Urbanwear

An edict has been issued. The denizens will have to adopt a uniform. At least, some of the denizens will have to adopt a uniform. The chic of it. It will be no surprise to learn that orange and magenta feature strongly. Those without uniforms will wear a little badge. We are told it is about creating a brand image. Fine. There are advanteges to having a uniform. But there are deeper concerns. To what extent, for example, does uniformity of appearance reflect uniformity of thought?

We share a set of common values and have a degree of pride in our town, but do these have to be so institutionalised? If in the dim distant past I had wanted to become a corporate person then I would have joined ICI or IBM. If it was the uniform in particular that attracted me, then I could have joined McDonald's or the Third Reich or Chairman Mao's China. Incidentally, and of no particular significance, the first part of the post code for our new HQ is redolent of the elite forces in the Third Reich.

I am not despondent. Within any system the individuality of the human spirit will always subtly subvert the rules - a personal variation on a theme, possibly a way of wearing a uniform ironically. At school, little Thomas Crabapple always had his tie slightly askew, his cap at a strange angle - but that might have been because of the shape of his head. There is room for mavericks, and the origin of the term reflects nicely its links with the whole process of branding.