Walking through the halls of ISB, you see people from all over the world. It is a school with plenty of diversity. While some people think that wearing uniforms demonstrates professionalism in school and eliminates distractions, others, like me, believe that they are unnecessary because they actively restrict the cultural identities and interests represented within our school.
Students here come from all over the world, and when new students arrive, they naturally want to make friends. One way that people can connect is through their clothing styles. For example, there were literally a thousand kids in my grade at my old school in Texas, and there were plenty of different types of people. One kid named Julian always wore loose basketball jerseys. He wore them often enough for people to associate him with the sport and the culture of that sport. Over time, I saw him hanging out with other people like him — those who were also into watching or playing basketball. Just by showing his personality through clothing choices, he was able to make a whole group of friends. There was another kid I knew named Caden, who was a little bit country and wore slightly baggy jeans, cowboy boots, and a graphic tee with a country design every day. The same thing that happened to Julian happened to Caden. Over time, his wardrobe choices allowed him to find his people, and I saw him sitting with other, more rural kids at lunch every day.
Uniforms restrict students’ ability to identify like-minded people with whom they could become friends and create lasting friendships. Also, new students could fit in with a current clothing trend, eventually leading people to see their clothing style and connect with them about shared interests.
Students wearing what they like instead of school uniforms represents a fundamental kind of individual expression. Individual expression is a healthy and natural way to grow confidence because it comes from a person’s uniqueness and allows students to declare their independence through the expression of individual style. In fact, citing a lack of recent studies on the topic, researchers at Ohio State University set out to determine whether uniforms really do promote better attendance and a stronger sense of community — as has long been claimed — and whether that results in less bullying and fighting. Their 2021 study found no correlations — nothing changed between students who wore uniforms and those who did not. “A lot of the core arguments about why school uniforms are good for student behavior don’t hold up in our sample,” Anya Arsi, lead author of the study and assistant professor of human sciences at Ohio State University, told a campus publication.
This supports the argument that student uniforms are not necessary. Individual expression lets you be you. Developing a sense of individuality is key to growing a strong self-belief.
Another advantage of not having uniforms at ISB would be student comfort. I speak for many students when I say that we can focus, learn, and perform better when we are wearing clothes that make us feel comfortable, seen, and representative of who we are. When I’m at home and I have my sweatpants on and a comfy hoodie or shirt, I can focus and lock in on my schoolwork so much better than when I am wearing something someone else wants me to wear. Wearing comfortable clothes not only would allow students to perform better in their academics, but it would also make students happier. When it was Spirit Week and students could express some creativity with the themed days, everyone I saw who participated was happier than during non-Spirit Weeks. My friends also told me how glad they were that they could wear more comfortable clothing.
Ultimately, students at ISB would be better off without uniforms. Administrators would say uniforms keep students on a level playing field, eliminate distractions, and teach us how to be part of a community. But perhaps the fact that we cannot express ourselves is the biggest distraction of all.
