make your mark

I’ve never been a fan of uniforms; even now I refuse to do ‘suits’ which are of course the ultimate. I can understand their use where a workplace must ensure safety, and the need for some form of identifier where customers need to make contact, and even some form of badge of pride – of belonging. But more often than not they are about submission, loss of personal identity, neutralisation and control.
What struck me on the weekend however is that it’s not ‘uniforms’ that repel me but ‘uniformity’. At school we had uniformity; when I began high school in 1972 our tunics were exactly 4” above the knee and we were told which knickers to wear. Issues surrounding the need for (eg safety) or desire (by the individuals) for a uniform can be overcome where some quirkiness is allowed.
I still reject them personally however and would never put myself in a position where I had to succumb. But I’ll be crying a silent cheer every time I see non-conformity and individuality.