School Uniforms

[velocity_girl]

i went to a school with a very strict uniform for 13 years... i love the idea of customising/accessorizing but it just would never have been possible! i got into trouble on a daily basis just for having the collar button on my shirt undone.

it also didn't help that my uniform was UGLY, even as uniforms go... i had a maroon blazer, blue shirt, maroon/blue/gold tie, a really cheap polyester-ish maroon/blue/green kilt. oh and a maroon backpack. it was all hideous, cheap-looking and ill-fitting... and very strictly enforced: no visible make up, no dyed hair, no jewellery except a watch, no nail polish, etc... i remember a boy got sent home from school for using too much hair gel. oh and if you weren't actually sitting in a class (i.e. you were out in the corridor between classes/in assembly/whatever) you had to have your blazer on at all times.

to be honest i don't disagree with the idea of uniforms completely... i just wish mine had been slightly more attractive! i think they do have their uses, but i think giving kids a bit of leeway with them is better. i DO remember though that non-uniform days at my school were INSANE. it was a very poser-ish school anyway really, and on non-uniform days all the 'cool' girls would come in wearing their ridiculously expensive/trendy outfits, high heels, totally inappropriately dressed up considering they were going to school not a party... just to show off (god don't i sound old). i like to think, though, that people wouldn't have done that if they got to wear their own clothes every day!

 

[writergal28]

Sorry in advance for the wall of china length of this post:


I haven't heard one girl from my school say she didn't miss our uniform (sailor blouse, tie, box skirt, knee high socks, cardigan, pullover, knit vest or blazer, loafers). It was a cute uniform, featured in a magazine once.. I can't blame those who hate it if their uniform really is hideous.

OMG...did we go to the same school? Anyway:

I had a uniform from Grade 7 to OAC ("Grade 13"...we used to have that in Ontario). In Grade 7, I was at a school in a foreign country where the uniform was pretty standard - white blouse, blue and yellow tie, blue knee length skirt, blue socks and brown shoes. Blazer for assemblies. From Grade 8 on, i was in Canada. I wore a sailor collar blouse with a grey and burgundy tie, grey skirt, grey knee socks and black shoes. Blazers and sweaters were optional, but the blazer was mandatory if you were in a music ensemble.

I don't think the uniform inhibited individual style - you could do something with your hair (though your hair has to be a "natural" colour) or school bag, etc...however, as an adult, the school's dress code really influenced how I do my make-up. Since we weren't allowed to wear noticeable make-up or nail polish, I just don't overdo anything. Most of my lipsticks, eye shadows, etc are really natural looking. I don't wear nail polish unless I'm going to a special event.

 

[it-boy's nature]

Luckily i do not go to a school that requires a uniform but in middle school (grades 6-8) I had to wear a white button-up with tie or a polo with no tie, and khaki pants. there was the oportunity to work with that but that was certainly not the issue.


Everyone was required to purchase a MAROON sweatsuit with gold letters across the front with the school's logo. this school was quite athletic becaue P.E. was major and this damn suit had to be worn to school on gym days. Looking back on that time makes me sick, They were soooo unflattering. I dont belive in sweatpants (EVER!!!!!!) and this was a painful time.

 

[gius]

i would love to see what everyone is wearing or wore as uniforms...
be interesting to see all the different styles of uniforms

 

[1FashionVictim]

I have a strong hatred for school uniforms and it makes my blood curdle when I think that they are becoming more popular in other countries. It has been proven multiple times that they have virtually no effect on the likes of bullying, behaviour, grades, etc; infact, when a school that had uniforms dropped them for an experiment attendence rose which made the overall achievement in the school rise too.

Another thing that bothers me is the whole uniform prepares you for later life spiel. By the time kids leave high school, virtually all would be mature enough to make an easy trancision into wearing a uniform and when you think about it, more may struggle when going into higher education and a job where they have to dress themselves if they've come from schools with uniform.

