Our new 2020 Autumn/Winter collection is all about those eye-catching pops of retro colour and timeless statement pieces. We love for our pieces to encourage you to express yourself and discover your own personal style! For a large proportion of our childhoods, we are instructed on how to dress and what to wear with the implementation of school uniforms since the 19th Century. Currently, 82% of state schools in the UK require that all of their students must wear a school uniform. School uniforms have always been a controversial topic. Do they teach discipline and conformity? Or do they supress self-expression and creativity?
School uniforms are predominantley justified by the belief that they positively impact student’s educational attainment. Studies show however that this isn’t the case and that wearing uniform doesn’t influence academic achievement. It is also important to consider how expensive uniforms are and how they can become an economic hardship for many families. School uniforms consist of many pieces that have to contain the school crest onto the clothing. This personalisation along with the materials used can become a costly burden for many parents. With children constantly growing and sometimes damaging their uniforms, most parents would agree it is rare to get through a school term without having to spend more money on new pieces of uniform. School uniforms also supress children’s individuality by taking away the choice in how they dress. Alongside clothing, there are also rules against hairstyles and colours, piercings and makeup all which contribute to a child’s individuality and expression of their personality.
It is also important however to look at the positive aspect of school uniforms. Having every child in the same uniform creates a sense of belonging, unity and pride for their school. It removes the pressure of having to keep up with the latest fashion trend and dress ‘cool’. Regardless of economic status, ethnicity and age, every student has to dress the same, meaning their clothing doesn’t highlight the differences between students in these areas. This can take a lot of pressure off of parents and students to keep up with other children. Many argue that uniforms are significant for teaching students discipline and how to follow rules not only in school but for their future workplaces. It has been proven that school uniforms do improve student discipline meaning they listen better, there are lower noise levels in classrooms and lower teacher waiting times overall meaning teachers are spending less time disciplining students. Also, school uniform ensures that clothing worn is appropriate enough to attend school and abide by the rules with students choosing their own clothing, this could be hard to achieve.
On this topic, have you ever noticed the excitement in the air when it comes to non-school uniform day? Were you put under pressure having to find the ‘perfect outfit’ for it? Did you listen and learn as well in school that day wearing your own clothes? School uniform will always be a topic of debate. It largely depends on how much parents and students value their wardrobe as a means of self-expression and creativity. Either way, our new collection has everything you need for your next non-school uniform day or half-term’s out of school uniform! Channel your inner style guru and find your own sense of fashion that can help to show people who you really are!
Leave a comment