Though private schools get a lot of flack for a variety of reasons, the one question that always gets thrown my way when someone first learns that I attended a private school is if I had to wear a uniform. Now when they have a ghastly expression after I inform them I did in fact have one, I can’t help but fill them in on why this may have been the best thing ever. While attending a private school did tend to have stricter rules, one of them being the forceful enactment of the uniform, there was something really comforting about wearing it that makes me still miss it two years later. Here are just 10 reasons why I miss the comfort of my beloved uniform.
1. I could roll out of bed and not think twice about what I would wear that day.
Because the uniform is mandatory, there isn't much thinking when it comes to picking out what to wear for the day. Besides rotating your different skirts and deciding between a long sleeve polo or a short sleeve, you don't have to waste too much time deciding on your outfit.
2. It may have been a plaid skirt, but it sure was it comfy. (Sad to say we did not in fact wear them like the infamous Brittany Spears).
Yes they were skirts, but there was something comfy about lounging around the school in your uniform. Bundling up in the winter was easy too because all you did was throw on a pair of leggings under your skirt and switch out the regular polo for a sweatshirt. Life wasn't too shabby.
3. There were actually a lot of options so I could have fun matching the plaids, navies and polo shirts together.
Now even though you didn't have a closet full of outfits to pick from like most public school kids, you got to be trendy by assorting your plaid skirt with your new sweater or add some fun tights under your navy skirt. We may have had a strict outfit protocol, but everyone seemed to be able to find their own style while following the dress code.
4. That being said, you still felt like you had your “cute days” when you matched said plaid skirt with the classy sweater vest. Yes us Catholic school girls were fashion icons.
Now with all this mix and matching, we all tended to have a designated day that we would try to look presentable. Sometimes that meant wearing your favorite shirt, and sometimes that meant throwing a cute bow in your hair. Whatever it was, it always was refreshing rolling up to school feeling put together in your "cute" uniform look for the week.
5. Picking your outfit for the weekend was simple too because most of us just ended up wearing sweats and sweatshirts and called it done. Simplicity is bliss.
Now because we all were ~forced~ to wear these uniforms throughout the week, it was predictable for most of us to lounge in sweatpants or leggings for the weekend because it was our only time to just be casual. That meant not having to worry about what to wear how to do our hair, or how much makeup to wear. We may have had to be put together during the week, but the weekends we got to relax in our groutfits.
6. You matched with everyone else so you could just blend into the crowd. You were just one big navy blob.
Though there were days where it may not have been our favorite to dress up in our uniforms, there wasn't much to complain about because everyone else around you had to be wearing the same thing. There was a comforting feeling knowing that you weren't the only one having to put up with rules, that at times seemed pointless or unfair.
7. Socks became the fashion icons because they were the one thing we could show our style with.
Now while we all had to match on the top, nothing was more fun than investing in endless amounts of socks, some fuzzy, some with animals on them, and some that were solely worn for their warmth. There was no greater feeling than wearing a new pair of socks to class and getting compliments on them. You felt like you were on cloud 9.
8. You shamelessly could wear Birkenstocks, crocs, and any other type of shoe in any kind of weather because they all - kind of - went with your uniform.
To go along with your array of socks, it was common to see a variety of shoes. It wasn't hard to match shoes with your uniform because for the most part most things you wore tended to match the basic skirt and top. Needless to say, Birkenstocks, Crocs, Uggs, Hunters, and Nikes all made an appearance with our uniforms as they were comfy and seemingly cute with the uniform.
9. You didn’t have a need to spend money on excess clothing (though you regretted this once you got to college and you were forced to steal your roommate's clothes).
When you grow up wearing a uniform for most of your education, there isn't much need for other clothing, other than your jerseys for the various sports teams you played on. Therefore, you and your parents ended up saving a lot on not having to stock up on the new outfit trends of the year because whether you liked it or not you would be wearing the same thing for the next 365 days.
10. You got to feel like you were just another character on "Gossip Girl", except for the fact that your life was 100x less complicated than theirs.
Yes, everything that happened on this show was ridiculous and improbable, but there was something gratifying about imagining you were just like the Consonance girls. Maybe you let your long blonde hair down, or took a cue from B and put a cute headband in your hair, but dressing up in your uniform made you automatically feel a tad bit classier.
