Benilde St. Margaret’s is one of the few private schools with no official school uniform. This rule allows BSM students to have ultimate creativity when designing their outfits, while keeping them within the dress code, of course. However, walking through the halls, especially in winter, you see students in similar styles of outfits: sweatshirts, sweatpants, and ultimate comfort. Does it matter if we have uniforms or not, if everyone dresses the same anyway?
In high school, nobody wants to feel like they don’t belong. School outfits can play a pivotal role in feeling “normal.” Wearing popular clothing brands such as Alo, Aritzia, and Lululemon can improve someone’s self-esteem, as it can lead to them being viewed as normal and not different in a bad way. So basic sweatpants, sweatshirts, and sneakers are a great way to dress if you want to blend in.
However, if everyone wants to blend in and dress in similar styles, what’s stopping BSM from implementing an official uniform policy? Last school year, when the idea of a possible uniform arose, the majority were quick to shut it down. Many said that a uniform would limit their freedom and limit students’ true identity. Yet when students show up at school, most are not using the opportunity of freedom with clothing and choose to blend in with the crowd. If the BSM student body is not using the opportunity of no uniforms to the fullest, there is a possibility that the idea of a school-issued uniform might be back on the line, and to combat this, we must start standing out among others.
This can be small to start, such as wearing jeans even when it’s not Mass day, and switching to sweaters instead of sweatshirts. No uniform offers a perfect chance to express ourselves to the fullest, and there is no better place to express ourselves than at school.
I understand the general appeal of dressing in a basic manner. School days are long, difficult, and sometimes just being comfy can help you get through the day. Comfort is also an easy way out of the unnecessary stress that comes with creating a cute and unique outfit that fits within the school dress code. However, in school as a whole, I believe we can break from the stereotypical and basic outfits and begin to use our outfits to express our personalities.