sassenach
To answer your original question, i don't think uniform has as much effect on students as the instructors' attitude. If 1-in-1000 students have some uniform phobia, i don't think its cause for a massive shake up. Personally i find the instructors at my club(white shirts/black tie/pullover) to be more approachable than a lot of the 'experienced' PPLs(flown 100 taildraggers, been to L2K 2000 times, anti-GPS/ATC/CAA Brigade) you find around the clubhouse.
Uniforms give the wearer some form of authority and i think there is an insignificant minority(low self esteem) who might feel intimidated by an FI in uniform.
Some flying schools especially in the US and helo schools in the UK are part of an FBO. which means the FI may also be a charter/cargo pilot. So one minute they could be doing a t/l in a C152 and the next minute they are flying a learjet full of suits.
Personally i will treat FIs who insist on dressing up with the same amount of caution as i would the 'rebels'.
Zlin526
There is more to flying than handling skills. Navigation skills, aircraft familiarity(there's a thread full of stories of people pulling the wrong levers), R/T skills, AIRMANSHIP, flight planning skills, meteorological knowledge,etc
Capt. manuvar