Uniform also promotes the idea that you have to adhere to a certain standard to accepted and it doesn't embrace differences, which I think has made it harder for people to accept different groups. I know you can express your individuality through other means but it's hard to when you're shy and I'm sure as many people draw confidence fro mthe clothes they wear as those who draw confidence for being the same. Overall, I think uniform is a pretty poor and unaffective solution to the social and educational problems in public schools and in America, to me, it comes of as a mark of poor education and poor behaviour.

 

[loonaka]

I love school uniforms, I think they're sexy.. but that's probably because I never had to wear one myself.

 

[from: sophia]

I had to wear a uniform in highschool teachers must have hated me . I would wear insane amounts of jewelry and crazy tights and shoes and just try and break all the rules I could. And then around my jr year I started wearing the guys shirts because they were cotton and the girls were poly it actually cought on among my friends.

 

[from: sophia]

Here I forgot to describe it:
Black or Khaki skirt I always did black. Black, Blue or Red Polo again I wore black. White button up I wore the boys one Dress shoes and black skirt/ button up only on wednesdays I took my definition of dress shoes very far. Tennis shoes the rest of the week I wore converse or heels other rules natural hair colors conservative cuts (Whatever...) No black nail polish. Conservative jewelry ect. Good thing I was a really good student or I surely would have gotten in trouble far more often.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ You cross-dressing rebel you

I too hate being told what to wear ... I remember when I got my rush packet (I did not rush) and it had all this information about what to wear for every occasion Little did I realize that they included this information because otherwise they would get a call from every little rushee's mom about it ...

 

[genevica]

Does it supress individuality? Does it violate personal freedom?
In Australia, I reckon in over 95% school uniforms are compulsory for all the official school years (ie, Kindergarten or equiv. to Year 12), so that's why I don't think it suppresses individuality - all students across the nation have the same situation.

Does it create a feeling of equality and belonging?
I go to a prominent public girls' high school where the uniform standard is quite high although accessorising and altering are tolerated to an extent. I like the idea of a uniform because it fosters school spirit and when I see other kids going to school in the morning, I know where they go by looking at what they are wearing.
My school uniform is okay but there are other schools which have far less eye-friendly uniforms.

'Feeling of equality'? Kind of. I'm trying to imagine how it would be without uniforms, and I think there would be more of a sense of social hierarchy. In saying that, my uniformed school still has an obvious hierarchy and I know that in private schools where uniform regulation are stricter, there is too.

Does it prevent cliques?
Hell no.


---
Great points Pinky

Sorry in advance for the wall of china length of this post:

in high school, we had to wear a uniform. There were strict rules on accessories, makeup, nail polish, etc. But the point isn't to make you all look the same, and I can tell you that everyone looks very different in the same uniform. If you look at the 'caught in the same outfit' thread, you can see that people look very different even in the same clothing.

I haven't heard one girl from my school say she didn't miss our uniform (sailor blouse, tie, box skirt, knee high socks, cardigan, pullover, knit vest or blazer, loafers). It was a cute uniform, featured in a magazine once.. I can't blame those who hate it if their uniform really is hideous.

I'd say that our uniform said more about someone's interests than just regular clothing. It's easy to dismiss someone as a 'scenester' or 'diva' just by their clothing choice and stereotype their personality. With our uniforms you could wear house pins and club pins on your tie, even ones for academic achievement which said a lot more about someone than what 'clique' they belonged to. In our neighbouring boys school they had different ties for each club, which happens to also train them to dress for the occasion. Because of your uniform, people are forced to look beyond your dress and at you as a person instead.

It definately creates a sense of community and school pride. I'm not sure how to explain this, but it may be because of the common experience. Though I'm a long time grad of my school, when I happen to pass by a girl on the street wearing my school uniform, I get warm feelings. I feel like she is like my little sister.

However, it doesn't prevent cliques. The plus side to this is that the cliques are not based on your dress, etc but interests and for some reason academic standing.

