Wednesday, August 21, 2013

My Thoughts on Dress Code

As we all know, the dress code is a RIDICULOUSLY controversial topic among schools, especially middle and high school. I live it a relatively liberal area, thus resulting in more lenient dress codes. However, we have our fair share of unnecessary restrictions.

OK, here is the gist of my particular dress code. I go to high school. Blah blah blah student dress contributes to a positive learning environment blah blah blah student asked to change blah blah blah OK here we go! Not too short, not too saggy, not too tight. Fine, I can deal with those. Understandable. Maybe school is not the place to wear your teeny tiny body con dress. Fine. 

Clothing must completely cover undergarments (bras, bra straps, boxers, underwear, thong, etc). I think that is understandable. However, if a girl is wearing a relatively modest shirt, and maybe it goes askew it little, she should not be kicked out of school. Same goes with boys and their boxers showing a little. Sure, an accidental underwear flash is embarrassing for the student, but as long as it is not deliberate, nothing wrong there.

Clothing must cover midriffs and cleavage. That seems a little vague to me, but whatever.

Tube tops, one-shouldered tank-tops, spaghetti straps, or excessively baggy pants worn below the waist are not appropriate. Tube tops, I personally find them atrocious, but I don't think showing off your shoulders is particularly harmful. Same thing goes for one-shouldered tank-tops and spaghetti straps. Now for those who sag their pants (mainly boys), and broadcast what brand of boxer you prefer, yes I agree. It is hideous and almost vomit inducing. Believe it or not boys, women prefer men who look nice and polished, without any butt-age showing. 

The reasonable standard of length of skirts, dresses, and shorts (including the slits in skirts) is that they be no shorter than the student’s hands when arms and hands are extended down their sides. I absolutely HATE this rule. Yes, I think the length of bottoms should be regulated to a certain extent, but this way of measuring is awful! What if someone has super long arms? What if someone has shorter legs? I think a better way of measuring is "bottoms must go blank amount of inches below the knee. Still that way is flawed, but less variable than the old school fingertip method.

Appropriate footwear must be worn at all times and does not include slippers. Dang, I was planning on wearing these every Monday. 


Clothing with logos, symbols, scenes of, or advertisements for tobacco, drugs, alcohol, gangs or other illegal activities which may include but are not limited to intimidation, harassment, sexual innuendo, vulgarity, and obscenities is prohibited. OK sure no advertising gangs. Reasonable.

Well, it looks like I am more or less in agreement with my dress code. Nevertheless, the thing that really ticks me off when it comes to dress at school is when the accuser's reason for a girl's clothing to be inappropriate is "it distracts the boys." Pretty much the equivalent of telling a rape victim it was their fault for dressing so provocatively.  Great message there. Absolutely brilliant. I find that this reasoning is very offensive to not only the girl, but also the boys who are being involved. Teenage boys are thirsty little animals, it's normal and there is no stopping it. Before you require a girl to dress a certain way to "repel" the boys, maybe you should teach the boys a thing or two about respect. I feel that boys and girls should be surrounded in a co-ed environment where they can respect one another regardless of their appearance. It is a much better lesson for the real world than making one sex dress a certain way to deflect attention from the other. 

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