Advocates of uniforms do cite one advantage that is more difficult to dismiss. Adolescence is a time of great uncertainty and awkwardness for many people and expensive or stylish clothing is often a very important signifier of status during this period. Uniforms lessen this by taking the emphasis off of what people are wearing. If you dress not very cool then uniforms are better. Not everyone is convinced that uniforms do much to solve this problem, however.
Students have other ways of expressing themselves.
Uniforms are evil. Several other young people interviewed for this story echoed Patterson's sentiment with some even comparing school uniforms to fascism and totalitarianism. Young people are not the only ones who feel that uniforms in public school violate their rights. Although some surveys have shown that the majority of parents with grade school children favor uniforms, a number of parents have argued that these policies violate their rights as parents. A little over a year ago the school district in Wilson County, Tennessee mandated uniforms but has been met by opposition from the Wilson County Parents Coalition which formed to oppose uniforms.