There is no doubt that dressing well, in a highly presentable fashion, is a plus when attending school or later in life in the workplace. It is also true that uniforms are "neutral", in this case a synonym for boring.
However, uniforms inhibit creativity and imply a suppressive atmosphere. One might remember that in religious schools, where uniforms were predominant, teachers used "switches" on students to keep them in line.
The reality behind unforms is that they deter students who receive poor parental supervision at home from dressing inappropriately when coming to school. They punish those students that dress properly and force them to be "conforming".

To attempt to argue that a uniform actually helps improve SAT Scores is so ludicrous that it is off the charts. Frivolous arguments like that only reinforce the fact that uniforms should not be considered in a public school system.

I guess you were never a fat kid in an even uglier uniform designed for the skinny girls. Uniforms make it even easier for them to look better than me. If you stick me in a plaid skirt I will not think about anything other than how I am even fatter and look at my knees. Study? Forget it!

I vote for uniforms in ALL public schools, just to piss Howard off.

It is suppose to be funny. A great essay.

Uniforms do not have to be the stereotypical plaid Catholic uniforms. Many public schools have gone to khakis and a solid color shirt. This should be the norm in every public school.
In schools today, how many children are "bullied" or picked on because their parents can't afford to buy them "Lucky" jeans at $250 or the Tommy Hilfiger shirts that some students can.
Uniforms would assure that everyone is on equal footing. No worrying about school clothes shopping being a "status" to your community and peers. More children would be able to concentrate on their learning rather than what brand of clothing everyone else is wearing. It seems that parents against uniforms are the ones who feel it will diminish their elite status within the community. I do not have children of school age, but hope that when they are, public schools move toward uniforms.
Are we debating the education of the children or how much money a parent can spend to dress their children to the "elite" norm.

After reading Howard's reply i believe he needs a long rest somewhere. I also believe that there should be some standard of dress in school, kids today dress like slobs.

Aside from the fact that this article was obviously written in humorous nature (so I don't understand why people are being so defensive), the statement that "uniforms supress creativity" is proposterous. I wore uniforms for the majority of my school years and always have and continue to be a very outspoken and creative individual. Creativity is not defined in the number of piercings in your face rips in your jeans (sidenote: I have 3 tattoos and 4 piercings) rather, what you choose to do with your time. One thing has nothing to do with the other. Clothes in fact, do NOT make the man.

Uniforms DO in fact create the comradery in that when you're forced to wear/do something, you want to rebel against it. Instead of creating social classes, they creat a (dare I say) uniform thought of "these uniforms suck!!"

Need we be reminded some of our country's greatest citizens wear uniforms: our Police, Firemen, Armed Forces, doctors, nurses, etc., etc....

In inner cities primary school and high school kids love wearing uniforms. It makes them feel as part of a fraternity. It's like a football team and cheerleaders wearing uniforms with their school colors. It's about school pride and spirit. It's about belonging. Kids are instinctively drawn to groups. They feel safe in groups. School colors and uniforms tied all this together in a very basic and visual way. In trying to be stylish and modern, we have taken this away from our kids. Even gangs know how to keep a group together with colors and apparel. Now some kids worry more about wearing the latest trends, fads, and impressing others with their latest fashions, sneakers, tattoos, hairstyles than impressing their peers with superior school grades, athletics, and other talents.There is nobody to blame except us adults. We have allowed this to happen, with good intentions of course. Bring back uniforms.

I was never fat in high school nor wore a uniform... but I guess that's not what this article is about....

I'd like to add a follow up perspective. Along with knowing the author of the article personally, I went to the exact same school and wore the exact same uniform. To suggest that wearing a uniform is in any way oppressive or suppressive to the student or their creativity is absurd. To begin with school is meant to be a place for children to learn and express themselves through learning, NOT soley through the clothes that they wear. For our school the uniform fostered a seperate means for students to be creative and define who we were outside of the clothes we wore and our socioeconomic backgrounds. What one student could or could not have due to societal status was irrelevant and we became peers based on our hobbies, intellect and personal desires NOT who had the best new shoes or coolest brand of jeans. The author and I although both being creative people had different goals and were fully able to develop skills need to pursue those goals through creativity and academic growth regardless of the clothing we were wearing.

