Friday Question #55
What is your opinion on wearing a uniform to work or school? Would you be upset if you had to wear one, or happy?
Last week, I was discussing work attire with two coworkers, and one of them asked me what the dress code was at Steven’s office. I told them that Steven wears a long-sleeved button-down shirt with the company logo and his name on it almost everyday, every week.
They were very excited about this.
“Wow, that sounds great! I would love to wear a company shirt and a pair of khakis each day!”
“It would be so much easier!”
I thought about it, and although it would be easier and save time, I think I might miss wearing “my own” clothes after awhile. I don’t have great style or anything, but it might get old to see everyone wearing the same thing, day after day.
Now that I think about it, this question should be asked directly to my dad, who is a mechanic, and wears those blue Dickies almost 365 days a year, and has as long as I can remember.
Themocracy
As long as it is comfortable and seasonally appropriate, (my office tends to be rather cold in the winter and warm in the summer), I think it would be ok. At least I wouldn’t waste 10 minutes every morning trying to figure out what to wear.
The nice thing about a uniform is that you never have to wonder / worry / stress about what you’re going to wear to work. The bad thing about a uniform is it’s a uniform. Especially if it involves a skirt. Eiwwww!
I think I would rather wear a uniform to school (hs school) rather than work. If I had to wear a uniform to work I probably wouldn’t mind it so much, though. I would miss wearing my own stuff, but I wouldn’t mind knowing exactly what to wear every morning.
I wouldn’t mind at all, although I’m not in a field where uniforms would make any sense, so it would be weird. As for schools I’m all for uniforms, however I wouldn’t care either way what my future children’s schools required/allowed them to wear.
Like Gina, in school I would have much preferred a uniform, only because it evens the playing field, and self esteem is hard enough at that age.
But as an adult, a uniform *sounds* like a nice idea–less stressing over what to wear–but I like being able to be an individual. Anyway, it would be just like me to wake up and realize I had forgotten to wash some item of my uniform! 😉
I used to wear a uniform at Fareway and hated it because it was so icky!! But now that I have to dress up for work everyday, it takes me around 40 minutes just to pick out an outfit!! Mostly because I don’t have any fancy clothes yet! I still would prefer wearing whatever I wanted to work though! If it were school on the other hand, grade school, I would definitely vote for a uniform. Waking up for school and not knowing what to wear was the worst!
After wearing a school uniform for 13 years and a baskin robbins apron for three, I’m over uniforms. Sure it makes it easy to get dressed in the morning but it squelches my fashion creativity!
I have an advirsion to uniforms after wearing more plaid than a Scot during my Catholic school days. However, I think for schools it is a good idea, not so much for work.
Mine aren’t actually a “work” uniform because I’m the only one who wears them. They work for me though, I don’t have to worry about getting something nice dirty at any time and I know how to wash them. An added bonus is sometimes people don’t recognize me when I wear good clothes.
Yes, uniforms are simpler, but I’m still glad I don’t have one. Not everyone is comfortable in the same things, both physically and style-wise.
Kim- your dad cracks me up!!!
i personally wouldn’t mind wearing a uniform to work everyday… shoot, the way it is right now i just rotate one of my five t-shirts (or thermals in the winter) out and wear the exact same thing every single week, trying to vary the days i wear the shirt… i often wonder if my co-workers get tired of me wearing the same thing week after week… but in high school, yes, i would have loved a uniform!!!
=^..^=
While I understand the purpose of the uniforms, I’ve never liked the idea. I think it’s too military and creates too much of a control issue. I do understand that in some places, like high gang associated concerns, it’s valid. But overall, I think there are other solutions.
I can see it would be one less thing to worry about when getting ready in the morning. You can still always use your own style after work. So I’m okay with it. But this is assuming of course, that the work uniform is a “normal” uniform and not some outfit designed to embarrass or ridicule the wearer. Like I don’t mind a certain color blouse and dress pants but I’m not going to don a dorky hat or stupid apron unless the nature of the work I do makes sense to do so. I worked at a bank where they wanted you to wear a stupid apron. Counting money is NOT the same as butchering meat so yeah, that was a short job for me. 😉
I hate it when I have to wear my company golf shirt and khakis to business functions. I’d rather do my own “business casual.”
Luckily, my everyday work outfit is a t-shirt and shorts/jeans. Some of my t-shirts are downright nasty too. 🙂
Variety is the spice of life; uniformity and conformity reject the variety inherent in individual tastes.
I know, this sounds like something straight out of high school… But it’s true, IMO. That doesn’t stop me from wearing the de-facto uniform of my company a couple days/week though…
I used to wear OR scrubs at work. Damn I loved that — I’d roll out of bed grab whatever and get changed at work. Heck I didn’t even have to wash them. Sweet deal.
Now, I wear suits to work every day. It’s a uniform too. It just doesn’t come with a name tag.
Odie – It take me 10 minutes too! On the days I’ve decided in advance, I feel like I am not as rushed!
Somi’s Nilsa – Ha! You must not like skirts! 😛 Me either, really 😉
Gina (Mannyed) – I wonder what it would have been like to wear one to school. I know it would have saved me a lot of ridicule from my classmates!
Jenn – I wonder if having your kids wear uniforms is easier or harder. You wouldn’t have to figure out what the kid is wearing, but you would have to keep track of the uniforms and deal with the school when ordering them.
diane – I would feel like I was losing some individualism too. And I would stress about whether my uniform was all clean and ready. I almost always have something clean in the closet! 😉
Christina – I hate that feeling of looking through my closet in the morning and thinking nothing looks professional enough! It takes so long to collect a nice wardrobe! I am still working on it too.
sizzle – Yeah… you would have to be creative with jewelry, makeup and… that’s it!
Christina – Definitely a better idea for school!
dad – Ha! Even I don’t recognize you! 😛
Jess – Good point. I HATED my McDonald’s pants. They NEVER fit my hips correctly! They made me feel ridiculous!
CourtneyInControl – It doesn’t bother ME to see people wear the same thing over and over… it would be impossible to always be wearing something new! (Unless, of course, we were famous and rich!)
martymankins – I didn’t think about that! It does create an atmosphere that may not be desired
teeni – Good point! I was thinking a polo with a company logo, and your own pants. Or maybe different tops with the company logo. It would be goofy, but easy! And definitely NO aprons! 😛
ajooja – Nasty as in nasty message, or as in nasty condition?! 😛
E – It’s true. Variety makes the day more interesting!
Nat – Ooo, and they make those fun scrubs! I always see them at that specialty store in the mall 😉 Suits… .meh 😉
We don’t have a uniform, just some dress rules (no tank tops, no sandals, no jeans). Usually I wear black/gray/khaki pants or a jean skirt with a pretty casual button down top. I think having a uniform would be kind of nice though… but it might be too boring for the gals at my school 😉
i definitely would not like to wear a uniform. i’m hardly a style maven, but i still like getting to choose what to wear each day..!
Bethany – I think dress rules are definitely important. Although I am surprised you are not allowed to wear jeans at the school!
Alice – Yeah, it could definitely make you feel oppressed!