High School Why Black?

[Alexis Dayton]

Why is it that soo many high school uniforms are black? I keep feeling like my high school is the only one that's not black.

 

[lakerfantlc]

my first answer would be black is a good color for all size kids...looks clean and can blend many sizes...

 

[Alexis Dayton]

I can totally understand where you are coming from. I just think that black uniforms look so tacky. I mean afterall we are cheerleaders so shouldn't our uniforms have something energetic about them?

 

[cheerheart4life]

I think its because alot of high schools have black somewhere in their colors. Its classic and easy to match things with. Plus it universely looks good on everyone!!

 

[MissBee]

In the past 10 years a lot of schools have added black to their official colors. There was a study done and it showed that an all black, or predominantly black, uniform was more intimidating to the opposing team. After this study came out teams started adding black to their colors-especially for contact/close-contact sports like football, wrestling, basketball, lacrosse, soccer. Black makes you look bigger and more foreboding. When the teams add the color, so do the cheerleaders.

For cheer uniforms-black holds up better. It hides dirt, especially if you're not on an all-weather track for your games.

Here are three studies (you may only be able to access the abstract for the first):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3346809

http://www.psych.cornell.edu/sec/pubPeople/tdg1/Frank & Gilo 88.pdf

http://www.laymanpsych.com/2009/07/black-uniforms-and-aggression/

 

[Alexis Dayton]

In the past 10 years a lot of schools have added black to their official colors. There was a study done and it showed that an all black, or predominantly black, uniform was more intimidating to the opposing team. After this study came out teams started adding black to their colors-especially for contact/close-contact sports like football, wrestling, basketball, lacrosse, soccer. Black makes you look bigger and more foreboding. When the teams add the color, so do the cheerleaders.

For cheer uniforms-black holds up better. It hides dirt, especially if you're not on an all-weather track for your games.

Here are three studies (you may only be able to access the abstract for the first):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3346809
http://www.psych.cornell.edu/sec/pubPeople/tdg1/Frank & Gilo 88.pdf
http://www.laymanpsych.com/2009/07/black-uniforms-and-aggression/

Thank you for your links and taking the time the time to post them. I don't doubt that black has benefits. I personally am just not a fan of black but I understand why it's done.

 

[cheer_coach_d]

They hide the dirt! Our uniforms are brand new and mostly white and green with just tiny black accents. They look awesome on the competition floor but after one game on a red clay track, I almost died they were so dirty!! Black uniforms don't show the dirt, clay, makeup, etc. the way lighter colors do. Since most schools aren't getting new uniforms as often as they'd like, choosing something that will look nice longer is a safe bet!

 

[INeverStopCheering]

Our school (and most schools in the area) don't have a largely black uniform. We have a purple based one with green and white accents and a white based one with purple accents. Most schools around here their main school color is the base.

 

[Alexis Dayton]

Thank you to everyone's whose replied thus far. I hope more continue to do so and share. I have included pictures of some squads from different schools. We do have one local high school that is black & red (cause their the knights).

Here's to a hs around our state capital.

Last year's squad at a local hs:

 

[Alexis Dayton]

I found one more of another local HS.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

Because our coaches don't trust us not to get stains on white uniforms

 

[PghxCheer2]

I completely disagree. I think black is the opposite of tacky. I think it actually looks very professional and clean. Most teams use a dark color as a base because they're easier to keep clean, more slimming, etc. and like most have said, black basically goes with any color. At the schools surrounding my old highschool almost all teams had 3: a white one, a black one, and a "school color" one.

 

[Seeker30]

well, considering our football players got sponsered by NIKE and they game our football team a black uniform and we almost got DISQUALIFIED cause black is not our school color. . . black isnt allowed on any of our uniforms. lol

 

[Mamarazzi]

Having just yesterday helped cp's school team with uni fittings, I can attest to the fact that the white unis, although I loved them, are straight nasty. No amount of dry cleaning, Clorox 2 or Oxy-anything would have gotten them clean. RIP Bears white uni.
Black is way more practical in a million ways. And I think it looks great on the floor at bball games.

@Seeker30 , are you serious?

 

[Seeker30]

@Mamarazzi Yes! every uniforms been red gold white No other color colors cause well break the rules. well i mean the athletes did retaliate haha, the cheerleaders and the football players all wore black socks to the next game. it was just a hot mess.