Over the 52 years of the School's existence, QDS/St. Chad's girls wore a number of different school uniforms.

Prior to 1934, the uniform kit consisted of:
1 or 2 dark uniform sailor suits (middy, skirt and bloomers) worn with a sand-coloured blouse
2 black silk ties
2 sets dark blue or black hair ribbons
1 dark blue heavy sweater
1 gymnasium tunic

From 1934 to the mid 1950's, the basic uniform consisted of a grey serge tunic with the navy blue and gold school crest on the yoke; pale blue blouses with short puffed sleeves, worn with a navy cotton tie; brown oxfords, and tan lisle stockings for seniors and socks for juniors. A navy blue sweater or navy blazer was also worn. For gym, we wore royal blue cotton sleeveless gym tunics and bloomers, with royal blue ankle socks and running shoes. By 1955, however, the tunics and bloomers were gone: in their place we wore navy blue shorts and white sweatshirts.

The length of the tunic rose and fell. In the late 1930's the tunic was supposed to be short ("two inches above the knee when kneeling"). This was later relaxed to "regular dress length" which submitted the tunic to the dictates of fashion: thus, in the late '40's and early '50's it descended to knee length and below, only to rise above the knee again in the '60's.

In the '50's, the basic uniform underwent some gradual, minor changes. The puffed sleeves disappeared, to be replaced with straight short sleeves; the lisle stockings were replaced with navy blue knee socks in winter and ankle socks in summer; and navy blue-and-white saddle shoes, and even "white bucks" became summer replacements for the brown oxfords, for which brown loafers became an acceptable substitute. When St. John's, St. Michael's and St. Mary's Houses were introduced, bicoloured house ribbons were added to the tunic yoke to the left of the crest. At around this time also, head girls and prefects began to wear a silk rope girdle rather than a regular belt with their tunics.

In 1965, the uniform was changed more radically. The grey tunic was replaced with a grey kilt, worn modishly above the knee with a pale blue and white small-checked blouse. Navy knee socks and blazers, navy ties with a house crest, and brown loafers (blue and white ankle socks and shoes in summer) completed the uniform.

In addition to the uniform, the clothes list issued to all prospective students included a white dress, with no coloured trim of any kind, to be worn on special occasions such as the School Birthday, Confirmation, and Prizegiving. Boarders were also required to supply a navy blue dress with long sleeves for Sundays (black was not acceptable!); a pair of dress shoes; a winter coat; galoshes and rubbers; a dressing gown and bedroom slippers, and 3 sets of underwear and pyjamas or nightgowns. The School brochure in 1940 specified that "every girl is expected to wear an undervest in the winter months". Expectatations about underwear in the 1950's included "shaped shoulders" for bras and slips: these, presumably, stood up better to institutional laundering.

Boarders had to bring some linens too: 3 table napkins, 3 towels, 2 bath towels, a comforter or woollen blanket, 2 pairs of sheets, and 3 pillow-cases. All clothes and linens had to be marked with woven cloth name tapes, securely sewn on. Rounding out the boarder's list of essentials were a napkin ring, shoe-cleaning and mending kit, and laundry bag. Most boarders packed all this into a trunk to go off to school, and on the day of arrival in September the Long Hall on the main floor was a scene of considerable confusion as trunks lined up in rows were unpacked, later to be stored in the Trunk Room in the basement.

We can't leave the subject of uniforms without mentioning the Chapel Cap! At the beginning of term each girl was issued with a T-shaped piece of starched white fabric, which, folded over and fastened with straight pins, made up into a Dutch cap for wearing in chapel. The chapel cap was kept in the classroom with our schoolbooks, ready to be whipped on when the bell rang for Chapel.