School Uniforms

[Deleted member 106803]

I wouldn't mind uniform so much if they let you alter it or accessorize but in my school they ban all jewellery and any extra clothing.

I do believe that it is stopping the expression of individuality and actually suppressing art.

Although, I do understand that some people may not be able to afford 'nice clothes' so uniform does suffice as suppressing bullying in that aspect which is a relief for a minority.

This was me in the last day of school. I'm now going into sixth form;

Please ignore the expression, I know I look horrific.

Oh and ignore the graffiti

P.s I was really risking it wearing that necklace

 

[solg]

I'm right there with you Fionuir

I've always had to wear a uniform too. I couldn't do anything slightly crazy; you had to adapt to what they wanted you to wear and how they wanted the uniform to look like. After all it was you representing the school via the uniform..... or at least that's what they told me

I always had to tie my hair, and they would even tell you what color the scrunchy should be (red for formal uniform; navy for PE uniform). Blue backpacks/bags; no nail polish; no really short socks; white sneakers & black shoes (no heel or anything like that, obviously); and the list goes on.

The one part that still catches my attention is that we had to have our notebooks covered in red for morning classes & green for afternoon classes.

I wish i could have worn my uniform in a GG style; it'd have been so much fun

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ So for Secret Santa we have lots of ideas for solg ... I bet she still loves scrunchies and notebooks in those exact same colors

Or maybe not ...

 

[vampodrama]

I'm wondering if they had anything else to wear ... I can picture my mother going, "This is a perfectly good uniform, we paid for it, you're gonna wear it ..." I wonder if the year was when they outgrew those perfectly good uniforms

And btw, I am shocked, shocked, that the Soviets came up with "butt ugly" uniforms

well, I personally didn't have much other clothes indeed, so I wore my uniform for a while after it was no longer required. I suspect it was the same for many others as well.

 

[Yin&Yang]

seems like a huge number of us ( me included ) get into trouble for modifying / personalizing our school uniform!

 

[mademoiselle_]

I always wore uniform and I loved it
but I remember the nuns (yes my school was of nuns) they didn't let us smoke with the uniform 2 blocks from the school, it was forbidden to be at a motorcycle with a guy (I think none did that ) the socks should be always up, I was sent back home lots of time because I wasn't wearing the tshirt school even tough it was the same color, for swiming it was the school swimsuit blue goggles and blue hm cap? for the hair, and for sport day pants but when it was sport class we had to change to shorts
we couldn't had been seen anywhere doing anything not propper with the uniform or it was expell cause they don't want girls who give bad image to the school

 

[funkalicious]

School uniforms are cool if they do it Gossip Girl style.

 

[solg]

I always wore uniform and I loved it
but I remember the nuns (yes my school was of nuns) they didn't let us smoke with the uniform 2 blocks from the school, it was forbidden to be at a motorcycle with a guy (I think none did that ) the socks should be always up, I was sent back home lots of time because I wasn't wearing the tshirt school even tough it was the same color, for swiming it was the school swimsuit blue goggles and blue hm cap? for the hair, and for sport day pants but when it was sport class we had to change to shorts
we couldn't had been seen anywhere doing anything not propper with the uniform or it was expell cause they don't want girls who give bad image to the school

I can totally relate to that!

I remember guys were sent home if they weren't wearing a belt, or if their hair was long enough to touch the shirt's collar...

I guess that one of the main points of wearing a uniform is that you're representing your school. So that's why they have so many limitations and authorities tend to be on everyone's back so they all look 'perfect'.

 

[John_M.]

Remember this following statement: "I am an artist and that I understand what all expression entails." What's the use of this statement? It's because I am an art person. Part of art is expression. And when in school, expression can't be expressed when all you're wearing is the same outfit as everybody else. I look at uniforms on the bases of personal style and expression. Uniforms can be so much of a hassle that some people (especially girls) look for various outfits and styles to skirt the rules. This even included capri pants once capris were popular starting in 1999. They basically got accepted as school uniform pants for most places. The school boards and such are doing this to prevent people from dressing up like they are at the mall. So no basketball jerseys and cargo shorts for guys, and no belly-baring tops *** Edited ... Off Topic*** and low-slung jeans for girls. Here are some examples:

* A *** Edited, Off Topic *** girl I known in my 8th Grade year once worn a very short top, exposing her *** Edited, Off Topic *** belly. The top probably extended inches down from the bustline. She even wore uniform navy blue pants and brown sandals.

* The popularity of peasant tops in the late 1990s and very early 2000s meant that girls had the white shirt that could be within school code.

* The top may look fine, but lifting up the arms to do things (fix hair, reach for something high, etc.), their midriff is shown. CLEARLY a violation of school dress codes for various schools.

* Uniforms were required, but one girl usually came to school all Goth. Had this black dress on with combat-style boots.

