This is an essay about uniforms, if I could get some reviews that would be great! Im still not finished yet that's why the works cited is not attached. Im not sure what to do to improve it and looking for some help!! Thanks.  
  
## Are School Uniforms Really Necessary?

  
  
All across American schools have a dress code policy or a school uniform. Many private schools are know for having a uniform. Many catholic schools also have a uniform which includes girls having to wear plaid skirts, or unisex paints. Along with this everyone has to wear the same shirts. This is the uniform Monday-Friday for school. Then for school events outside of normal school times there is an equally strict dress code. For example homecoming, girls dresses must be down to their knees. Girls must not show excessive skin, the dress may not be too tight. The dress has to have a back. For events like football games, again there is a very strict dress code. If students wear graphic t-shirts, there cannot be any religious affiliations on the shirts that could go against the school. There also cannot be any use of bad language on it. Or anything else the school deems inappropriate. Intern all these dress code rules make it very difficult to find clothes students feel comfortable in and confident in. All in all schools with strict dress codes, and harsh uniform policies are hurting the kids confidence and there is no overall benefits from them.  
  
I personally when to uniform school from grade 6th-12th. The school I went to for sixths, seventh, and eight grade, had uniforms but they were not very strict. There were four different polos you could wear. The polos had both a male and female cut. For bottoms girls could wear black skirts, or dress pants. Boys had to wear the same uniform polo shirt, and then either black, blue, or khaki shorts or pants. School events outside of regular school hours did not have much dress code at all. Then I went to highschool. This was where I saw how ineffective uniforms were and how highly uncomfortable they made students. All students had to wear either a red or white polo shirt, one style. The style was for both male and female. The girls either had to wear plaid skirts, or male shorts for bottoms. Then the males had to wear a specific type of shorts or pants. The dress code was very strict.  
  
The uniforms for my high school could only be purchased at one store in the state or Arizona. The uniform was also very pricey. Girls skirts had to go down to their knees. In order to tell if a skirt was long enough sometimes females were asked to kneel down to see if their skirt touched the ground. If it did not then it was not long enough. This is highly embarrassing for students to experience this.  
  
Equally is it highly uncomfortable for females to wear shorts or pants cut for a male. This was the only other option females had to wear for bottoms at school. Ultimately there was no winning on what to wear as a female. Along with this the polo shirts were male cut which can make some females uncomfortable with the fit. High School is supposed to be a time for kids to find their confidence. Being uncomfortable in what one is wearing will definitely not prompt confidence in young females.  
  
Yet my highschool in particular did not seem to be too concerned with this. They were more worried about making sure the boys were not distracted by what the females were wearing. The highschool I went to was more concerned about covering up female students and making them uncomfortable then addressing the idea of teaching the boys not to have wandering eyes.  
  
Homecoming was always a difficult time at my high school. The dress code was exptemenly strict. If you were not in compliance with the dress code they would then send you home. Which again was highly embarrassing to students, "students have been humiliated, sent home, forced to change into clothes with "Dress Code Violation" written on them, suspended, or even handcuffed because of dress code violations."(Dress Code and Uniform 1).Dresses had to be a certain length, cover so much skin, and many other regulations were put on what was worn. This made school dances and other school events much less fun since everyone was worried they were going to get in trouble. If a student got trouble for being out of dress code they often either were sent home or given red basketball shorts to change into that were the proper length. Again a highly embaresening event for students.  
  
High School is a time when kids get to express themselves for exactly who they are. Limiting what they can wear limits them. It limits them and does not let them showcase who they truly are. Highschool is also a time when people find out who they are, some people do this through clothes. Therefore limiting what they can wear limits the student, which is not a good situation.  
  
When the topic of uniforms is really looked into, many people have a much more negative view on it then positive. For example, "Despite their reported benefits, mandatory uniforms are controversial because a lot of parents and students don't like the idea of forcing children to dress alike, which they say suppresses freedom of expression."(Ordway 3). Parents recognize that the dress code takes away a child's expression. Children are praised for being unique because as people everyone should embrace who they are. They should not try to hide it or cover it up. Yet this is exactly what uniforms are doing. Parents have started to take a stand against uniforms.  
  
In some states students and parents have fought the dress code, saying it is not constitutional. In some cases they have won. Yet in many more cases they had lost. For one example, "Parents and students complained about the policy, which they felt was overly strict."(Burchyns 4). There is proof that parents and students do not agree with the dress code. In California there was a lawsuit that won in court saying that the dress code was outdated, and too strict, "The Napa Valley Unified School District and the American Civil Liberties Union announced Friday the settlement of a free speech lawsuit concerning one middle school's dress code that, among other things, prohibited jeans and "Winnie the Pooh" socks." (Bruchyn 1). When the case was done part of the decision that was agreed upon was,"All students who attended Redwood Middle School during the past six years may request that official references to dress code violations in their files be removed, according to the settlement agreement." (Bruchyn 7). Students can have dress code violations removed from their files. This shows how strict and wrong the dress code was. If there was a better dress code in place this would not have even been an issue for students to face. School is about learning, not limiting what students can wear. During the time a person is in school the last thing they should be worried about is if what they are wearing is in dresscode. They should be concerned with their learning.  
  
One argument for school uniforms is that it is cost effective, yet it is actually the opposite. School uniforms just require purchasing more clothes, "Some families complain about the financial burden of purchasing uniforms in addition to their kids' other clothing.." (Ordway 3). Some school uniforms are only sold at specific stores. Making them expensive and hard to find. Adding onto this school uniforms have to be tallier often to be the correct length and fit, adding more to the cost. If school uniforms were eliminated families would only have to purchase regular clothes for their students, which they could wear any day of the week including weekends. Where with school uniforms parents must purchase clothes for the students everyday life and also a uniform. Some uniforms can be upwards of $60. If a student has to wear this everyday then they need to purchase more then one, making it very expensive. Also children grow. They will outgrow their uniform, making it no longer in dresscode and then parents will have to purchase more uniforms for their child. Oftentimes children will outgrow their uniform before they outgrow their normal clothes. Since if a girl grows taller it will be instantly noticeable in her uniform skirt since it is no longer long enough to be in dress code. If a girl grows a little and she is just wearing a normal skirt to school it will not be noticed. This is yet again another con for uniforms.