of their skirts ... it was pretty good.  You had the short (to very short) sexy skirts then the knee length and then the ankle length skirts ... you could tell where the young ladies went to school.

 

5 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Our school uniform was Donkey jacket, jeans and boots....

regards worgeordie

In our house it was first up best dressed

I couldn't imagine the wife wearing one of those uniforms I think the one she's got is good enough

 

18 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

in thailand it is all about conformity, thus no critical thinking

Keep the standard School uniform--- Its better for the poorer people in Essan etc. Can be brought at Tesco & is handed down from older sister or neighbor.

Oh my. Love the resistance of the Bad Students to have new change and old dinosaur ways put out to pasture, but if I was a boy in school my testosterone level would be off the charts and my grades same way in the other direction.

Only one question is really important: Can new uniforms be produced and sold for the same low prices, so that also kids from poor families can afford them?

It should be encouraged that pupils put some personal touches on their uniforms, as it nurtures creative thinking. But that is exactly what the powers-that-be do NOT want. Creative thinking is the enemy of the sheep herd mentality that keeps them in charge.

 

On the other hand, the outfit designed by Tin Tunsopon is way OTT and, frankly, b**t-ugly.  Looks like curtain drapes at a funeral service. 

 

If the kids show up like that....they'll get forced buzz cuts and the clothes will be shredded...by staff at the greeting gate

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Models pose for an advertising campaign wearing Thai designer Tin Tunsopon's creations aiming to be an alternative to the school uniforms that are mandatory in the country, in this handout picture taken in Thailand,

A nice handfull of ladyboys in the photo

just saying...

1 hour ago, HaoleBoy said:

A few years back there was a collage pic of girls from different Universities and the length of their skirts ... it was pretty good.  You had the short (to very short) sexy skirts then the knee length and then the ankle length skirts ... you could tell where the young ladies went to school.

 

My kid's way ahead of them ................

1 hour ago, sanuk711 said:

 

Keep the standard School uniform--- Its better for the poorer people in Essan etc. Can be brought at Tesco & is handed down from older sister or neighbor.

True, but most schools have three, sometimes four uniforms: the regular uniform, the sport uniform (and I've seen some dreadful colours for these), the scout uniform which has evolved in the West but not in Thailand where pre-war style is still the norm, plus some schools have a colourful shirt on Fridays.

 

Thats hardly keeping the cost down!

Thankfully, none of them are school uniforms or are being considered as school uniforms, just the designer's PR, courtesy of Reuters.

14 minutes ago, madmitch said:

True, but most schools have three, sometimes four uniforms: the regular uniform, the sport uniform (and I've seen some dreadful colours for these), the scout uniform which has evolved in the West but not in Thailand where pre-war style is still the norm, plus some schools have a colourful shirt on Fridays.

 

Thats hardly keeping the cost down!

Once again a lot are handed down...(up this way at least)  If you left it to each (hi S0) girl competing , it would blow whatever budget they try to keep to in Sakon Nowhere.......

7 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

Once again a lot are handed down...(up this way at least)  If you left it to each (hi S0) girl competing , it would blow whatever budget they try to keep to in Sakon Nowhere.......

I agree regarding the hand-me-downs. My daughter's at International School where the uniform is compulsory but any shoes can be worn, meaning most of the kids spend a fortune on trainers to show off to their friends and that creates peer pressure. After I refused to splash out 5,000 baht on shoes, to her credit she found the same style second hand for 700 baht and bought them herself.

2 hours ago, Swiss1960 said:

Only one question is really important: Can new uniforms be produced and sold for the same low prices, so that also kids from poor families can afford them?

He might well be a great designer but he should be forced to wash, dry and iron the damn things for at least 2 weeks in a row.

 

I am lucky as my son is 16 and only has 3 uniforms. Normal black shorts and white shirts with his name embroidered on the shirt, light blue 2 button shirt and track uit bottoms and Scout uniform that he hasn't worn for a few months.

 

The shirts are easy to wash, dry and iron, but the collars are a bitch to scrub clean.

Nevermind

Edited September 29, 20205 yr by NCC1701A

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Our school uniform was Donkey jacket, jeans and boots....

regards worgeordie

 

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Our school uniform was Donkey jacket, jeans and boots....

regards worgeordie

We were hi-so so we removed the cheap plastic waterproof bits on the shoulders of the donkey jackets

Edited September 29, 20205 yr by overherebc

Just get to the point and wear spandex that's shorter than a belt. We know what it's all about, wink wink.

4 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Our school uniform was Donkey jacket, jeans and boots....

regards worgeordie

Bit hot for that here innit?

A large part of the reason for school uniforms is to prevent "class distinction" between the "richer" kids and the poor ones, who all share the same classrooms. As well, allowing kids to dress however they want can result in them wearing stuff that is more often seen in a go-go bar than a school. Or wearing stuff that identifies what gang they belong to (ect, ect) which can also lead to problems and they have enough of those already.

Not all kids in all schools do that, but enough seem to that it can cause problems. Like in the US when well endowed teenie boppers deliberately wear clothes meant to show off as much boob or @ss as possible, then whine to the media when they are sent home.

As mentioned, the current school uniforms can be handed down/across/swapped easily, especially among the "poorer" classes (though after awhile it's kind of obvious who is wearing "new" stuff and who is wearing hand-me-downs).

I'd say they may want to consider swapping out the boy scout uniforms and either wearing the regular uniform in place of it or perhaps some other "less formal" style of uniform that doesn't resemble gym clothes.

 

Thailand has enough problems with "class" as it is.

I still remember going shopping for my school uniform when moving up from middle school to grammar school. Telling my mum and dad, that I wanted the biggest flares they could find and the highest platformed shoes as possible ! Prancing when going to school and then realising the fashion had changed in the summer holidays to dockers and slim trousers !

Nothing wrong with school uniforms ... wore them all through my secondary education ... the key was how inventive you could get with the designs

6 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I still remember going shopping for my school uniform when moving up from middle school to grammar school. Telling my mum and dad, that I wanted the biggest flares they could find and the highest platformed shoes as possible ! Prancing when going to school and then realising the fashion had changed in the summer holidays to dockers and slim trousers !

I got sent home to change what was called by the headmaster a 'loud shirt'.

????????

Uniform: "remaining the same in all cases and at all times; unchanging in form or character."

That is why they are called uniforms.... students should be allowed to do as they wish regarding hair.

Additional benefit of uniforms is schools can quickly tell who doesn't belong at the school. Considering tech school wars, I'd say that is a good thing.

I was teacher in poor area in USA & some of us wished we could get uniforms approved, for the safety issue and remove that strain on family resources

Those variations on uniforms shown here are so darn ugly.... jeez

4 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

A nice handfull of ladyboys in the photo

just saying...

The designer's friends?

5 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Our school uniform was Donkey jacket, jeans and boots....

regards worgeordie

Hard days down the Pit!!! Lol

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's 'rule breaker' school uniforms challenge tradition

Thailand is a land of uniforms, they have them for every occasion, not only students I see teachers going in each day in a different colour, even TV newscasters are colour coded.

It's about indoctrination but underlying it's about business for the garment manufacturers... a cunning plan.