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 Apr. 27 2011 at 8:27 am
thats right some kids don't want uniforms like my son in 7th grade make him wear a uniform and nothing has changed hate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!      :(

on Apr. 18 2011 at 8:44 pm
WithEyesWideOpen BRONZE, Wayne, Pennsylvania
2 articles 22 photos 240 comments

Favorite Quote:
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

I guess it depend on how you as a student feels about your personal style. do you treasure it, or are you more concerned about being in school & getting you education? Now, you could care about your style & your education, but would't it be easier. You are only sacrificing your style for the school day. Many school do this & it holds up traffic in the morning. It make a school looked more refined and clean...lots of school do this. But I see your point of view!

on Apr. 8 2011 at 9:25 am
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 understand not having the security of a uniform after some 8-9 years of having it but try to look at it as a plus, now you can wear things that depict who you are and I think thats another reason why we shouldn't have uniforms, without them after most of our lives we feel lost and when we get jobs when we get older, we might not have uniforms to wear and you'll have to know how to dress approprietly wihtout a guildline

mnt87 said...
on Apr. 6 2011 at 4:13 pm
mnt87, Toronto, Other
0 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I'm bi-winning"
- Charlie Sheen

Woaah. That's crazy. Compared to your school, my school is so RELAXED about uniforms. I can usually get away with wearing dark wash jeans and coloured hoodies and stuff most of the time. Ugh, strict schools are just too much. Lol, how do people do it! I'd go crazy. 

on Apr. 5 2011 at 11:28 pm
OneBlackGirl BRONZE, Indianapolis, Indiana
2 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love the difference!

Well, I think you're talking about a real "uniform" where everyone gets the EXACT same outfit and it's usually at a discount if you REALLY REALLY need one. What I'm (and I suspect others) are talking about is a really, really strict dress code. I think a real uniform is an awesome idea, but a strict dresscode is terrible.

on Apr. 5 2011 at 10:59 pm
OneBlackGirl BRONZE, Indianapolis, Indiana
2 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love the difference!

I disagree. Maybe because our rules are different. At my school all shirts must be tucked in (which is wuite unflattering on fat people), you can't die your hair certain colors, or wear weave. Your socks have to be solid white. No buttons. Solid black or brown belt. Your clothes still have to be suitable because there are designer uniform clothes and they are the only thing that stands out that's allowed.

on Apr. 5 2011 at 10:54 pm
OneBlackGirl BRONZE, Indianapolis, Indiana
2 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love the difference!

With me, it's not that easy because everything can get you suspended. We're not even allowed to wear weave or die our hair certain colors (we're only allowed to die it black or blond). Your socks have to be solid white. We're not allowed to wear certain frabrics. Buttons are prohibited. And tennis (or athletic) shoes are prohibited, but you're required to have them on in the gym. If you get caught with them on you or in your locker, you're getting suspended (which is like, WHAT?).

on Apr. 5 2011 at 10:49 pm
OneBlackGirl BRONZE, Indianapolis, Indiana
2 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love the difference!

At my school, that wouldn't work. Socks have to be completely white (which I learned the hard way by getting suspended for having a colored heel on my sock), belts have to be solid black or brown, and you can't have ties unless you're performing something special that day. The only thing you can do is have a tiny emblem on your shirt or pants that shows that it is designer. It looks like a pink or green horse. And anyone who doesn't wear it gets picked on, and I refuse to wear it because I'm not paying 40 dollars for a freaking shirt that I won't be able to wear 3 months from now.

on Apr. 5 2011 at 10:42 pm
OneBlackGirl BRONZE, Indianapolis, Indiana
2 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love the difference!

I go to a school where the entire district is required to have a uniform (really just a super strict dresscode) and though a uniform at one school might equalize everyone, a district one doesn't. This is because when a district implements a dresscode the shops in the area raise the prices... a lot. One pair of secondhand pants now costs about 30 dollars. Assuming I get one for each day and need new ones by midway through the year, I (my family) just spent 300 dollars for pants. And shirts cost about the same, plus shoes, and gym clothes. Also, I still get picked on because I don't wear 'designer' uniform. Yes, they have designer uniform (which makes no sense. A white shirt with a little emblem that now costs 40 dollars). Also, you get detention, or suspension, for the smallest infractions.

on Apr. 5 2011 at 12:07 pm
emmatheballerina GOLD, Tacoma, Washington
14 articles 0 photos 55 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It is not in our greatest glory in never falling, but in rising everytime we fall"
"I use to want the words "she tried" on my tombstone, now I want "she did it"

I had a uniform form k-8th grade. when i went to high school, i transferred to a public school where i could wear anything i wanted. though i enjoy the freedom, i sometimes miss the uniform. i miss not having to worry about what i looked like and not having to picka new outfit everyday.