* This one may sound a bit strange. My middle school didn't allow for girls to wear skorts (shorts that have a skirt-like appearance). One girl wore this wrap skirt that looked like a regular skort, but it was a skirt. Any girl wearing a skort was in violation of the school dress code for that school. I tend to find something cute and even a little appealing about a skort since the traditional wrap around a pair of shorts adds some skirt appeal. Later skorts had slits on the sides with visible short layers. These skirt-like shorts are very common in style in tennis and some other women's sports.



I don't personally like wearing uniforms. While it does provide a sense that you're attending school dressed like you're actually ready to learn, it doesn't do much for those who are expressive both in personality and in fashion. You basically take away creativity. One can learn while being themselves. No need for uniforms. I wouldn't press for uniforms unless there's a real problem with homely-looking or thuggish-looking people who can't seem to wear proper clothes. Either this, or to ensure that students are dressed to go to school and not to hang out on the streets or someplace. You can go to school and still dress yourself. That's even if you're a guy who likes showing off muscles with your clothes, or if you are a girl that has a navel piercing and an "interesting" tattoo on your lower back. Thankfully when college comes around, you can almost basically dress however you want, expressing your own personal style.

Only two exceptions to school uniforms: the Catholic school girl and the Japanese school girl (sailor blouse, middy skirt, loose socks, and loafers). That's because I like these looks.

 

[Diamond Star]

I hated my uniform. Pink and white check shirt with a grey skirt and flat black shoes. BUT I'm in favour of them. It saved a lot of money (as I didn't have to buy loads of different clothes for school) and hassle (didn't have to worry about what I was going to wear that day!)

Also I went to school in a middle class area, fine for me but there were working class kids there who wouldn't of been able to afford designer gear to wear if their were no uniforms, and that would most certainly of caused bullying.

You can still express you're identity when wearing a uniform...actually you probably have to work even harder at expressing your identity!

 

[parisianchloe]

our school uniform is way super strict. I go to a private school in australia and have always wore a uniform, but its basically the same all over australia.

If our earings are any larger than 5mm or not silver or gold they are confiscated. We cant even wear black tights, they have to be gray. We cant even wear our hair down. I wouldnt mind wearing a uniform if we had a little flexibility but if we have any accesories on they are also confiscated. You feel like a clone. Worst of all... we cant even wear mascara or foundation!

 

[Eurasian Mélange]

Also I went to school in a middle class area, fine for me but there were working class kids there who wouldn't of been able to afford designer gear to wear if their were no uniforms, and that would most certainly of caused bullying.

Uniform doesn't stop people from being bullied because they are poor. Some are so poor they are forced to wear the exact same uniform they initially bought for the entire time they are in secondary/high school and it becomes quite obvious when they have holes and so on.

 

[lollicandy]

I wore a uniform for 12 years. I didn't care at all. I never had to be bothered about what to chose and coordinate, and I know my parents saved a hell of a lot of money on clothes as a kid. And it was a lot of fun rolling up my skirt, and wearing my cross-over airline stewardess ties. Really! Plus, it taught me the importance of accessorizing.

As a freshman in college my overly affected art history roommate was horrified and told me that she would've felt like it would have been too restricting and stunted her creativity. Whatever.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I can well believe it would teach the importance of accessorizing I imagine as well the importance of not having an ugly uniform

 

[lollicandy]

*** Edited, Response to deleted comments. ***

And of course I didn't wear my uniform all the time, (I had "dress down" clothes), but it definitely contributed to my love of tights and knee high socks, as well as peter-pan colors and ties.

I'm pretty sure it was ugly fashionista-ta though! I wore a giant vest with big pockets (Handy for carrying Elmers glue and a pair of safety scissors). And I accessorized it with black rosaries, dog collars, and black nail polish in junior high, and then I went with BCBG brogues and crisp white shirts in high school.

 

[Feline]

I went to a quite strict Convent school & was always getting in trouble/detention for 'customising' my uniform. It's a wonder I have any nails left after getting sent to the science technicians office for acetone to take my nail varnish off, and my teachers and I had several disagreements over eyeliner & jewellery. I enjoyed the rebelling & fighting against authority and I'm sure that has contributed to me being an individual thinker & dresser nowadays. (probably the opposite to what it was meant to do, but what the hell!)

 

[fashionista-ta]

What can I say, lollicandy and Feline, sound like healthy responses to me The Goth Catholic schoolgirl look sounds pretty cute

I suspect, Feline, that you were always meant to be an independent thinker ... I guess I will always have the same question, what would I have thought had I not encountered the level of repression I did ... one of life's little mysteries

 

[starrygurlrox]

I'm supportive of the motivations behind a uniform, but I hate the checks my school springs on us. I feel like the original idea of everyone being equal has been lost, and instead the school cares more about its image. Maybe if my school designed a more aesthetically appealing and FUNCTIONAL uniform there wouldn't be so much of the tiresome constant battle between students and the school over alterations to the uniform.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I suspect you are right ... so how could your uniform be improved to be more functional?

 

[Deleted member 106803]

Yeah, I remember being told off for having a jumper tied around my waist. Ridiculous.