School Uniforms and Inappropriate Elementary School Attire

[blas87]

Inspired by the Inappropriate School Attire thread on CS.

(*MOD NOTE - The OP (flutes and fabric) deleted that thread at CS and reposted it here on fratching. It has been merged into this thread.)

Argue the toss here, where it's more appropriate

Yay or nay?

Pros and cons of school uniforms?

Did you attend a school where a uniform or very strict dress code* was enforced? How does that affect how you feel about school uniforms?

*= growing up, there were private Christian schools or just private schools where, instead of an assigned uniform, the dress code was strict colors or types of shirts or pants, no facial hair on guys, no skirts or shorts, etc.

[Hobbs]

We had a dress code, but no uniforms. It wasn't strict, but it was enforced. The year I went into high school, the middle schools switched to uniforms, of which we were all happy. Oddly, though, since I've become an anime fan, I've wanted to attend a school with uniforms.

[DrFaroohk]

My only input is that whoever pays for the clothes gets to decide what they are. If the school wants a specific type of clothes worn, be it a specific uniform or general guidelines, they can buy them. Or the students can get jobs and buy their own clothes, and then no one should bitch if there's a big pot leaf or a middle finger on the shirt.

[Plaidman]

I'm for it. I've seen too many people get targeted for not wearing nice clothes. (Not me strangly enough. Ether that, or I just never realized or cared about insults towards my own clothes).

Yeah yeah originality and all that. Well, everyone has it. Yet assholes will pick on people who wardrove isnt to their standards.

Granted yes, this would not end bullies rampages, but it will at least take off one of the many pegs they use for it.

[Greenday]

I went to a public school that only had a dress code that involved nothing vulgar could be written on shirts and limits on skin exposed. Spaghetti straps were banned. Short skirts were banned. Other than that, everything else was free game.

I liked it that way. I like being able to wear whatever I want. I got picked on but picking on someone for what they were wearing was considered really weak in high school.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I don't have any particular problem with uniforms. I do think if uniforms are required there should be some kind of assistance for families that would have a financial hardship from being forced to buy extra clothes. I also think the "khakis and blue shirt" -type uniform is better than having to buy specific articles of clothing (like Catholic school uniforms). Your options are much broader that way when it comes to where to shop and how much to spend.

The only schools in my area when I was growing up that had uniforms were the Catholic schools (as far as I know that's still true). I went to public school, and while there was a dress code it was not especially strict. Though when I was in school girls' fashion wasn't quite as revealing as some of the styles are these days (I graduated high school in 1993). There were plenty of short skirts, though, I suppose. No one wore spaghetti straps and pants weren't cut to sit halfway off your ass, either. The only incident I ever saw with someone being told to change was a guy wearing a shirt with a beer logo (this was in high school). He didn't have another shirt so he was made to turn it inside out.

[Talon]

Strangely enough I find myself thinking school uniforms are a good idea.
Why I have no idea. I had to wear a uniform in my elementary school years, and I hated it. I didn't like feeling like an interchangeable drone, plus I clearly remember one douche of a teacher who made sure to publicly humiliate some kid who for whatever reason couldn't wear the uniform that day. Bullying definitely still happened, uniform or not.

I suppose if uniforms really do help reduce the incidence of bullying, I'd be in favour. My lab monitor in college grew up in South Africa, where the schools had uniforms. He claimed such schools have better academic results than schools without uniforms. If that's true, I'm all for it. Individuality can wait until after school.

[Plaidman]

You know, I just remembered that in High School, it was brought up to have School Uniforms. You know how they decided?

The board let the students decided.


What a shock that it was VASTLY voted down. Like, as in 99 percent of the school. I'm likely one of the very few that said yes.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

I recall there being studies whose results were both for and against uniforms. In all cases it was rather lightweight in that only a small portion of students was ever effected and even so, only slightly.

Even if there was something really significant to support uniforms, I still wouldn't go for it. Personally, I've never found anything to be quite so uncomfortable to wear as nice clothes. Not just a lack of comfort, outright discomfort no matter what style, whatever. Every time I had to dress nice, I made sure to bring a set of my usual clothes, otherwise I'd be uncomfortable and thus unable to concentrate all day. It probably doesn't help that I'm not a very attentive person to begin with (not ADD, just prone to analyzing and dismissing a topic long before someone's done talking)

Granted, all of this is anecdotal, but nevertheless I feel that those who are adversely effected are probably equal in number to those who may benefit. If you can't concentrate on work because of what people are wearing, that's your problem that you and your parents (at this given stage) need to fix, not everyone else.

My sense of individuality developed almost in it's entirety before I got anywhere near graduating from highschool, it would be wrong to deny people that sense of self merely because a few others may do better in an arbitrary set of purely academic areas. But my rant about the over-obsession we have with academia is for another day...

[Amanita]

I am not a fan of uniforms. Especially sexist ones where girls HAVE to wear skirts or dresses.

Even with uniforms, kids still find ways to distinguish between the haves and have-nots, it's just a bit more subtle. If it's not the clothes they pick on, it's jewellery, hair, shoes, the "right" toys, or a hundred other things. What do you do? Forbid ALL personal items, accessories, and the like? Even if you did that, the bullies would just turn to the other things they like to razz people about- height, weight, hair, etc.

I would not want to go to a school where I couldn't even wear a necklace of my own choosing. I felt dehumanized enough as it was.

On the other hand, there is NO need of the stuff described in the CS thread (Although I might give a pass to the fairy- it's odd but not offensive). Kids don't need to be wearing hooker-wear and obscene things. Yes, even with uniforms, the truly determined find ways to sex things up if they want to.

