School uniforms | Teen Ink

School uniforms

August 27, 2009
By Anonymous

Parents always talk about how If schools had uniforms, everything would be so much eisier. You wouldn't get caught up on looks and would learn the skills you need. I disagree with this, I think that school uniforms would put a restriction on our creativity. We dress the way we do for a certain reason.
Clothes give us expression and the ability to use color and patterns. The first impression we get of people is usually clothes, facial expression and language. If we all wear the same thing we don't get to really see what people are like on the inside. Usually girly girls wear pink and frilly things. Skaters wear baggy pants and goth usually wear black. Clothes don't distract us form learning the studies we need to, it simply lets us inspire our imaginations and lights up our worlds.
putting school uniforms into order would probably make us rebell against it and we would only be able to express our creativity in things like art and music. Because of the current economic situation most art and music programs are being cut from schools because there is simply not eneough money to support them.



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This article has 240 comments.


on Sep. 22 2010 at 4:03 am
tomtamtimmy GOLD, Sydney, Other
17 articles 0 photos 49 comments

Favorite Quote:
you don't know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have

i wear school uniforms. it sucks. one thing is out of place and you geta demerit. and they are unpractical aswell. i winter you givin the thinest bussiness shirt. of course theres the jumper but they tear so easiliy so you end up getting cold anyway

on Sep. 20 2010 at 6:14 pm
Emma.H.96 DIAMOND, Kalamazoo, Michigan
65 articles 0 photos 67 comments

Favorite Quote:
You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should've behaved better. -Anne Lamott, from Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.

I also agree with the things you two have said and thank you for your comments! I think that if we were to get school uniforms or voted for them we would still have some say on what we wear, such as personalizing your uniform! :)

on Sep. 20 2010 at 3:55 pm
babygirlinthetardis BRONZE, Snaith, Other
1 article 1 photo 14 comments
Hey, I'm in the UK as well and I have to wear a uniform, but the thing with ours is that you can't modify it to suit your personality - navy blue only, 9 stripes on your tie, top button fastened, shirt tucked in, skirts no shorter than knee, cardis must be v necked and no longer than waist length, shoes (don't get me started), no flower hair bobbles, no belts, no make up... etc etc - so yes I do agree with you that they're good but at my school it is impossible to be yourself with these uniforms and staff spend so much time telling you to sort your uniform out and all that you wind up not learning anything.

toxicity_xx said...
on Sep. 19 2010 at 10:49 am
toxicity_xx, Manchester, Other
0 articles 2 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
Seize the day, or die regretting the time you lost - Avenged Sevenfold.

I disagree with this post. I live in the UK and most, if not all, of the high schools here make their students wear uniforms. Sometimes it felt kind of annoying and pointless, but i understood why they did it. Firstly, it makes it harder for people to bully others because they can't afford the latest 'fashionable clothes'.
Also i think the point about making it harder to be yourself it invalid. We always found ways to modify our uniforms slightly so we could show off our personalities.
High school here in the UK is ages 11-16, the age where people begin to realise who they are and grow up abit. When we get to college in the UK, (16-18yrs), we're allowed to wear our own clothes, because generally, people in this age tend to be more mature and not care about what other people are wearing.

I've only skimmed through the comments so apologies if i'm repeating anything anyone else has said :)


on Sep. 9 2010 at 10:29 am
KhyrsteaBurnell GOLD, New Gloucster, Maine
14 articles 0 photos 8 comments
I feel that it would help kids out with being "uncool" but then again there is freedom of expression and I support that

on Aug. 27 2010 at 4:59 pm
PearlWhiteNight BRONZE, No, Pennsylvania
3 articles 7 photos 23 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." -Mark Twain

it's kind of funny what you said about "pushing the boundries" because I got in so much trouble last year for wearign things that "didn't quite fit" with the dress code.

on Aug. 27 2010 at 4:57 pm
PearlWhiteNight BRONZE, No, Pennsylvania
3 articles 7 photos 23 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." -Mark Twain

My school switched to uniforms last year, and I really don't like them. The reason they switched was because "they thought it created unneeded stereotypes and took away from a peaceful learning environment" Though it does create some streotypes (as you mentioned in your post- "girly girls wear pink and frilly, goth wear black") I do feel that clothes are a way in which we can express ourselves, which is why those stereotypes are created. I wish we didn't have uniforms, but I will suffice to displaying my creativity in other ways.  

on Aug. 20 2010 at 3:47 pm
Tintinnabulation BRONZE, Glen Arm, Maryland
4 articles 0 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Long enough have you dreamed contemptible dreams,
Now I wash the gum from your eyes,
You must habit yourself to the dazzle of the light and of every moment of your life."-Walt Whitman

"Girly girls wear pink and frilly things, ...goths usually wear black..." it almost sounds like clothes are what we use to stereotype people at a glance, and do we really need that? If you want to know what someone's really like, just talk to them. And sometimes I think it would be nice to get dressed for school without having to wonder if what I'm wearing is dumb, lame, or frumpy in some way. I personally don't think clothes say that much about me...what if I wear a striped shirt today? Does that mean I'm a stripey person?

on Aug. 20 2010 at 12:06 pm
Emma.H.96 DIAMOND, Kalamazoo, Michigan
65 articles 0 photos 67 comments

Favorite Quote:
You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should've behaved better. -Anne Lamott, from Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.

I'm not saying we are soley reliant on our clothes to tell people who we are and what we're like, I'm saying its nice that we have clothes to express ourselves with.