Love16 GOLD said...
on Apr. 5 2011 at 9:50 am
Love16 GOLD, Roanoke, Virginia
11 articles 0 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
Psalm 23.

My opinion on all of this is for school unifroms. The reason for this is because I think school uniforms could be good. Like for instance, in my school, this one friend of mine would always be picked on by the more popular girls. And it wasn’t about looks or anything, but it was all about what she wore to school. She would have on Wal-Mart clothes and hand me down items while all the other girls wore top of the line fashion items. And I f we all had school uniforms, then it would take away the judgmental mindset that some people have against others. It would end that form of prejudice and throw it out the window. And if we learned that in school, then it would have the same effect in the world. And when we have a family, we could pass those practices to our children and from them to their children and so on down the family generations. And with that kind of change, it would change our world…yeah, I know, it sounds extremely crazy but it is possible. If there is one thing that I have learned in life it is that nothing is ever impossible, there just hasn’t been a way to do it yet. And with that, I am done. Thank you for your time.

Corlupa BRONZE said...
on Mar. 30 2011 at 9:22 am
Corlupa BRONZE, Fremont, Ohio
2 articles 2 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
One man's style must not be the rule of another.

I wear a uniform and even with it we all find perfectly adequate ways to express ourselves, from make-up to socks to belts to ties. The possibilties are endless. I think it's a creative challenge to wear a uniform.

on Mar. 17 2011 at 11:24 pm
LyssaNicole BRONZE, Pasadena, Texas
2 articles 0 photos 2 comments
sure uniforms suck, they do limit creativity. i wish i could walk around school in my favorite bands shirts and wear hats make up that represents Black Veil Brides, But i've lived with them since i was four, you do learn ways around letting it stop you.

mnt87 said...
on Mar. 14 2011 at 7:44 pm
mnt87, Toronto, Other
0 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I'm bi-winning"
- Charlie Sheen

I also agree with your point of view. Kids in my school do the same thing too, by adding a "twist" or a personal touch to their outfits. One girl cut her uniform in a really cool way. Teachers didn't really mind as long as the school crest was showing haha.

mnt87 said...
on Mar. 14 2011 at 7:39 pm
mnt87, Toronto, Other
0 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I'm bi-winning"
- Charlie Sheen

I think my opinion is the minority among everyone else's because I personally like uniforms. I went to a non-uniform school for a year and I found it to be frustrating because I didn't have clothes like all the other kids (I didn't really have a lot of clothes anyway) and I wanted to fit in, but then again no one really cared that much. My uniformed school makes life so much easier because I don't have to waste time every morning thinking of what I should wear etc. I throw on my uniform and that's that. It's just a simple black (or white) shirt, and black pants. That's it. But I do miss just wearing sweats and jeans every now and then, but we do get free dress day a few times a month. I'm pro-uniform more so because I'm lazy and it saves me time.

yourock124 said...
on Mar. 14 2011 at 12:22 pm
im doing a project in schoool, & this really helped thank yoU!

on Mar. 8 2011 at 11:37 pm
there are lots of good points on this website, but seriously think about it. people say uniforms are bad because they stop people being creative, but heres what i think, uniforms are good because they stop stressful mornings of finding clothes that are suitable and 'cool'. i dont know about you but i have to get up a 6 in the morning and i like to SLEEP!!!! and you can still be creative and wear a uniform, like girls at my school can were there skirt high waisted or out, and were their hair up or out. guys can were their shirts tucked in or out, and do crazy stuff with their hair like put wax in it. bottem line, uniforms. are. good.

on Mar. 8 2011 at 2:33 pm
I have never personally gone to a school where uniforms were required. I don't think that school uniforms would cause more problems, but instead would resolve them. If everyone is dressed the same the focus from what your wearing is shifted to what you should be paying attention to. Other problems do come up though like name brand and hairstyles as well as make-up. I don't think eliminating one problem is going to solve everything but would certainly make high school a lot less stressful.

on Mar. 4 2011 at 5:57 am
AnimalLoverNayNay, Hooksett, New Hampshire
0 articles 1 photo 40 comments

Favorite Quote:
" Life sucks and then you die." Stephenie Meyer, Part 2, Preface,Page 134

I agree.           

idkkk said...
on Feb. 22 2011 at 8:24 pm
I dont think uniforms are that bad of an idea except for the fact that they hide the time for our personality to shine...plus once your an adult when do people restrict you on what you wear???