Auniformisasetofstandardclothingwornbymembersofanorganizationwhilstparticipatinginthatorganization’sactivity.
Peopleperformingreligiousactivitieshaveoftenwornstandardcostumessincethedawnofrecordedhistory.OtherearlyexamplesofuniformsincludetheclothingofthearmiesoftheRomanEmpireandothercivilizations.
Modernuniformsarewornbyarmedforcesandotherparamilitaryorganisationssuchaspolice,emergencyservices,securityguards,insomeworkplacesandschools,andbyinmatesinprisons.
Onepurposeofmilitaryuniformsistoclearlydistinguishcombatantswhoareprotectedbythelawsofwarfromotherpersonscarryingweapons,whoenjoynosuchprotection.Anotherpurposeinhistoricaltimeswastomakeitdifficultfordeserterstoavoiddetection;militaryuniformsweresodistinctivewithmanymetalbuttonsanduniquecolorsthattheycouldnotbemodifiedintounrecognizableclothing.
Originally,thetypicalcolourschemeincludedbrightandhighcontrastcolourarrangementswhichmadetheuniformsvisibleinbattleswithmuchsmokefromgunpowder.However,withthegrowingprevalenceofaccurateriflesandotherrangedfirearmsasstandardweaponsforinfantry,itwasfoundintheCrimeanWarthatthesecoloursmadesoldierseasytargetsforenemiestoshootatadistance.Inreaction,thevariousmilitaries,beginningwiththeBritish,changedthecolours,predominantlytosuchonesthatblendedinmorewiththeterrain(likekhaki)forthepurposesofcamouflage.Inaddition,thisideawasfollowedwithuniformssuitableforparticularclimatesandseasonssuchaswhiteforsnowyregionsandtanforsandyones.
Prisonuniformsoftenconsistofadistinctiveorangeoryellowjumpsuitorawhiteandblackzebrastripeduniformtomakeescapemoredifficult.