The Fashion Industry

With the gang activity growing throughout the 80’s school officials realized that implementing uniforms or strict dress codes may help combat the problem with gang apparel in schools. Previously dress codes have been seen in the form of uniforms or strict rules in parochial, private and public school systems across the country. In private schools, uniforms were first implemented to mark a student’s social status (Motsinger par 8). Many people, according to Alfie Kohn, author of What to Look for in a Classroom…and Other Essays most people associate uniforms with, “the good ole days [when uniforms] symbolized [. . .] obedience.” Uniforms were a sign of respect, children respected their elders and presented themselves well while wearing them. As stated by Anderson in “School Dress Codes and Uniform Policies,” “[t]he first public school known to have adopted uniforms was Cherry Hill Elementary in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1987. In 1994, Long Beach (CA) Unified School District (LBUSD) was the first school district to adopt a districtwide uniform dress code policy” (par 11). During the Clinton administration the talk of school dress codes and uniforms in public schools first surfaced after his State of the Union Address in 1996. Since Clinton’s speech, schools all around the country have revised and implemented new dress code policies.

The debate about public school uniforms in America is an issue that has been around for a very long time. This issue was even mentioned by President Bill Clinton in a previous State of the Union address in 1996. In his 1996 State of the Union Address, President Clinton decreed,” I challenge all of our schools to teach character education, to teach good values and good citizenship and if it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms” (Clinton 1996). Public schools requiring mandatory uniforms for their students are a major topic as it deals with moral and economic concerns about how America’s public schools are operated.

Most commonly found in private schools, school uniforms are slowly being adopted by public schools in the US. In the 2003-2004 school year every one in eight schools required uniforms; in the 2011-2012 school year that number had increased to every one in five schools (ProCon.org). As violence increased, schools started enforcing uniforms thinking that it would solve the violence. School uniforms were created in England in the 16th century for students referred to as the “charity children” (ProCon.org). In later centuries, high-class schools were the most commonly known for requiring their students to wear uniforms. The first recorded time a public school in the US required uniforms was in 1987, a school in Maryland put out an optional uniform policy (ProCon.org). Uniforms have been being enforced by private schools for years, but now public schools are trying to enforce them. Students should not be required to wear uniforms because it refuses students the ability to express themselves, dress codes are more effective, and uniforms can cause a detrimental effect on self-image.

The idea of uniforms being required for public school students has been a widely controversial topic in the recent past. In the 2003-2004 school year, only one in eight public schools required students to wear uniforms (ProConorg Headlines). In the 2013-2014 school year, one in five public schools required students to wear uniforms (ProConorg Headlines). This essay will discuss the reasons that uniforms restrict the individuality of students, burdens families that cannot afford two sets of clothes for each of their children (Farrell), and serve little to none purpose in benefitting the education of students. Uniforms are meant for the workforce, not school children.

The Fashioned Body: Fashion, Dress, & Modern Social Theory notes that “to understand fashion, it is necessary to go beyond the discussion of pure aesthetics. It is a chain of [events], which are industrial, economic and cultural, as well as aesthetic” (p. 220). Simply put, the fashion industry and manufacturing process is like an unintentional collaborative process - one that brings society

Uniforms have been around for centuries, from back in the day when women had to wear dresses or skirts and men had to wear pants. To now where students and employees have to wear certain pieces of clothing. People dress to express themselves, schools tell their students to be who they are and to be proud; however, when the student tries to do so they are sent home or held in the office which not only takes away their rights to express themselves, but takes them out of class. According to Friedrichs, “A shocking number of students are actually sent home or suspended for breaking dress code, which means even more time out of class.” A school's job is to prepare children for their futures, that can be quite hard when the student is not there to learn. Dress codes can be overwhelming to maintain. A student's wardrobe isn’t going to be full of polos and khakis because they most likely do not wear polos and khakis outside of school. Dress code should not be as strict, hoodies should be allowed, tank tops should be

Fashion are very popular whenever you are and although it plays a very important role in socialization. Fashion can set a different example than what many people expect.To be “cool” they buy many different trends. Fashion are very influential and can set the pathway for the different trends in person’s life.

