Pink...you sound like my daughter. When i told her we were trying to get the teachers to wear uniforms (and she's a teacher of 5th graders) she didn't like the idea for herself. She has tattoos, and used to have a nose ring till she started teaching, and they wouldn't let her wear it in school, or maybe she just gave it up because of appearance expectations. I never asked her why she did that, but I liked it. I, myself, would like to have my nose pierced, but it would look ridiculous on me, and my school admins wouldn't like it either.

My reasons for liking uniforms are mainly to level the playing and educational field among students, where at my school many are from impoverished homes. I've never confronted a student for having cleavage hanging out or for pants falling off, though we do see that a lot. We do have teachers who police this like hawks at our school, and it becomes nit-picking after a while. Uniforms would alleviate this waste of energy and preoccupation among students and teachers. But that is not why I like the idea of uniforms so much. I think "dressing for education" lends an air of importance to attending school, and even pride, once the students and faculty get on board!

Patty