As a compromise, I would be in favour of a reasonable dress code:
Skirts/shorts must be of a certain length, no cheating by "rolling"
Pants must be worn at or close to the natural waist, no "sagging" or extreme low-rise
Underwear is just that-underwear. Keep it UNDER your clothing
No spaghetti staps or muscle shirts
No excessively low-cut tops
Nothing see-through, unless something (besides underwear) is worn underneath.
No vulgar images or words on clothing

Something like these guidelines would cut out the really innappropriate stuff while still allowing lots of room for individual choice.

[KellyHabersham]

The high school I went to here in Phoenix didn't have a specific dress code, I know there were a few guidelines, but clothing was left up to the students and their parents.

However, the elementary and junior high schools that I attended in northern Arizona were a little more specific with dress codes.........guys couldn't have long hair, hats weren't allowed in the classroom, and girls were almost not allowed to wear pants. (oh, and I believe male teachers were required to be clean-shaven)

[protege]

Even if there was something really significant to support uniforms, I still wouldn't go for it. Personally, I've never found anything to be quite so uncomfortable to wear as nice clothes. Not just a lack of comfort, outright discomfort no matter what style, whatever.

Damn, I thought I was the only one! Why is it that "nice" clothes, are the most uncomfortable things ever? Seriously, I hate getting dressed up. Mainly because I went to a Catholic grade school, and had to wear nice clothes, including ties on Mondays, for 8 years. Did I mention that button-down shirts are uncomfy when you have a tie on?

As such, I don't get dressed up very often. For work, I usually wear polo shirts and khakis. I'm not about to wear a fucking suit when crawling around on the floor routing network cables. Nor can I tolerate frying in a hot office with a suit on. Screw that.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Damn, I thought I was the only one! Why is it that "nice" clothes, are the most uncomfortable things ever? Seriously, I hate getting dressed up. Mainly because I went to a Catholic grade school, and had to wear nice clothes, including ties on Mondays, for 8 years. Did I mention that button-down shirts are uncomfy when you have a tie on?

As such, I don't get dressed up very often. For work, I usually wear polo shirts and khakis. I'm not about to wear a fucking suit when crawling around on the floor routing network cables. Nor can I tolerate frying in a hot office with a suit on. Screw that.

As did I, guess misery loves company

Ditto on the impractical part. They just don't serve any practical purpose whatsoever. To the point where I'm convinced some puritan fuckface specifically designed dress clothes to be uncomfortable in a fit of masochistic fervor.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Especially sexist ones where girls HAVE to wear skirts or dresses.

I agree with that. I don't think girls should be required to wear skirts. For one, they can be impractical, depending on what you are doing at school. Most school uniform skirts are knee-length and that sucks in cold weather. And some girls just might not be comfortable wearing a skirt and they shouldn't be forced to.

[flutes_and_fabric]

Inappropriate Elementary School Attire

I have this on CS, but some debates sprung up over uniform policy and private vs. public. Also, the schools are not in good areas, so there were some issues over descriptions of the families of these students (white trash) and some problems over why one of my schools (I'm at 2) is successful while the other isn't if they're both in the same area. I'll explain more if any of these subjects come up. Anyway, here's the post:

So today was a very warm day and one of my schools does not have ac. There were some very interesting outfits today. We had to send out a mass e-mail to parents along with some very interesting calls home. Here're some of the outfits I saw on children today:

3rd grade: stilettos, booty shorts, shirt that ended just below the boobs, hair teased, thick eyeliner, bright red lipstick (mom's a "dancer" and saw nothing wrong with her daughter's outfit)

4th grade: very long very painted nails (little decorations and rinestones glued onto the nails) not too bad, but kinda not something worth wasting money on

5th grade: spaghetti strap tank that's so loose, anyone taller than this girl (almost everyone) could look down her shirt and see no nos.

4th grade: spaghetti strap tank that's so low it showed nipples

3rd grade: boy with the words "fuck me" on his shirt

4th grade: boy with a big pot leaf

5th grade: fairy costume, complete with wings (more funny than inappropriate)

5th grade: shirt turned into a dress, no she didn't wear any pants (and we sit cross legged on the carpet in the younger grades)

4th grade: bright pink lip stick (done by mommy)

5th grade: boy just upped the gauges in his ears, I don't know how the sizing for them work, but I can now fit my thumb through his earlobe

4th grade: tank and tights (no pants, and I'm not talking spandex bottoms, I mean tights...with a control top)

3rd grade:...stuffed bra...

and I don't see any of these students 1st period, so they were all in another class already. My other school has uniforms, so they don't really face these problems.

a lot of boys have pierced ears now, and both of them, not just one

I had to fill out an abuse form today. This boy was wearing a t shirt and he hadn't raised his hand yet, so the other teachers hadn't noticed it yet. Sure enough in my class I ask a question and he's jumping out of his seat, arm in the air. I see...a tattoo. I call on him and mention "nice temporary tattoo." He tells me it's not temporary. I glance at it and sure enough, it looks pretty real. But he could be lying, you know how kids want to seem tough. I call the nurse. She calls him down a few minutes later. Next class I have to fill out my portion of the forms. It was real. 4th grade.

Bonus teacher outfit: lots of cleavage. Stilettos, tight shorts that go to just above the knee, white shirt that comes down over her stomach, black lowcut shirt overtop with the word "juicy" written over her breasts in rinestones.

Also, just wanted to mention a couple of the more interesting (but common, so they won't be able to identify themselves) names I have come across. I have 2 DD's. Yes, they spell their name DD. Pronounced just like the letter. And, I have a la-a. I had no idea how to pronounce it. Apparently it's ladasha (get it, - = dash). Oh, there's also a .y (dotty) and an an4 (anfour). And like I said, common. Between the 2 schools I had at least 2 of each of these names (my friend has 3 la-a's.)