The official definition of Dress Code is ‘formally or socially imposed standards of dress’. But is it really necessary in educational institutions such as schools? Well, the answer is both yes and no. Dress codes can have some advantages as well as disadvantages, in some instances being straight up sexist!
Dress codes are useful in the instance a student wears clothing with inappropriate or obscene message/graphic on it. Or in the instance a student wears revealing clothing which may prove to be a distraction to other students, especially in a learning environment. Enforcing dress codes also force students to focus less on their clothing, and whether they are up to date with the latest fashion trends and forces them to focus more on their studies.
However, Dress codes are often times sexist or misogynistic. “But in recent years, dress code scandals have reached a fever pitch. Every day, girls are sent home from school, given detentions and suspensions, or are humiliated in class for their outfits — and we mean girls, not girls and boys.” Says Hannah Orenstein a writer for ‘Seventeen’. Dress codes are heavily problematic, young girls are often giving more restricting dress codes than their male counterparts. In schools’ many girls are reprimanded for the slightest of things, wearing clothing just a few inches above the knee, visible shoulder, visible bra-strap, tight fitting clothing, and visible collarbones. Whereas the boys dress code is a little less strict, and more flexible, having less than half the rules for girls in most cases.
Girls are being ‘dress code violated’ for not having ‘finger-tip length- skirts or shorts on hot summer days, Girls are not allowed, in most cases to wear no-sleeve tops even if, once again it is a hot day. If girls wear these types of clothing, they get reprimanded, with teachers saying “its too inappropriate.” Or “You’re distracting the boys.”. Rules such as these only succeed in teaching girls that they are responsible as to how their male counterparts view or perceive them, and as a result of countless ‘dress code violations’(compared to the number of dress code violations by boys) are taught they must not distract a boy from his education, it is okay for them to waste time afterschool in detention for wearing a skirt a inch too short, and its totally okay for them to miss out on lessons to go back home to change clothing so they will no longer be a distraction to boys, regardless of the impact the wasted time would have on her education. Some schools use the idea of the “shame suit”, a way to humiliate students who break dress code. The shame suit is usually a brightly colored suit, sometimes with text written on it saying “dress code violation” or things similar. It baffles me to understand how the school administration didn’t think that this would distract the students or ‘boys’ more than a girl with shoulders would… All of this is not okay.
Yet, countless of girls miss their lessons to go change from a shirt that reveals just her collarbones or shoulders to something more “modest”, whilst a boy wearing sagging pants, so low to the point the waistband of his underwear can be seen, still sits in the classroom, learning. Somehow, there is a lack of parents, teachers or administrators teaching these young boys, they should not look at women or young girls as sexual objects, or that a certain way a girl dresses means it’s a “invitation”. And if teachers find a girl’s shoulders, or knees distracting, they should not be working there at all!
The dress code, to put it very simply, promotes rape culture. By telling girls that it’s their fault if they were treated poorly, as the poor treatment is a result of what they were wearing, often times being told that “they were asking for it”. Some girls weren’t even allowed to graduate, and some lost honorary titles, even though through years of hard work, they have earned it. But its all been stripped away due to administration making rules about restricting young girls’ bodies, and sexualizing them. If you as an adult, or administrator are distracted by shoulders, collarbones, or mid-riffs, especially ones of younger girls, and subsequently decide to sexualize them and cover them up. You are a part of the problem. Young girls shouldn’t be covered up, in educational institutes, just because their male counterparts (or even, unfortunately, teachers) cannot ‘control themselves’ or ‘feel uncomfortable’ with girls wearing shorts or spaghetti tops during hot days.
Girl’s loose education opportunities as a result of dress codes. Young girls are expected to conform to dress codes, just because young boys find it ‘distracting’, which forces young girls to prioritize boys’ education over their own. And overall promotes rape culture and victim blaming. This is not acceptable nor okay.
