I wore a uniform to school from fourth grade until I graduated. We hated them. Doesn't everybody that has to wear a school uniform hate them? Blue plaid and white blouses. Dress-style jumpers over the blouses through sixth grade, and skirts with the blouses starting in seventh. Solid color blue, green or white socks. Solid color blue, green or white sweaters. No dangling earrings. Closed-toed shoes. Skirts had to touch the floor when kneeling. The rules seemed never-ending. The dream of being able to choose what I got to wear each day was a part of the enticement of college.
At college, I was sometimes overwhelmed by the question of "What am I going to wear today?" There was no real group to follow - different people dressed casual, sporty, dressy, stylish - I had to start making up my mind who I was, as far as fashion was concerned. It was work. I remember thinking that it would be so nice just to put on my white blouse and plaid skirt and go. But instead, I set out to carve my individuality in the world using my clothes. I wasn't Lady Gaga of that little Baptist college, but I did set my own style and let my personality show.
Now, I'm an elementary teacher. Let me explain why that matters. There is a shelf or drawer in every elementary school teacher's house that is full of school t-shirts. After a few years, if you don't weed them out, they will run over! Just this week alone, I was given two t-shirts and told when to wear them (and sometimes, what to wear them with!) It was also announced that we will be able to order another t-shirt to wear on Mondays to advertise our behavioral program! So if I wear that one on Mondays, the committee shirt on the Wednesdays of meetings, and the spirit shirt every Friday, that leaves Tuesday and Thursday to wear my own clothes! Wow!
I am not anti-t-shirt. I think they have a place. One school shirt is cute, especially when you have special days or competitions, and especially when you can wear the same design the little ones wear. They think that's cool. And t-shirts are great for exercising. My prejudice actually stems from vanity. I do not look good in t-shirts. I am no longer as thin as I was in college, and my bust (not thin, either) is accentuated by the high neck on a t-shirt. I spend the whole day making sure the t-shirt is pulled down far enough in the front and back, and not pulling too tight in certain spots. I am not as comfortable in a t-shirt as I am in my professional clothes. And, believe it or not, in spite of my age, I still want to be an individual!
So, whether the blame lies with the seven years of plaid uniforms, or with my vanity about wanting to choose more flattering outfits, I would like to publicly state my aversion to the number of t-shirts and days that we are required to wear them. I know the publicly stating anything won't change the t-shirt trend, but I just had to get it off my chest. I wish I could do that with the t-shirts. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go choose a design for the t-shirts my children in choir will be required (by me) to wear.
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