SUA’s Uniforms Throughout The Years
Saint Ursula Academy students, on the stairwell, are looking at the distance. Photo courtesy of SUA yearbooks
By Maya Gray ‘24 and Kyla Gray ‘24
Since Saint Ursula Academy opened, there have been many changes to the uniforms students wear today. Girls only had the choice of a few dresses, whereas now, students can choose from three different sweaters and senior uniforms as a privilege. SUA students are so grateful for everything the administration has done up until now to bless us with the uniforms students wear today.
Saint Ursula Academy’s uniforms have changed much throughout the years. In the late ‘40s, the students wore a collared dress with a pleated front and a belt. The girls were assigned to make the dress themselves out of their chosen fabric and could choose decorative pins to hold the collar together.
The socks and shoes we are assigned to wear match the preppy academic look of the uniform. In the early 2000s, Saint Ursula Academy did a trial and allowed the girls wear tennis shoes. However, this escalated into girls wearing different colored shoes - including orange and platform tennis shoes - that didn’t look good with the uniform.
Senior Uniforms
Saint Ursula Academy allowed a senior polo shirt and had the classes pick a color and quote for the back of the shirt to represent them. Yet again, this escalated into all sorts of colors that didn’t always match the preppy look intended for the uniforms.
Senior uniforms started in the early 2000s. While shopping with her daughter, Assistant Principal Elizabeth Huebner noticed a rugby shirt at Old Navy and thought it would be fun as a senior privilege. Huebner worked with Old Navy for a year, producing the senior rugby until Old Navy discontinued them. After the old rugby shirts were discontinued from Old Navy, Saint Ursula switched to the current navy and white rugby shirt as well as sweatshirts.
Seniors from the class of 2009 wearing their senior hoodies with their class color. Photo courtesy by Saint Ursula Academy yearbooks
Dress Down Days
Some wonder why students can wear leggings for Arrow Card days but not other dress-down days. This is because leggings are a reward to encourage girls to go out and sell Arrow Cards for a good cause and is only for a limited time. Leggings can also be revealing.
“Some parents are disappointed when we have dress-down days because they wonder why they purchase a uniform when the girls get to dress down,” said Huebner.
The Future of Uniforms
Will the uniforms change? Huebner has worked hard for years to design and improve the uniforms we are blessed with today. Therefore, the uniforms will probably not be changing soon.
“I don’t think the uniforms will be changing anytime soon,” says Huebner.