The history of school uniforms in the United States public schools begins with small underprivileged school of Cherry Hill Elementary in Maryland and the domino effect that happened soon after in the years after. The popularity of school uniforms can greatly be credited to the Long Beach, California study and President Bill Clinton’s speech on the topic. At first, school uniforms were only for the private or Catholic private schools however the school uniform trend spread to other public schools to adopt the “preppy look” and success. This has now set new standard for the United States school system. A brief history of school uniforms will give a significant insight on the growing development that is transforming American schools.

In the Washington Post newspaper article stated the claim of how uniform policy swept U.S. in the school year of 2011-2012 to improve academics for the lacking students. Chandler says that according to federal data 20 percent of school districts made it necessary for students to wear uniforms. The uniform take-over caught the attention of researcher and educators of the benefits surrounding uniforms between high and low poverty school.

Until twenty years ago, Long Beach Unified School Districts decided to adopt the mandatory school uniform policy. Because of this bold move, the door to school uniform policies was opened, and now more and more schools are requiring uniforms. Before 1994, less than one percent of US public schools had a mandatory school uniform policy. Once the door was opened the school uniform situation gained more attention and Gale Student Resources says, “In 1996 President Bill Clinton drew attention to school uniforms in a State of the Union Address, and the number rose to three percent during the 1996-1997 school year.” After touching the topic in the State of the Union Address, the number rose to nineteen percent.

The first point of why all public schools should adopt a school uniform policy is uniforms save the family money. In 1999 the NPD group conducted a survey and found that families whose children went to a school with a uniform policy spent $85 less than families whose children did not. (Pike, 1999). This is sixteen years later after that survey was conducted so the figure today will be in the hundreds as status symbol clothes prices are on the rise every year. There

School uniforms predominately used in private schools are now becoming increasingly common in public schools throughout the United States. During the 2013- 2014 schoolyear, one in five public schools required students to wear uniforms, which is an increase from the 2003-2004 school year in which one in eight schools required the use of uniforms (US Department of Education and US Department of Justice) first documented use of required dress in education stems from England in 1222 when the Archbishop of Canterbury required students to wear the “cappa causa” (a robe-like outfit). The origin of today’s uniforms can be routed back to 16th century England when the poverty-stricken children attending Christ’s Hospital Boarding School wore cloaks similar to those of a clergyman. This was done so in order to clothe the impoverished children who may not otherwise have clothing (Jenny Scott BBC News Online) Even today most of the schools requiring uniforms are located in low-income neighborhoods. The uses of uniforms in today’s public schools are a placebo under the guise to provide a safe learning environment. This is done so by eliminating the competition of dress and creating a feeling of equalization and sense of security among students.

Ever wonder what it would look like to have all students wearing the same white polo shirt, black pants, and a district sweater walking in the hallway? Nowadays, public school and many districts are discussing the possibilities of enforcing the uniform policy. In most places, many private schools already require students to have their mandatory uniforms; however, there are only a few public schools adopting this mandatory school-uniform polices as one of their enrollment requirements. The reason why not all public schools participated was because people believe that they are violating the freedom of choice when enforcing this mandatory uniform policy; yet problems

Today in the US, only 19% of schools are reported to have school uniforms. A decade before that, it was 12%. The amount is increasing, but the problem is the popularity of the move is decreasing. School uniforms hinder students and parent more than they actually help.

Feedback against Learning outcomes You described very well the historical, cultural and economic dimensions of fashion and its relation to Conspicuous Consumption. Your essay is very well written and flows naturally demonstrating research into the phenomenon. You provided very good comparison and contrasted to the forces of production, circulation and distribution. You have well researched and linked academic ideas into the phenomenon. While most of your references are dated, it would have been better to include recent literature to illustrate the changes of Conspicuous Consumption in