“Ew, it’s so ugly. I’m not ever wearing that.” Have you ever had to wear uniforms to school? Have you ever spent more than one minute just trying to figure out what you are going to wear to school? Many people, such as my classmates, think of uniforms as something that makes them look embarrassing. In fact, the previous quote came from one of my former classmates. Whether considered good looking or ugly, uniforms are beneficial.

Having to wear uniforms can be convenient. A lot of people get up in the morning and stand in front of their wardrobes and take a long time to decide what they are going to wear. Most of them find it annoying to have to take time to decide how they look. Some people even buy several sets of the same clothes to avoid having to decide what to wear. One of my teachers has said: “I don’t care about fashion, style, and all that crap.” A uniform policy would most likely fit those who do not really care about how they look like.

However, the major issue about not wanting to wear uniforms is what people judge of their appearance. Teenagers worry a lot about what they look like in front of others, and they do not want to be laughed at just because they look different from others or the trend of fashion and style. However, how good one looks like is purely opinion. There are plenty of examples that prove something being favored by one will not necessarily it will be liked by another. If students are not forced to wear uniforms, then the people who either do not care about fashion or do not have a sense of style will be laughed at even more. Wearing uniforms will keep everyone’s outlook the same, so the chances of people getting bullied because of their appearance will be much lower. Furthermore, it is still possible, but rarely, that individuals can create their own styles from the uniforms. For example, our Biology teacher had told us that she once had to wear uniforms, but they were allowed to “edit” their skirts for unofficial competition of whose skirts are the shortest while still being appropriate.

Even so, there are schools that are strict about wearing uniforms, lowering the already murky fun that students can make out of uniforms. For instance, if your shoelaces or tie are not properly tied, then you will have some kind of punishment. In these cases, for people that have extreme distastes for uniforms or the group represented by them, is it not beneficial for self-discipline? Fear is a major factor that pushes us to change, so having a strict dress code involving uniforms would push the students towards self-discipline from fear of punishment from supervisors and varying authorities. Such self-discipline would soon grow to become habit in other aspects.

Speaking of discipline, some American schools believe that wearing uniforms could lower the influence of gangs and cliques by stopping them from wearing their own uniforms and displaying their colors, symbols, etc. They also believe that doing so would help stop violence.Large gangs recognize each other and opposing gangs by certain accessories, but usually certain colored clothes. Enforcing a dress code involving uniforms would mean decreased or recognition of opposing gangs during school time. Sidekicks in gangs will not be recognized when passing by another sidekick of an opposing gang. Decreasing recognition in such encounters would lower the chances of group fights during times when uniforms are still forced to be worn.

Just like the gangs, wearing uniforms to school strengthens its spirit and unity. When in competition with other schools, uniforms can make individuals in each school feel different. Uniforms make what you do represent something other than yourself, and sometimes it will make you work harder than before. For example, in sports events with other schools, most likely, you will not know who those people are. Then, you usually think of their school as being good or bad at the sport, not how good is the individual, since you do not know who they are. It also applies to any other occasion and any one when wearing a uniform that stands for something. Even if you are not in favor of the represented group of the uniform, it is not likely that you would want to embarrass yourself. When everyone in the school is wearing the uniform, imagine what you would look like if you are not wearing the uniform that you regard as ugly and stupid? Therefore, uniforms can be an encouragement to the self when you try not to embarrass yourself and your school, or the group that your uniform represents.

Aside from all that, having to wear uniforms could be a way to lower your needs when out on a shopping spree. When you have something set as a standard outfit on school days, you will not need to worry about having to buy clothes for the days that you have school. Think about how much money you could save if you are a person that wear different clothes everyday and only wear the same set/cloth until several weeks later. On the other hand, there are people who still buy and wear tons of different clothes when they are not at school. For this case, the argument is not about whether they need to save money or not. It is about whether their piggy bank will ever hit dead bottom. Hence, it will not concern those who are not in woe about having to buy clothes for school.

Uniforms do not at all have to be something that looks ugly. It saves time before we go to school, is not always as ugly as what people usually judge it to be, and can prevent the occurrence of negative incidents. It is also something to improve school spirit. Having to wear uniforms is also a good way to keep ourselves upright and diligent. Why not try wearing uniforms and see for yourself?