School uniforms have always been a nightmare that Chinese students cannot escape, for pretty much just one reason; they’re ugly. Not surprising therefore, does the local topic of conversation often get steered toward debating which school should take the crown for Nanjing’s ugliest school uniform.
Nanjing Foreign Language School
Many people say that Nanjing Foreign Language School is the Eton College of Nanjing, so naturally the uniforms here have become a kind of benchmark for local schools. While their autumn school uniforms are thought to be “just ok”, notably the trousers; comfortable in the summer and also loose enough during the winter to wear something else underneath. However, the winter coat scores much more poorly; the colour is particularly ugly, not to mention that the hood comprises only one single thin layer, not something that can stand up to the winter of Nanjing.
Nanjing No. 1 Middle School
Back when the school uniform of Nanjing No. 1 Middle School was trending on Weibo, many people were envious of it. The girl’s uniform is a dress with a pleated skirt, keeping up with today’s trend; boys sport a suit and tie, or something close. But life was not always this good.
The school’s previous uniform was the antipathy of fashion, with a symmetrical oblique thick white bar traversing the chest area. The boys’ uniforms were available in blue, yellow and an earthy yellow, a palette some refer to as “sh** and vomit”, while the girls’ uniforms came in the questionable combination of red, pink and green; a different colour for difference grades.
Nanjing No. 13 High School
While the autumn uniforms of Nanjing No. 13 High School are quite pleasing to the eye, especially the dresses, which are comparable to those of foreign aristocratic schools, it is the all-blue palette of its winter uniform that ensures the school will perhaps never rid itself of two qualities that stick in the public consciousness; excellent teaching, ugly uniform.
Zhonghua High School
It may just be a sad coincidence, but the unique colour match of Zhonghua High School’s uniforms follows the trajectory of the Nanjing Metro. The old blue school uniform corresponded to Metro Line 1, the red one came next and is exactly the same red as Metro Line 2, and that is one way ugly red. More recently, there came the yellow/orange that is also used on Metro Line S8.
High School Affiliated To Nanjing Normal University
The uniform of the High School Affiliated To Nanjing Normal University is prominent among the city’s high schools for two main uncomplimentary reasons; 1) Almost all the school’s uniforms are green, and not the pretty kind; and 2) While the “NSFZ” printed on the chest originally represented the abbreviation of the school, it is now more publicly known as the Chinese abbreviation for, “You are a fat pig” (你是肥猪).
Jinling High School
Herein, boys wear blue and girls wear red as if it’s the official seal of a couple; in China, the match between red and blue is the colour of a personal union. Jinling High School’s winter uniforms are without doubt very loose, just like most schools in China. To make this one really stand out, however, there’s a large and eye-catching “JINZHONG” on the back. At least it doesn’t have a particularly bad metaphor.
Nanjing No. 3 High School
The uniform design of Nanjing No. 3 Middle School is actually quite reasonable compared to many of the city’s other schools; the colour and style of the school are quite conservative and not over the top. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that the abbreviation of the school’s name on the uniform has been changed from “NJSZ” to “NJDSGZ”. Neither are desirous; “NJSZ” often means “Nanjing Fool” (南京傻子) and “NJDSGZ” means “Nanjing Losers’ High School” (南京屌丝高中). Think positive, high schoolers, you have something to joke about!
