Style Theory: Are School Uniforms Worth It?

Honestly, the more this channel shows, the more I realize that this was possibly the best choice for a fourth channel. Im definitely excited for whats to come.

I go to school with a uniform, and one of the most annoying things about uniforms was that girls were forced to wear skirts, even if it was really cold, the girls were freezing their legs off. Also I end up never buying 6 outfits— I just have 2 pairs of pants, 3 shirts and a separate pair for fridays. No one buys 6 outfits.

My experience in Australia is that uniforms helped to hide the wealth gap because theres only one uniform store that most schools source their uniforms from and for a reasonably cheap price. We'd all style it differently too which is pretty cool. There were school beanies, scarfs, coats, short and long sleeves, pants and shorts, untucked or tucked.

Fun fact, the funding for the studies showing uniforms having positive effects on grades come directly from the companies that make or sell the uniforms. It would be like Hershey funding a study to see if chocolate is better for you then vanilla. What do your think the results of that study are going to be?

I went to an all-girls Catholic school with uniforms, and I can tell you it's not just the brands of the uniform elements that influenced social standing in the students, but the way you wore it - how much is your shirt tucked in, how much is your collar popped, how many shirt buttons are undone? In a sense that was a way for students to express themselves, but it was pretty limited and "othered" some of us who didn't like that style. Essentially do you remember that Fairly Odd Parents episode where they all turned into grey blobs, but some of them still considered themselves "greyer and blobbier" than the rest? Yeah, that.

Realistically, there's also the factor that seeing someone else who has the same style as you or has merch from a fandom you like makes it easier to make friends, form bonds, and generally be more social. It's a lot easier to judge if someone could be a potential friend if I see them wearing a Game Theory backpack or shirt, rather than a uniform.

My biggest issues i had with uniforms in school were; teachers/staff disagreeing on uniform policies and changing them too often, and the fact that you also needed a gym uniform for PE, and got graded on whether or not you wore the right gym clothes (which is better than doing PE in a regular school uniform i guess, but not by much)

The body shaming part was too real. Teachers still find a way to sexualize and criticize my uniform because of my body type. I was also not the only girl who experienced that. I could be wearing the same thing for months, but ONE day I get in trouble for wearing that same garment

One of the main reason we used uniforms in our school was “Avoiding gang colors” but guess what color our uniforms were, Red and Blue

I shared this with my parents because we’ve been having this argument since I was in middle school. I wore uniforms from K-Sophomore year of HS. Always hated them and in my experience, yes all you said MatPat is the case. Just because you’re all wearing the same thing it doesn’t automatically promote acceptance. Kids will always find something else to pick on.

The points on individuality vs unity is amazing. I’m from England and all schools have a required uniform (excluding a handful of outliers), and the difference is baffling. When I left and went to college, my wardrobe exploded. I was finally able to ditch my blazer and tie, drop the smart shoes, and finally express myself. I went from a blazer to denim jacket, shirts to tie dye and crop tops, I even got a pan flag belt to replace the black belt I had before to properly express myself. I always recommend schools to remove uniforms in general. My confidence soared when I left school, and I partially thank being able to wear my own outfit for that.

No one in my entire school career actually had 6 school uniforms. You had either 2 or 3. You can wear the same outfit for 3-4 days y’know. Imagine the amount of laundry you’d have to do if you put on a fresh uniform everyday?

Another point against school uniform is that it doesnt offer a lot if options for students with sensory issues, such as autism. I grew up only wearing uniforms in schools ans I hated it, the textures were all wrong, they were too tight in some areas and too loose in others, and they were overall really uncomfortable and hard to wear. now that I'm in college I can wear what I want, and the lack of sensory issues makes it much easier for me to want to go to school, without a constant assault on my senses

Here in Argentina we essentially use lab coats as uniform, you can wear whatever you like under it but you have to wear the lab coat above it. As far uniforms go, I think it's not that bad, it's only one very simple piece of cloth so you can get one pretty cheap, it's used above your actual clothes so no need to wash it that often and since underneath you can wear whatever, you can go to school with really comfy clothes. It's also just a lab coat, there's little room for "my blue skirt is better than your blue skirt"

As a brit, working-class kids still got bullied with uniforms. Schools didn't require kids to have clothes that fitted, so some parents would by oversized clothes to last longer, or a younger child would wear their older sibling's old uniform. Other students would notice and bully them for being poor because of it. (in private schools ive even witnessed some kids being bullied for wearing uniform items from cheaper stores?? it was insane) Richer kids could also flaunt their wealth in other ways - their school bags, makeup, accessories, shoe/trainer brands, etc, and they'd always make sure to let everyone know about it.. i guess when you're all wearing a uniform, it's the smallest things that begin to matter - but then again, it's Britain, and we have a major classism issue

Thank you for mentioning the cultural aspect of uniforms because this video shows a very Western perspective on the subject. As an Asian who was educated in catholic schools my whole life, I can attest that no parent or student (except maybe the bougie ones, which make up a tiny percentage of the population) ever questions the need for uniforms. To us, they're convenient, cost-effective, and conducive for learning.

Another thing to consider is that by allowing kids to choose their fashion it also helps those kids find others who share their interests. Wear an anime shirt one day and you can find a couple of other kids who also like anime as well and next thing you know you've made friends. Uniforms prevent that natural socialization, thus reinforcing the isolation that a lot of kids can feel.

I only had uniforms during my elementary years, but I like how they did it honestly. Instead of having a company that made them, they just said “white top, navy blue bottoms” and it game families a opportunity to by from places that matched their price range while still making all of us look pretty darn identical. I still prefer to be able to dress how I want, but props to my elementary school I guess 🤷

I cant believe u need 5-6 uniforms for school. I only have 1 uniform over here in Kazakhstan, its just too expensive

the fact that our beloved MatPat decided to share his nerdy teenage years with us, for the sake of this channel. Youre great man🤣