Sydney private schools starting to allow girls to wear pants, shorts after century of tunics

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When the principal at one of Sydney’s oldest girls’ schools decided to overhaul the uniform options available to students, there had been no changes to its traditional tunics and crested blazers for decades.

“Last year, after consulting parents, we decided to offer pants to the senior girls for winter,” said Melissa Boyd, the acting head at MLC School. “They like having the choice; and the first batch sold out almost straight away.”

The 137-year-old inner west college is part of a growing number of historic private girls’ schools expanding their uniform options, with Ravenswood and St Catherine’s among the latest to allow girls to choose tailored pants instead of skirts and dresses.

Students at Ravenswood in the north shore can choose between pants or a tunic as part of the winter uniform.Credit: Janie Barrett

“We are really encouraging the girls to be outside, in fresh air and be active. We thought offering long pants would help that continue throughout winter. Generally, the parents just thought it was a great idea,” said Boyd.

From this year, MLC’s primary students in year 3 and up can also choose trousers instead of the regulation tunic, while shorts and tracksuit pants can be worn on select sport days.

In 2018, the NSW Department of Education updated its uniform policy to give girls at public schools the option of wearing pants or shorts, but the rule does not apply across the independent sector.

Students from years 3 to 12 at MLC Sydney can choose to wear pants as part of the school’s uniform updates this year.Credit: Louise Kennerley

Ravenswood principal Anne Johnstone, said her school added a pants option in 2021 – for “choice and flexibility” – after feedback from pupils and a consultation with the student representative council.

“They expressed that they enjoy being able to choose from different uniform options, and as a school we are keen to support student agency,” she explains, adding that primary students can now wear shorts during the full school day when they have sports lessons.

But Amy Blain, director of pro-options advocacy group Girls Uniform Agenda, said while more schools are broadening uniform choices beyond dresses and skirts, many private schools are sticking to traditional options.

“In NSW, it’s a mixed bag with what’s available at private schools,” she said. “Some schools in Victoria and Western Australia are getting rid of formal uniforms entirely and replacing it with activewear, and most private schools in the ACT have pants available as an option for girls.”

Last month, all-girls school Monte Sant’ Angelo unveiled the first major change to its uniform in more than 40 years. The school redesigned its dresses and introduced a trench coat, but pants or shorts were not included in the mix.

In a letter to parents and alumni, principal Nicole Christensen said the school overhauled the uniform ahead of its 150th anniversary in 2025. “We have long identified a need to improve the wearability of the uniform and reinvigorate the design for a modern world,” she said.

Other schools, including Frensham, are in the early stages of a uniform review. “We are continually looking for the right balance between formality and practicality,” said the school’s principal Geoff Marsh. “All schools are different and the expectations of their communities are different.”

Blain said dresses and skirts restrict movement and physical activity, especially in break times, and while uniform options should be available, dresses “shouldn’t always be the automatic default”.

“There is often this resistance to change because of that tradition,” she said.

Year 11 MLC School student Persephone Wahltuch chooses to wear trousers in winter.Credit: Louise Kennerley

St Catherine’s brought in pants for the first time last year, while Barker College and Santa Sabina introduced shorts a few years ago.

University of Newcastle public health researcher Nicole Nathan is analysing the impact of wearing a sports uniform each day as part of a trial involving 500 NSW primary-aged students.

“From a pragmatic and practical view, it would make sense to have kids in sports uniforms more,” she said. “I’ve heard younger children say they find it hard to ride their bikes to school in dresses or skirts. It’s about offering choice to students, and anything we can do to get kids moving is a good thing.”

“But principals often think sports uniforms are not appropriate for formal school occasions,” she said.

For year 11 MLC student Persephone Wahltuch the option of wearing pants allows her to be more comfortable on the more than hour-long commute on the two trains she catches each day to school.

“I was probably the first one lining up at the uniform shop when they first became available,” she said. “Most girls still choose the tunic, but it’s good to have the option, and more practical for me.”

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