The 90's Resurgence

Fashion is extremely full circle. Trends are so often recycled that it’s exciting to try to pick and choose which you think will be the next trend to come back into style. Currently in 2019, I would say we are having a resurgence of 1990’s fashion. As I looked through the Milestones from the 90’s, this only confirmed my hypothesis. Some of the outfits I saw students wearing were very similar to outfits you would see on current Gov’s students on any normal day. However, I did notice that this applied mostly to the girls and not so much the boys.

The girls’ trends that have made a reappearance in fashion were evident to me right away. Plaid skirts and high-waisted pants for girls were prominent in many yearbook photos just as they are today from stores like Brandy Melville and Urban Outfitters. Cold shoulder tops and dresses were more popular about a year ago, but they were also worn by Gov’s students in the 90’s. Scrunchies were a huge staple accessory back then and may be even more so now, with some students wearing up to three on their wrists at a time. Oversized corduroy or jean jackets and flannels were seen on both boys and girls similar to those that are trendy in the present day.

When I was looking through these pictures, there was no doubt in my mind that fashion is just a cycle that keeps on repeating (well, at least some trends are). It was so interesting to see how similarly Gov’s students dressed both now and then even with an almost 30 year gap. Fashion is exciting in this way because you never know what is going to come back in style. That is why it’s a good thing to keep your old clothes around; you never know when it’ll be cool to wear them again.

The plaid skirt worn by the girl on the right is quite similar to skirts worn by Gov's girls today.

This girl's cold shoulder prom dress could definitely be seen on a current Gov's student.

The abundance of flannels and oversized clothing in the pictures above and below really displays  some of the biggest trends of the 90's.

The girl on the left would fit right in today with her scrunchie. 

Commencement Colors

Recently, seniors got measured for commencement robes and given the option to choose what color they want their robe to be. However, the freedom to choose their robe color has not always been given to students. Until very recently, boys wore red and girls wore white. While many girls still choose to wear white and boys to wear red, the gender divide was certainly unique to this school. Many schools have one graduation robe color that all students must wear and some simply do not have graduation robes at all.

The gender divide for robes definitely seems justifiable when you consider that half the seniors would be in white and half would be in red, allowing for a more equal aesthetic. It also makes the process easier for the seniors and the company that we order from. Although nowadays with gender neutrality being more common, requiring a student to choose a color that corresponds to their gender could get the school into serious trouble. This was definitely a major factor in the switch that came around 2014.

The only real downside to seniors being able to choose their robe colors is that it makes the process a little more complicated. Several of my female friends spent days debating whether or not to choose red or white since red is still associated with males and white with females. However, I applaud the girls who wear red and the boys who wear white for doing what they want to do despite tradition or fear of judgement. I am glad that Govs lets us have a choice in this and changed the rule to be more inclusive.

Before the switch, female students were required to wear white robes and males required to wear red, as shown in these pictures from 1990 (below) and sometime between the 70s and 80s (above).

Since the change, students can now wear whatever color robe they want no matter their gender.

Dress Code Drama

The dress code at The Governor’s Academy has definitely been redefined over the years and yet people still get upset about it. While it is slightly ambiguous, as I’ve been looking through student handbooks from the 1970s and on, I’ve realized that it could be a lot worse.

Starting in the early 70’s and ending in 1982, students were only allowed to wear shorts as a part of Classroom Dress after May 1. Even though it is unlikely to get a super hot day in March or April, if there was one back then the students would have to suffer through wearing pants that whole day. After 1982, however, there was no rule on when students could start wearing shorts, which I’m sure makes the boys who wear shorts even on the coldest winter days very happy.

From 1984 until the 90’s, students could not wear clothes that had the logo or name of another ISL school on it as a part of “informal dress” for the weekends and after school. This rule does make sense, but it’s not really something that people acknowledge nowadays. Maybe back then it was a problem, but currently I don’t see a problem with someone wearing a sweatshirt of another ISL school if, for example, their sibling goes there.

The early 90’s is when denim really started to have its moment, but unfortunately Govs did not let students enjoy this trend. The 1989-1990 student handbook states: “No denim of any sort below the waist is allowed; this includes shorts, slacks, skirts, and jumpers.” This would be equally as tough nowadays as it was then, since jean skirts are so popular amongst the female students.

Up until 1990, students had to be in classroom dress for all meals in the Dining Hall except for Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays. It is hard to imagine every student changing back into their clothes from earlier on in the school day after practices were over. This is something that I am very happy is no longer a rule.

Another major issue addressed in all of the dress codes has been shirts. Students get away with a lot having to do with shirts currently, but it was definitely stricter in past years. The handbooks from the 80’s and 90’s state that shirts with collars were required for all students. Our current handbook states that only a “dress shirt” is required, with that being defined as a blouse, polo, or collared shirt. We are lucky in that we don’t have a strictly enforced rule of having to wear collared shirts; while boys are encouraged to, girls have it a lot easier. This, however, creates problems when boys try to argue that girls have an easier dress code, which is technically true. Although the dress code is gender neutral, girls can still get away with wearing a t-shirt while boys get called out if their shirt does not have a collar. I think that the dress code is perfectly fine how it is now, but it is interesting to see what it has been like in the past and how the rules have been redefined.

The 1977 Student Handbook shows an early version of how students were allowed to dress. (above and below)

The current (2018-2019) Student Handbook Dress Code is quite different than earlier ones, stating "do's" and "do not's" for student's clothing.

The dress code from the 1985 Student Handbook shows two interesting rules; no ISL gear other than Govs, and Classroom Dress at all meals in the Dining Hall except for the weekend.