I think those who oppose a uniform take it too seriously. Its not like you have to wear it everywhere, just in school or work (wherever its required), and it teaches you that appearance isn't everything. You can wear your personal clothes in your personal time, and studies have shown that people perform better in a uniform environment. When we had grub days, students really did tend lose their focus!

But if you really do care about appearance, don't forget how hot girls and guys look in uniform. ladies.. prince william in his uniform.. or your local firefighter hottie. Can you deny how dashing men in uniform are?

 

[BornToBe]

well having gone to both uniform and non uniform schools I personally had no problem wearing a uniform.
I loved getting to wear my own clothes to school but some times I wished that our school had a uniform cause some people came to school dressed as though they were going to a bar or even worse :liked they'd just rolled out of bed.
Personally I think that Uniforms are perfect for younger kids cause most children hardly care what they look like at school. Teens on the other hand are a more challenging case cause they are at a stage when they want to stand out and be recognized so I think that wearing their own clothes is the best thing for them.

 

[fashionista-ta]

I drove past one of the biggest private schools here today, and saw some of the kids in their uniforms ... it seems all the local ones feature plaid ... it's like a little plaid appreciation society, keeping the plaid people in business

 

[Sea Of Love]

Since I am Australian I have worn uniforms for my entire schooling life. It did differ between when I went to a public school and then later a private school as to how strict the policies were though. the public school was by far more lenient on things like the shoes you wore and how you wore your uniform (I remeber seeing some undies under skirts because they were worn so short whereas at the private school you could not even wear earrings at all and heave forbid if you walked outside with your sports unifrom on.
That being said I loved having my uniform, I didn't have to worry about what I was wearing to school, I felt like everyone else and whilst that may be that individuality argument I really question how individual 15 year old girls are because they are so comformative at that age anyway. It saved my mother on the amount of clothes she had to buy me, it gave me an extra half an hour in bed because I didn't have to choose an outfit, and there was no classism as far as what someone was wearing. Sometimes kids are socioeconomically disadvantaged and cannot afford to buy the "brands" putting them behind socially before they even walk into the school gates.
I never felt suppressed from wearing a uniform and to be completely honest who wants to remeber the fashion mistakes made in the 8th grade

 

[FashionTopFace]

ok i grew up in the netherland so we dont know much about school uniforms

but im in love with this girl who grew up in England and she LOVES school girls in uniform soooo i need that exact look so i can buy it and dress like that and show her pix hahaha maybe also boarding school uniforms or prep school hmm the movie lost and delirious is about school uniform girls i think

but i dont want a cheapo sex look so i want a high fashionised look or real uniforms that are sexied up like the rorikon girls on japan do, she loves japanese girls too

please could we post good pics here so we can get the look right. Miu Miu kind of had that sex kittenish school girl look which other designers in the past and from other resources? xx

 

[dumbfairy]

I never felt suppressed from wearing a uniform and to be completely honest who wants to remeber the fashion mistakes made in the 8th grade

If I had the choice to wear my own clothes I'd have worn the same t-shirt and sequined jumper with a bear on every day. And yet it would have been more preferable to my uniforms

I went to one school where we had to wear below the knee pleated skirt,blouse,tie and blazer. The only thing missing was a boater hat. Which was a shame,because boater hats are awesome. Blazers were only to be taken off if the headmaster thought it was a hot enough day i.e never. Local residents would even complain to the headmaster if they saw pupils out of school in their tie but without their blazer,which meant that the whole school would get a telling off and a reminder of the uniform rules. Which happened far too often.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I've read about townies complaining to the school about uniform infractions in novels--how alarming to hear it happens in real life!

I suppose I wouldn't have minded a uniform if it was a good one, and good colors for me ... but what are the chances of that

 

[paz2992]

i've been in the same private school all my life, so i always have to use uniform.
its a gray scottish skirt.
red socks, black shoes.
white blouse, red sweter.
school tie, black blazer.