Ok, my two cents - i see kids walking down the street with mohawks and crazy clothes and colored hair, and i get
jealous. 'Cause i work, and i can't have fun with my appearance the same way they can, as
the powers that be just wouldn't like it. Sure, they frequently look silly. But for most of them, high school (or its equivalent) is a last chance to be silly like that. It's a chance to make
radical statements about their
identity and not have it lose them their
livelihood. It's a chance to be a little crazy before they have to be a lot crazy (ie. act sane) and look
normal. Unfortunately, i didn't really take that opportunity when i had it. Thus the jealousy.
I didn't have to deal with a uniform until i went to a public school in England for a year. It was a dress code, actually, rather than a uniform per se, meaning that the richer and less fashion-retarded students had better and more stylish clothes. Plus the rest of us felt uncomfortable at all times. Yes, even those who had had to comply with dress code for years. So i personally see a loss in, and very little benefit from, dress codes.