Whether you love or hate school uniforms, the reality is that these garments have many indisputable positive attributes. Here are some interesting facts about them that will surprise you:
(I) Uniforms reflect the reality of society
If you thought that restricted clothing in schools is just an artificial construct that hardly reflects real life, then you are really wrong. Have you considered how many occupations require the use of a specific outfit? This includes emergency service workers, hotel staff, military personnel (the military has several categories of clothing, such as ceremonial, disorderly and general service clothing, as directed by the Australian Defense Force), stewardesses, pilots and many plus.
Even professions that do not expressly state specific dress requirements also have unwritten dress codes. Why else do bankers and lawyers dress in fancy suits, usually in dark tones, without fancy colors or fancy clothes?
Just as you would go to work dressed in official clothes and leave all your casual clothes for home or casual wear, so you should feel comfortable wearing formal uniforms when you attend your classes. If you really want to express your individuality and unique personality, let that wait until you get home from school; chances are that’s exactly what you’ll be doing in the future after a hard day’s work.
(ii) Can uniforms make you more creative?
Have you noticed which countries top designers like Miuccia Prada, Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo come from? Well, they all come from Italy, Great Britain or Japan, countries that are known for their school uniform policies. However, what is interesting is that the works of these designers are well known for pushing the boundaries of fashion and art.
On the other hand, we have a group of designers whose works bear an uncanny resemblance to uniforms. These include Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. Where do these designers come from? Of all the places in the world, I wouldn’t expect them to come from the United States, which has had a lot of flexibility in its school dress code.
Could it be that the experience of complying with strict uniform policies, over years of learning, leads to more unconventional creativity, instead of stifling it?
(iii) A cheaper option
All parents will surely lament the additional cost of attending to a child’s education, simply because there are uniforms to buy, on top of buying books, stationery and other school necessities. This may seem like a high price to pay just for your child to learn. Wouldn’t it be much cheaper if your son didn’t have to buy any other clothes apart from the one he already owns?
If you think wearing uniforms is more expensive, you haven’t considered how picky young children are when choosing their own clothes. Just when you think your little boy or girl has all the clothes they need, you find yourself heading back to the store for another pair of pants or a new shirt, simply because the one you bought has apparently gone out of style.
Fortunately, uniforms are never even out of style, they are just uniforms, always reliable and wearable. The only time you need to buy a new pair is if the one you bought wears out.