Shelly-T GOLD said...
on Aug. 20 2010 at 9:18 am
Shelly-T GOLD, Romeoville, Illinois
13 articles 0 photos 71 comments
I think I would rather have people see who I am through my actions, not the way I dress.  If we are solely reliant on expressing ourselves through clothes, not actions, then uniforms are necessary. 

on Aug. 9 2010 at 10:22 am
lizzymwrites GOLD, Miami, Florida
13 articles 0 photos 56 comments

Favorite Quote:
The only people for me are the mad ones... the ones who never yawn and say a commonplace thing but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow Roman candles exploding like spiders against the stars." - Jack Kerouac

not all of them, LOL...

on Aug. 3 2010 at 5:40 pm
DifferentTeen PLATINUM, Seaford, Delaware
32 articles 2 photos 329 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There’s no such thing as true love, just spurts of insanity—falling over and over again, thinking that won’t happen to me"

I get up at 5 AM to get ready for school, and I love it. Plus uniforms are usually ugly and not fitting for everyone.

on Aug. 2 2010 at 12:48 pm
lizzymwrites GOLD, Miami, Florida
13 articles 0 photos 56 comments

Favorite Quote:
The only people for me are the mad ones... the ones who never yawn and say a commonplace thing but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow Roman candles exploding like spiders against the stars." - Jack Kerouac

Well, every school in my city uses uniforms, and I think we're all happier with them. Because, honestly, what girl wants to get up at 6 AM and plan an outfit? Plus, you have to spend on them, but then you save all you usually spend for school clothes. And since you don't wear clothes to school, they have to be washed less, which means they'll look newer when you wear them to the mall or to go out with friends.

on Aug. 2 2010 at 12:26 pm
DifferentTeen PLATINUM, Seaford, Delaware
32 articles 2 photos 329 comments

Favorite Quote:
"There’s no such thing as true love, just spurts of insanity—falling over and over again, thinking that won’t happen to me"

I agree more than you can imagine. Lately my school has been having this debate. Rumors went from us having uniforms next year to having only collar shirts and to the collar shirts and tucking your shirt in.

I hate uniforms, I think they don't solve anything. First of all as you said, they take away our creativity. With no creativity no one will see you as you, just a clone like everyone else.

Second, why do we have to pay for uniforms when we already have a wardrobe. If someone can't pay for uniforms, and all the other schools in the area have uniforms, what are they supposed to do? Drop-out? Nice example they're setting there.

Thirdly, most reasons for uniforms are because the school is running out of money or going bankrupt.

Theres yet more, many people say uniforms will help stop bullying. Are they that dumb? Uniforms are going to stop that, if someone is over weight, for example, is tucking in their shirt going to help? 

One last thing, students can still do different things with their uniforms, its not like people aren't going to adapt and make them work for them. They'll find a way to make it look good for them and bad for the school. So either way its still the same problem. Students coming to school not following the dress code.

In no way do uniforms help anything, except make everyone looks like each other. This is America, right?


on Jul. 30 2010 at 12:15 pm
Emma.H.96 DIAMOND, Kalamazoo, Michigan
65 articles 0 photos 67 comments

Favorite Quote:
You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should've behaved better. -Anne Lamott, from Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.

I wasn't saying clothes are the only thing that you can express yourself with, thank you very much. I was saying its one of the things that we do express ourselves with and I don't think its right to put restictions on it. So please don't put words in my mouth or on my articles.

on Jul. 28 2010 at 8:55 pm
silence-is-loud GOLD, Chicago, Illinois
10 articles 0 photos 135 comments

Favorite Quote:
FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY, STING LIKE A BEE- MUHAMMID ALI

i agree and disagree. actually, ur personallity doesnt always come through with the clothes u were. Yeah.. it helps a lot ,but pple will show their personallity regardless.

But i agree that the school uniforms are putting restrictions on the kids.


on Jul. 26 2010 at 11:17 pm
liv.laf.love13 SILVER, El Paso, Texas
5 articles 0 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
MUSIC IS THE CURE!!

I agree..im going to a school with uniforms and im sooo mad!! Everyone should be!! Like yo said we cant express ourselves...and now i have to make my hair look awesome since my clothes will look like crapp...haha

on Jul. 17 2010 at 2:04 pm
Scarecrow BRONZE, Vancouver, Washington
3 articles 0 photos 20 comments

Favorite Quote:
"A father is a banker provided by nature."






-French Proverb

So, my clothes are the only thing indicative of what I'm like on the inside? Sounds like you have bigger problems than uniforms.

I also think that if we thought really hard, we could come up ways of expressing ourselves outside of art and music. Things like conversation, for example.


annbug said...
on Jul. 14 2010 at 5:58 pm
annbug, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
0 articles 0 photos 8 comments

I have something to contribute to this. I am going to a high school with uniforms. My sister is going to a middle school with a more relaxed dress code.

She's going to spend less money on her school clothes because she HAS jeans, shorts, polo shirts, etc.

I can't wear jeans- I need khaki, navy, or black pants. Hm. I don't have enough of those. My shirts need to have 3 buttons, with no logo. I don't have any of those, either.

I have tons of hoodies- oh, I need one without a hood.

So uniforms don't always mean it's cheaper. :) I have to buy a whole new wardrobe!


EmmaNemma GOLD said...
on Jul. 4 2010 at 10:35 am
EmmaNemma GOLD, The Shire, Vermont
10 articles 0 photos 43 comments

Favorite Quote:
If you think you are a hypochondriac by definition aren't you?

I can see your point about showing your personality but there are other ways to show that even without clothes certain types of clothes. For my entire elementary school we didn't have to wear uniforms. Then, in sixth grade, I changed schools and we had to wear them. At first I thought I' hate them but soon I loved them. I wasn't teased as much as I was at my old school and it didn't take as long for me to get reay in the morning because of it. We presented the school better when we went places. Also, a lot of the people who went to the school might not have had as much money as some but they didn't get put down because no one coul tell. I personally like uniforms much better.