A gymslip is a sleeveless tunic with a pleated miniskirt most frequently seen as part of a girl's school uniform. The term gymslip mostly refers to sporty wear; otherwise the word pinafores dress (British English) or jumper clothes (American English) is usually prefer.
The introduction of the gymslip as feminine sporty wear is credited to Martina Osterberg, a founder of a college for training female physical learning teachers in Hampstead. Gymslips were also worn by female gymnasts and athletes from the 1880s to the 1920s, as they were more mobile than customary female attire, but still modest enough to daunt the possibility of them becoming sexualized during their action. Even in this modest attire, gymslips as athletic wear were still worn severely out of public sight.
When not worn as athletic wear, gymslips or pinafore dresses are usually worn over a top and tie and replace a miniskirt. Underneath a gymslip, pair of white knee socks is more common than a couple of tights, matching regulation knickers may also be obligatory. A blazer may be wear over the top. First emerging in the 1900s, by the 1920s it had become essential in many private, convent and high schools, and thus became frequently worn by girls in Britain as part of their school uniform.
