It’s not a secret that we don’t have a uniform here at Berkley High School. More than 20% of schools nationwide have a uniform. While it may seem like something more to keep track of, it could eliminate outfit anxiety or fashion flops. Here are some pros and cons of wearing a uniform!
Uniforms are usually not a typical first choice for many teenagers. Clothes are one way to show your personality and be unique from your classmates! Sophomore Vega Nischan comments on wearing uniforms and says, “I don’t like uniforms because everyone is wearing the same thing, and there’s not any visible self expression style wise”. Nischan makes it obvious that she would rather be at school in comfy clothes that she can wear jewelry with to make it look more put together! Another point is that there’s not a lot of variability in what you can wear. Sophomore Laila Miller says that “color is the one thing I can rely on to spruce up an outfit even if it’s with gray sweatpants. I don’t know if I would love having a uniform because they seem bland”.
Moving on from the negatives, let’s hear how Jonah Rhodes liked his school uniform from first grade to eighth grade! Rhodes says that his uniform “presented a lot of formality and showed that all students were equal in the quality, price, and where their clothes were from. My uniform also saved a lot of time getting dressed in the morning, and it saved me time cleaning my room as I didn’t have to clean up the tried and failed clothes off the floor.” He also says that his uniform “removes pressure from wearing “cool” or “in-style” clothes”. Rhodes made this a major point as what you wear and how you present yourself is a big part of today’s society and especially in high school. “When I wore a uniform, I always felt like I belonged with my classmates because we were wearing similar clothing items.” Attacking many misconceptions of uniforms in school, he says that he always had options in what he wore like colors and patterns.
Someone who has a major say in if we have uniforms or not at BHS. There is no plan to change a dress code or implement a uniform but, here is Mr. Meloches opinion on uniforms! “Personally, I’ve always been a little opposed to school uniforms. One of the biggest reasons for me, at least, is that it takes away a method in which students can express themselves. I often make a lot of connections with students when they have a jersey or band t-shirt on and it helps to foster relationships.” Next he adds “it’s another way in which students can dress in a way that is of the most comfort for themselves and their body types. Often, uniforms force a lot of students to conform to a certain look or style and, to me, that never feels right. We always encourage independent thoughts and ideas which can often come through someone’s outfit!”
Whether you’re a fan of uniforms or not, it’s obvious they have their pros and cons. By weighing the advantages and disadvantages, it’s easy to see both sides of each party. Something you can find on both sides of the argument is that clothes make people feel like they are heard visually and they can use clothes as a form of expression.