Opinions from a high school dropout

Ethnic minorities aren't the only people who sag their pants. I bet you've seen whites do it, too.

You are correct that teens will find a loophole, like they always do. I went to a private high school that required us to wear uniforms. Boys had to wear neckties, button-down shirts, khakis, and dress shoes. Girls had to wear button-down blouses, skirts, tights, and dress shoes. Having this dress code instilled in us this sense that we were in an institution that had to be respected. We were there to learn, not have fun and do whatever we wanted. Indeed, whenever we had dress-down or jeans days, the entire atmosphere did get a bit rowdier.

Of course, we didn't always take the dress code that seriously. Some boys would often sag their khakis a bit, but since the dress shirts are a bit longer than they need to be, no underwear showed. The leather shoes we were supposed to wear didn't always look polished — a few guys even tried wearing black sneakers!

The dress code violations were rarely egregious, however. The faculty weren't sticklers on how we looked, mostly because everyone looked "decent enough". The point is to instill a sense of respect, not to enforce a particular fashion. Indeed, no faculty member in their right mind ever required a girl to tuck in their shirt, since the skirts' waistlines were too high. Girls rolling instead of tucking their shirts may have been bad, but having 500 girls that looked like they were wearing kilts would have been worse. =P

I'm 53 years old and I had to wear a school uniform, my daughter is 18 and in grade 12 and will be wearing her last uniform this year. In the schools here in South Africa uniforms are still mandatory, tie and blazer, it instills pride in your school. No makeup allowed, no long nails and no long hair for boys. No cell phones either.156.8.251.250 (talk) 13:09, 5 September 2011 (UTC)