I wore a uniform in elementary school (it was like a sailor uniform with a flap thing on the shirt and a ribbon tie and a cardigan with choice of pants skirts or shorts!) and had a fairly preppy dress code in high school..well it was a prep school haha.

  I found the uniform easy and simple and because my parents were frugal as heck, I didn't have to feel as bad on competing with fashion. Same thing in high school. This is a place where 16 year olds drove range rovers and used designer bags to carry books. It was one less thing to feel different about.

   But I always stretched the limit of the dress code and loosely interpreted it. I would often argue with my teachers over vague points in the dress code and I'm pretty sure they kept having to add rules because of me! When yoga pants came out all hell broke loose!

    I think you're child can still wear whatever they want outside of school. Add individuality within the dress code. Maybe a sticker or card in the lunch box with the princess, colored laces, a headband or bracelet?

  I think this also teaches them that there is a time and a place for certain dress. I'd love to wear pj's to work but... I can't.