Catholic school uniforms a source of unity and distinction in Archdiocese of Baltimore

While Catholic school uniforms have changed in style and fabric over the years, two things remain the same: the uniforms are a source of unity and students never have to worry about what to wear.

Theresa M. Greene, vice principal of student affairs at Mount de Sales Academy in Catonsville, said the school’s uniform has gone through dozens of changes over the past 170+ years, from ankle-­length navy skirts to worsted wool jumpers to today’s navy plaid kilts.

Though the uniform has gone through a variety of adaptations, one piece has never changed – the Miraculous Medal.

“The history and tradition of wearing the Miraculous Medal began with the Visitation Sisters, who founded the school,” Greene said. “The sisters had a deep devotion to the mother of Christ and wanted the students to have a personal reminder of her presence, her love for them and her miraculous intercession in their daily lives.”

Freshmen receive their Miraculous Medal necklaces from their Mount de Sales “big sisters” at an October school Mass.

“The Miraculous Medal makes the uniform special because when we wear it, Mary gives us special graces, and we are reminded of her protection and intercession,” said Anna Durastanti, sophomore class president.

In addition to the plaid skirt and blazer in winter, Mount De Sales students also sport a light blue cotton skirt in spring and summer, along with a collared shirt with a logo. Seniors are allowed to wear a pullover instead of the traditional blazer.

“Having a school uniform is seen by many as a burden or an undesired aspect of student life, however, I have found that a uniform provides an opportunity to grow in virtue,” said Maggie Fisher, junior class chaplain. “Having a uniform allows us to also grow in humility. Wearing the same things as other students reminds us that we are not better than anyone else and should remember to put others and God before ourselves.”

Debbie Schaefer-Jacobs, a curator in the Division of Home and Community Life at the National Museum of American History in Washington who has cataloged Catholic school uniforms for the museum’s education collection, noted that religious sisters staffed most schools in the early decades of Catholic education. They wore their own kind of “uniform,” she said, in their religious habit.

“Uniforms provided a method of masking obvious class and racial diversity in dress while providing a sense of security, modesty and freedom of movement, particularly for females,” she said.

Schaefer-Jacobs noted that boys’ uniforms have remained consistent since the 20th century. Boys typically wore a shirt and tie, later adding a blazer or sweater with the school’s patch. While people could get boys’ uniforms almost anywhere, the girls’ uniforms had to be purchased at a uniform store or at the tailor.

Polo shirts came into play in the late 20th century, when uniforms moved toward more comfortable, easy-care cotton knits, rather than the heavy wools and linens of the past.

The predominant color in Catholic school uniforms in the 19th century was navy blue. Later, jumpers were also made in burgundy, dark green and brown. In the mid-1960s, plaid skirts and blazers became popular.

Notre Dame Preparatory School in Towson did not follow the plaid trend, and the school has one of the most iconic uniforms in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

“There is no other uniform quite like it in Baltimore,” said Shawn Osmeyer, upper level dean of students. “Whenever you see the blue dress, white collar and saddle shoes, you know that is a Notre Dame student.”

Osmeyer, whose mother is an alumna, enrolled in sixth grade in 1980, and the uniforms are still the same. In fact, Osmeyer said the NDP uniform has looked pretty much the same since the 1940s.

“The sleeves went from long to short, and there used to be a front zipper and detachable collars and cuffs,” Osmeyer said. “By the time I enrolled, the uniform was tailored as a single dress and is the same one the students wear today.”

“The uniform is most certainly a unifying factor for NDP,” she said. “It’s one less distraction, which is especially helpful to young people who are managing so much with school, homework, activities and more.”

At both Mount De Sales and NDP, students can add unique touches to their blazers by adding pins received from sports, achievements and extracurricular activities.

“By the end of your senior year, most of us are blinged out with shiny pins,” said NDP senior Katherine Phelan. “It’s so fun seeing everyone’s pin combinations because they all are tailored to everyone’s individual experiences here at NDP.”

Lauren M. Noll, assistant principal at Sacred Heart School in Glyndon, attended the school 1989-97, and her daughters, Emelia (eighth grade), and Lily (sixth grade), are current students. She said the uniform’s distinctive navy plaid has been a constant over the years.

Girls in the elementary school wear navy plaid jumpers and white blouses with a traditional Peter Pan collar, while middle school girls graduate to plaid skirts and oxford shirts. Elementary school boys wear navy chino pants and polo shirts. Middle school boys wear oxford shirts, ties and khaki pants.

Noll recalls adding gym uniforms to her school wardrobe when she was in seventh or eighth grade.

“Prior to that, it was all the dress uniform,” she said. “We only wore gym uniforms on gym days. Now, it’s kind of nice that children have the option to wear them in September and May when it gets warm.”

While Catholic school uniforms may include more options than they did years ago, students still have a unified look no matter what the season.

“It is so nice not having to worry about what I will wear each day for school,” Phelan said.

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