Uniforms- To Have or Not to Have

What would your reaction be if your school suddenly decided not to have any uniforms and the students can wear whatever they want (with some exceptions of course). Well, that is exactly what happens here in USA. We can wear whatever we want, as long as it doesn’t violate the dress code. I believe that people here get a lot of choices ever since they’re children. This country strives to give people freedom, and the ability to choose the outfits to wear is just another step in the plan.

In my opinion, there are two reasons why there are uniforms in India. One, is that children at school come from all types of financial backgrounds. A school is a place where the only thing that matters is education. Hence, it comes with a uniformity and the fact that everybody should be treated as equals. Another reason is that as little kids learn to walk, talk, and study, their life is small and simple. So, the choice of what to wear to school in the morning can be overwhelming and confusing for them and their parents. Which is why it makes sense to for them to have uniforms and fully focus on the education that you receive in school. Though as kids grow up, they can handle and want more freedom and control of their life. Which is why I liked the prospect of making my clothing decisions ever since I moved to the USA.

It depends on what kind of person you are to be able to like this freedom. For example, some people love to plan their outfit the previous night or the next morning while others don’t like an extra decision. Mark Zuckerberg is known to wear the same clothes every day to work as if it is his own personal uniform. He states that it is one less decision in his life, and hence saves him a lot of time. I’m the kind of person who used to love my uniform when I was in India, from its blazers on assembly day right down to the black polished shoes. Though I like the new freedom. I don’t always spend time deciding outfits for school, but Friday is always more special for me than other days, which also gets reflected through my closet choice for the day.

            Though USA’s choice of having freedom of clothing affects other things, like back-to-school shopping. This is almost like another celebration in the United States, similar to Black Friday Shopping during Thanksgiving. It’s at its peak about a month because school starts in September, and there are sales at every clothing store for kids. The malls are jam-packed with friends shopping together, or parents rushing about, getting the essentials for their kids. I love the atmosphere and get a chance to buy some clothes for the new year.

            Due to there also being a freedom of clothing, there are things called spirit weeks every few months at school, especially when it’s close to the holidays or the school dance. It’s always held for a week, from Monday to Friday. There is a theme every day, like pajama day (where you can wear your pj’s to school), twin day (where you wear the same outfit as your friend), or even barbie day (where you can wear pink to represent Barbie colors).

It’s always a blast to collectively follow these traditions with my classmates from school. It’s our version of uniforms and the grade who follows these themes the best is considered to have the most school spirit. Since there are less people in my school, it seems like everyone is following the trends, and even the teachers come up with whacky and creative outfits for weeks like these. We even had a culture day, and since there are many Indian origin people at my school, so many people were seen in lehengas, and kurtas and salwar kameez.

So, all in all, here’s my take on wearing uniforms to school. Whether or not we have one, it’s the way people collectively dress up on special occasions that matter the most. In India, these uniforms allow you to feel special on your birthday, where you’re allowed to wear something different. While on the other hand, in the United States, spirit week allows our school to collectively wear similar outfits and join in the whacky celebrations. - Navaka

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