Uniform

The systematic tapping on the keyboard, the flick of a page, the ticking of the clock, the slow, rhythmic sounds of the air-conditioning, the flashing lights, the whirl of a fan. As I look around the classroom each student seems to be deep in study. A student reading in one corner, another typing on their keyboard, someone rustling through their notes. As I look up from my desk, all I see is a wave of navy blue, white and green (bottle green to be precise). My most worn outfit, in fact, the one that I wear exactly five days a week. And, amusingly, the duplicate outfit that each and every other student has in their wardrobe. The admired school uniform (please, note my sarcasm). The almost jail-like attire that each student is required to wear, minus any personal touches and absolutely no room allowed for alterations. Not a feature of every school, but definitely the most loathed characteristic of those who are forced to wear it. But why do we hate our uniforms so much?

It is in the very word itself that lends school attire to be so heavily despised; uniform. The school’s aim to create a homogenised environment means that everyone is no longer an individual, but part of a whole. It is this restrictive nature that creates such distaste when the mere thought of uniform is brought about. In a time where the search for one’s self is on the forefront of every adolescents mind, the restriction of freedom to express this sense of self is almost painful. No wonder I’ve heard people organising a bonfire at the end of the year to burn their uniform; can I join in?

The only time that many students have to express themselves is afterschool and on the weekends. Living the student life means that coming home from school only means doing another two or three hours of study, that of which is spent in pyjama bottoms and an overstretched t-shirt. I’m not sure that I want to resemble the lazy aura that my “home” apparel radiates. So that leaves the weekend. But I just remembered that I work all day on Sunday at a café: another uniform. So then there’s Saturday, but that’s if I’m not spending the day studying. That means that I have one day of every fortnight to wear what I want. Lucky me. But living vicariously through fashion blogs and Instagram is the same thing, right? Spending copious amounts of time online looking at clothes on websites is almost the same as actually owning it? Whatever makes me sleep at night.

Uniforms are not so bad in the sense that they take away the stress of having “nothing” to wear, though they may resemble a potato sack. It seems that uniforms defy the era they are in, ignorant of changing fashion. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why uniforms are so despised; they are dated. Especially for a lover of fashion like me, though tartan and its nod to the 90’s may be back in fashion, the trend does not seem to translate into my tartan uniform. Though I wish I could look “preppy” in my navy pleated skirt and long socks, in reality I have no shape to my body and the fabric tugs in all the wrong places. 

Maybe I won’t burn my uniform, instead keep it to show my grandchildren one day. They’ll probably just laugh at how ugly it is, and I’ll laugh along with them because I couldn’t agree more. 

Do you/did you have to wear a school uniform?