For all Maryknollers out there, our school uniform is one of a long list of things we take pride in. Most of us would remember the look of disbelief when people found out we were wearing our school uniform: ‘This is your uniform? It’s so pretty. What school do you go to?’ Beaming with pride, we would answer, ‘Yes, this is my school uniform. I go to Maryknoll.’ From the floral blouse donned by the Primary pupils to the ‘qipao skirt’ of the senior Secondary students, Maryknoll’s school uniform has continuously evolved over the years, balancing aesthetics with functionality while keeping abreast with the changing times, and one man is the linchpin of this evolution– Tailor Law.

The School’s Own Tailor

Not only do we have unusually beautiful uniforms, but we also have our own school tailor. Tailor Law is not just someone who makes clothes for a living. He is a professional ‘ladies’ tailor’ who apprenticed with a Shanghainese master. In the 1960s, Tailor Law had a small tailor shop in Kwun Tong. Besides making clothes for customers, he also offered clothing alteration service. Indeed, his long relationship with MCS began with a 10-dollar alteration job for a Maryknoll Sister who lived in the area. The sister was happy with his work and after some time, Sister Rose Duchesne, the then principal of the Secondary Section, asked Tailor Law if he would taper the sisters’ tunics and teach the girls at the embroidery and sewing workshop in the Convent. ‘I told Sister Rose I could not leave my shop, but if she could ask the girls to take all the seams apart, I could make three tunics with the fabric from two of the original loose-cut dresses.’ Tailor Law made the sisters’ tunics for a while, before he became the tailor of the Secondary Section. ‘I am much indebted to Sister Rose,’ he said. ‘She accompanied me to a Japanese fabric manufacturer, which otherwise would have turned me away because my business was so small. Together we chose a cotton fabric for the summer uniform and ordered it in three colours– white, peach and blue. She also asked me to design the uniform.’

In the years that followed, Tailor Law was asked to make uniforms for the kindergarten and primary pupils. The iconic floral pattern of the primary school uniform, as Tailor Law recalled, was given to him by the school and he took it to a Japanese fabric manufacturer to have it printed. Since its debut in 1968, the floral pattern has become an important symbol of our identity as Maryknoller. It is dearly loved by current and former students, teachers, parents, friends and even outsiders, so much so that Maryknoll Convent School Foundation had to register it as a trademark to prevent unauthorised use.

Until the 1990s, Tailor Law and his staff would come to the school twice a year to take the measurements of students, who enjoyed a welcomed break from lessons as they queued for their turn to be measured. The practice was subsequently cancelled due to complaints of class disruption by the teachers, but for many of us it was another source of Maryknoll pride. After all, not many students in Hong Kong had their uniforms made to measure and, more importantly, their measurements taken by the master tailor himself. Taking the students’ measurements for their uniforms is an important part of Tailor Law’s service, for unlike other school uniform suppliers who produce garments in general sizes, he takes care to ensure Maryknollers of different shapes and sizes feel comfortable and look smart in his uniforms. ‘We make at least three lengths for each chest size, and there are about 60 sizes in total,’ Tailor Law said of the primary summer uniforms.

Evolution of the Maryknoll Uniform

In the mid-1960s, Tailor Law started a new chapter in the story of our uniform when he became the school tailor of the Secondary Section. He designed new uniforms for students in Form 1 to 5: knee-length A-line dress in white, blue or peach for summer; off-white blouse featuring an unconventional tie and navy blue A-line skirt for winter. A few years later, the floral pattern of the Primary uniform was introduced.

In the 1980s, the brown jumper (pinafore) of the Primary uniform, which features a gold ring on each shoulder, was replaced with the current buttoned version, for the rings pressed against the girls’ collar bones when they wore their schoolbags and caused discomfort. For the Secondary Section, summer and winter uniforms were designed for the Form 6 and 7 students, as they were no longer allowed to go to school in casual wear. Pleats were added to the summer dresses and winter skirts worn by students in Form 1 to 5 for a better-looking A-line and to allow more movement. The white and peach summer dresses were phased out due to low demand.

In the 1990s, a brown wool jacket with distinctive batwing sleeves was added to the Primary winter uniform. Prior to this, pupils wore their own brown jackets to school– boys’ silk padded jackets were the cool thing to wear. In the 2000s, the current waterproof school jackets, which are more versatile and comfortable than their wool predecessors, were introduced in the Primary and Secondary Sections.

In the late 2000s, the skirt of the junior Secondary winter uniform was replaced by the current skort.

A Lifetime of Dedication

Tailor Law’s journey with Maryknoll began when he was a young man looking for a business opportunity. For almost 60 years, he has been the school’s dedicated uniform supplier, modifying designs to meet the changing needs of the school and students, as well as adopting new fabrics to improve the functionality and durability of the uniforms. While Tailor Law became a Maryknoll parent– both of his daughters attended MCS, his business partnership with the school has blossomed into lasting friendships with teachers and students. He is a member of the Maryknoller family through and through, always referring to MCS as “our school”. He also made sure he celebrated the school’s centenary with us at the Gala Dinner held in February. Today, Tailor Law spends half of his time in Hong Kong and his factory in China, and the other half with his family in Canada. We wish him happiness and good health, and look forward to celebrating the School’s next milestone anniversary with him.