I am in favor of pilots flying in civil clothing.
That way you do not have hysteric travelers yelling at your face and almost even starting fights with you (during christmas travel and delays etc). Also, when you fly to poorer areas like Lima in Peru or Asuncion in Paraguay etc, it has already happened that crew transports were targeted by thieves so depending on where you go.
When I was in the airlines, the first thing I did after completing a flight and most captains did too was taking everything off that identified you as being a pilot.
As for hats. Thanks God I never had to wear those hats with the scrambled eggs on it. I do remember flying jump seat a lot for a sister airline that had to wear them and I can tell you something, they can make depending on the cabin size, the whole place smell like a gym. If you work in a hot climate and remember, most hats are dark blue that absorb a lot of heat, you will have a hot head and sweat, even during the shortest walking distances. Also I think it looks dumb personally.
In the beginning, when I was training for the airlines I had this fantasy about the Uniforms, the stripes and ID tag and all the girls and flight attendants and passengers looking up to me like I was some kind of superior being, but rather the total opposite happened. First of all these days the passengers don't give a crap because everywhere you look are pilots. Second, the flight attendant already mostly have dislikes towards flight crew because too many idiots already made very embarrassing attempts to try and get laid by them, so believe me, the days are over when flight attendants stood in line to give you a good night massage. Third, the uniforms are most of the times not even comfortable because they make them as cheap as possible these days, unless you fly for Alitalia, those pilots happen to wear Armani Suits, no joke.
Well, I am in executive aviation now and thanks God do not wear a uniform. I even saw some people fly in Polo and Jeans for their employers.
Trust me, initially you have a fantasy and a uniform fetish that you can't wait to look at yourself for hours in the mirror (all pilots that say they never did that are liars, by the way you encounter tons of those in the cabin, a good advice to you is to be yourself when the day comes). After a while however, you will wish you never have to wear the uniform again. Not to mention the processes you sometimes have to go through to obtain them in the airlines.
Also, the airline industry comes and goes, do not worry about the future. Population is growing and pilots will once again be scarce, the thing is, that these days you have to change continents sometimes if you want a job. But sitting around at home waiting for your local air carrier to hire you is a dangerous game my friend. Initially, take what there is.
Cheers and good luck