I went to Catholic school my entire life. Of course, this experience entailed the classic plaid skirt (khakis for the guys), a powder blue or white oxford shirt and, in high school, a school shoe.
I've actually heard many people say how convenient uniforms were because they saved time getting ready in the morning (this is very true if you're in a rush). However, as someone who loved learning and experimenting with fashion, I had few opportunities to experiment with style unless it was on weekends or dress down days (non-uniform days). As someone who loved fashion and wanted individual style, it was difficult for me to conform to such a plain appearance. I had to be creative, and uniforms taught me how important my style was to me.
During high school, I found ways to customize my uniform to fit me. Even though our stricter dress code enforced tucked in shirts, skirt lengths, and limited accessories, I found my ways around it. I wore bracelets when I rolled my sweater sleeves and adorned dangling earrings so you could see them even with my hair down. I loved styling my hair nearly every day and trying new makeup and colorful eyeshadow. I loved prepping and being creative! Few people understood why I would bother to put in the effort every day or wondered who I was trying to impress. I've never understood why those are the first assumptions, but I personally did it because it made me happy.
After several of my friends had been approaching me for makeup, hair and clothing advice for a few years, my best friend suggested I start making YouTube videos. I had learned a lot from watching videos, but I never thought of making them. At the time I was 15, and my parents didn't know I had any sort of social media beyond Facebook. They were surely not going to be on board with the idea of me posting videos on the internet. I had nothing to lose, so naturally, I went ahead and started filming whenever I could. I experimented with makeup looks, clothing hauls, OOTDs, and ventured into lifestyle videos as well. This outlet allowed me to share what I loved the most with others who were just as interested in style and makeup as I was.
When I went off to college, I was one of the few people who actually wanted to look decently nice for the day, even if it wasn't expected. Along with this came criticism as to why I dressed the way I did (by now I was completely used to this), or why I never wore sweatpants to class. To this I have one answer: I liked what I wear. You should feel comfortable in what you're wearing. For me it could be a skirt, and for you it could be sweatpants. There is a double standard that exists about how we decide to dress ourselves. The best part about college is that you can often wear whatever you want, so I encourage everyone to experiment and try something new once in awhile.
Although I may never want to wear a power blue button up or plaid skirt again, my uniform helped me realize ways to express my individual style and interests, and it showed me how much I want to pursue a path working in fashion.
