Anonymous wrote:Some people look at public school uniforms and see school identity and dress simplicity. Others look at public school uniforms and think "ghetto." Therein lies the conundrum in DC.

Does anyone look at themselves and say wow I am a bit judgemental each time I look at another person and say ghetto? I am so over people not getting how hard it is to be poor.

I work in a law firm, technically no uniform, but there is, for women it is Ann Taylor and related look alikes. For men, a not too hip but expensive suit. I never went a uniform school, I struggle all the time with the conformity of this uniform, but what I hear all the time from other attorneys is that it is not that different from wearing this or that private school uniform. I get this is one workplace but I get a sense that is a common norm in most high paying professions outside silicon valley.

I get that kaki's and a polo shirt are not going to make you want to conform to the class bias above but maybe it is worth thinking about. I know when I went to a discussion at Hardy and the questions of uniform was raised that the principal noted that kids had decided that they wanted the option of looking like the British school nearby and now have a school tie and wear it with a white shirt and jacket.

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm....do people think 'ghetto' when they see blazers w/school crest and khakis (sp?) at St. Albans or other private schools?

St. Albans has a dress code, not a uniform.

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm....do people think 'ghetto' when they see blazers w/school crest and khakis (sp?) at St. Albans or other private schools?

No, but a lot of IB families think "ghetto" when they thing of Hardy Middle School.

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm....do people think 'ghetto' when they see blazers w/school crest and khakis (sp?) at St. Albans or other private schools?

Of course not, St Albans is a very different context, having to do with tradition and the association with English "public" schools. By contrast, public school uniforms in DCPS, say Hardy, are associated with the "tough love" tool kit from the 1990s to turn around ungovernable inner city schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope that the school my kid ends up going to HAS uniforms... no more fights!
Also, no more buying clothes at the beginning of the school year. I wonder how many do you need... 3? 5 sets?
I am in a super creative profession and, let me tell you that wearing a uniform in school (no matter how strict it is) will NOT dampen any kid's creativity.
If your kid is creative, well, there's nothing you can doing to dampen it.

It depends on how old your kid is. We are in PK3, and we have to send 2 extra uniforms in case of accidents. I have around 10 polo shirts (short and long sleeve) and 10 navy yoga pants, the latter of which is essential for her because she can't undo buttons on regular pants yet. I definitely recommend the yoga pants from children's place for those who need navy blue bottoms for girls! They are cheap, last the whole year, and are pretty stylin'.

I rarely ever shop at Children's Place (we do a mix of Lands End and Old Navy), yet we also have two pairs of those yoga pants for our PK3er. I wish they were a bit warmer, but easy to pull up and definitely stylin'! Good stuff!

As everyone probably knows, school uniforms are very much the norm at public and private schools in the UK.

Hmmm....do people think 'ghetto' when they see blazers w/school crest and khakis (sp?) at St. Albans or other private schools?

Some people look at public school uniforms and see school identity and dress simplicity. Others look at public school uniforms and think "ghetto." Therein lies the conundrum in DC.

It's really not a big deal. It simplifies life and reduces competition (mean girl stuff).

Uniforms!

Anonymous wrote:I hope that the school my kid ends up going to HAS uniforms... no more fights!
Also, no more buying clothes at the beginning of the school year. I wonder how many do you need... 3? 5 sets?
I am in a super creative profession and, let me tell you that wearing a uniform in school (no matter how strict it is) will NOT dampen any kid's creativity.
If your kid is creative, well, there's nothing you can doing to dampen it.

It depends on how old your kid is. We are in PK3, and we have to send 2 extra uniforms in case of accidents. I have around 10 polo shirts (short and long sleeve) and 10 navy yoga pants, the latter of which is essential for her because she can't undo buttons on regular pants yet. I definitely recommend the yoga pants from children's place for those who need navy blue bottoms for girls! They are cheap, last the whole year, and are pretty stylin'.