After graduation we both went on to pursue starkly contrasting careers and have found great success.
I certainly am not suggesting that uniform wear is the be all and end all solution however to make a blanket statement to suggest that wearing a uniform stiffles creativity consider this:
The Balad pack is used in all major medical facilities in America after major abdominal surgery as way to slowly decrease intraabdominal pressure, inorder to properly close the abdominal cavity and prevent a previously common complication of major abdominal surgery called wound dehiscence. This technique was developed (you probably guessed by the name) in Balad, Iraq by military physicians to increase survival of our soliders after traumatic injury. Military physicians wear uniforms, some even through medical school...I don't but that sounds pretty creative to me.

My children go to public school and I would love them to wear some kind of uniform. As a teenager I would have completely resented it and given all the arguments that some of you are promoting. As a parent, I can see the other side of the coin. Our schools are supposed to have guidelines when it comes to dress, but as a frequent volunteer at both the middle and elementary schools, I can tell you that they are not enforced and consequently, the kids come in all kinds of inappropriate dress. I just worked at field day where some girls had shorts so short that their underwear was peeking out. Some had cut their shirts and had bare midriffs. Neither is allowed under current policy, but yet they were not told to change or go home. I,for one, was disgusted. Children will push the limits of what is acceptable. Unfortunately, you also have plenty of parents with questionable judgement. With a uniform you take all that out of the equation. Getting used to dressing appropriately is something that should be taught at a young age. It will only help them when it is time to enter the work force.

To Wendym:
Your reference to “inner city schools” and uniforms has merit. Inner city schools are an environment fraught with peril. Therefore, uniforms may be preferable there. Suburban schools are far safer. Your later reference to “gangs and colors”, is inner city, not an issue that permeates our schools. Finally, on this issue, I have experienced uniforms and non-uniforms. There never was any “fraternity of uniforms”, rather there was a group defense mechanism when non-uniformed kids would tease them about their uniforms.
Your 2nd argument is totally flawed. Dressing properly has nothing to do with economics. There is a clear difference between “trendy” and appropriate. One can shop in Old Navy and find suitable clothing for school, which, by the way, we have done.
Your 3rd reference to politeness and the 60’s is again totally flawed. Parents must be held accountable. If a child is taught discipline and manners at home, they will carry it to the school and everywhere else. As for what kind of kids that I want to raise, the answer is MINE! They are courteous, well-mannered and DRESS PROPERLY, without necessarily being trendy.

Howard, You cannot just erase what you said previously and re start your argument. You used some very strong but worn out cliche type words. You still have not effectively explained how your points help students study. I have spent more than I care to explaining how uniforms help. But here are a couple more points. The words suitable wear or proper wear are relative. The words fraught and peril are also relative. Kids get bullied or marginalized everywhere in America. You dress differently for any reason, poor, ethnic, or whatever, and you will stand out and will be the target of bad kids. It's tough enough if you are of a different skin color, but uniforms help do away with all this distraction. In the schools where you have people form all over the US and some from outside the US, the uniform, the colors, the school band uniforms, the football team uniforms, these are the visual things that stitch these groups together. School is about kids coming together, supporting each other, and about kids having a single goal. To achieve. Take away uniforms and you suddenly introduce into the classrooms a clash of the haves and the have nots. The have nots suddenly recent those that have 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week. The school building is suddenly a grim reminder of the real world outside the building and is no longer a shelter. This and anything else you throw into this is a distraction that has nothing to do with achieving.

Bill, Again you make Wendy's point. It's al about what happens within the school. What happens outside the schools falls under parenting, and schools are doing a great job but we can hardly ask them to take care of our kids after school. Have you ever played team sports, or have you ever been part of a team? Have you ever worked for a company like big blue/IBM, or played little league baseball? How about the staff at Disney parks? How about the staff at Wendy's or McDonald's? How about the staff at a nice local restaurant? You must be more observant of people and groups. You must pay attention to the obvious and subtle things that bind them and make them unbeatable. It's more than can be said in a few words. Great essays work Wendy. You should be on my team.

Children in school should get used to the "haves" vs. the "have nots" because if they are members of the "have nots" they probably will be for their entire life. So they might as well get used to it early in life.

Uniforms in elementary school is a great equalizer in an egalitarian society, but we do not have an egalitarian society in this country, and the sooner those "have nots" get used to the idea the better.

Without uniforms the elementary pupils will be divided into two groups: those with less on (the "have nots") and those with more on "the haves"). Starting in elementary school and carried into adulthood it is the "more ons" who run this country, not the "less ons".

Wrong again. Or is it still?

Milly, I apologize for being such an ignorant fool and calling you names. I just can't hold a candle to you and I am green with envy. Please forgive me if you can. I'm just a lonely man sitting in front of my computer because I have no friends at all.