6 ways to style school uniforms

School uniforms can relieve kids and young adults of a lot of pressure to wear trendy (and expensive) clothes. And how about all that time it can help often sleepy students save in the morning? But uniforms can be (let’s be honest) kind of boring and make it hard for kids to express their unique personalities. This is where a little creativity and playfulness can go a long way. Here are our six favorite tips for styling school uniforms, whether your child is in elementary, middle or high school: 

Wear the least popular color 

Wait, isn’t school and youth about fitting in and going with the crowd? Not when it comes to making a uniform look unique. For instance, if blue is the most common accent color among kids, choose another color like red (assuming it’s an approved color). Likewise if multiple plaids are available, choose the one that’s less popular with most kids. 

Bows, ties and belts 

Girls can add pretty ribbons to their hair. Button up a shirt and tie a fun bow around the collar or wear a neck scarf. Boys can play with different neckties and even bow ties. And girls and boys alike can accessorize easily with belts. 

Shirts 

Girls can make plain button-downs their own by varying the shirt collars (Peter Pan versus pointy). In cooler months, both boys and girls can layer colored shirts underneath button-downs. 

Socks, shoes and tights 

Many adults assess an outfit from the feet up, and with good reason: footwear choice can show a lot of personality. Girls can play with boots that have varying shaft heights, ballet flats and shoes with interesting buckles. Both girls and boys can express their unique style through athletic shoes and rugged looking boots, as well as by replacing standard laces with colored ones. Fun socks look great when they peek out from underneath pants. And girls can mix it up with opaque colored tights or knee socks. 

Backpacks and purses 

Personal style can be functional too, especially in school when you have all those books to lug around. Backpacks can look sleek, modern, playful, athletic or rugged. Older girls can add a purse or clutch for a touch of extra style and those quick trips to the ladies’ room. 

Just for girls 

If the dress code allows it, girls can personalize their look with jewelry, makeup and nail polish, hairstyles and hair accessories like barrettes and headbands. 

With a little imagination and a willingness to try new things, it’s relatively easy to look uniformly stylish every day, even in a school uniform.

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