Are Dress Codes A Good Idea?

By: Harmony Lehman 

    In general, I think dress codes are a bad idea. Excluding basic rules such as "don't wear offensive clothing" (in which I mean symbols like the Nazi flag) and "don't be naked", dress codes do far more harm than good. They prevent student expression, make students uncomfortable, and are commonly sexist, racist, or homophobic. 

    My first, and perhaps weakest point, is the block dress codes forms as a means of self expression. I am a big fan of fashion, and I typically use it as a creative outlet. I love making fun outfits that make me happy. However, with dress codes, specifically strict ones, it limits options in clothing greatly. It is no longer a matter of whether a student likes the outfit, but whether the outfit will conform with the school dress code.

    Next, there is the fact that dress codes often do the opposite of what they are intending. Usually the dress code claims it is in place to "not distract people" or that "it keeps students safer".  All of this, in summary, is trying to say that it keeps the students more comfortable in a learning environment. According to a GAO report, "about 60 percent of dress codes require staff members to measure students' bodies and clothing to make sure they comply, which can involve adults touching students" (Claybourn). The source continues to explain that this can make students (particularly girls) feel less safe at school, creating discomfort rather than comfort (Claybourn). So, not only is the dress code not achieving what it claims to, but it is actually having the opposite effect.

    Finally, dress codes are commonly sexist, as well as can be racist, homophobic, and against certain cultures. They usually apply more to girls, teaching young girls that they are "distracting" for showing skin (even shoulders!). An article on the subject says, "Dress codes are a stand-in for all the ways girls feel objectified, sexualized, unheard, treated as second-class citizens by adults in authority"(Brown). Dress codes don't make girls more comfortable and safe-- they make them feel like they should be hiding their bodies in fear of an unwanted gaze. Dress codes are also many times racist, "'rules about head and hair covering coverings can disproportionately impact Black students and those of certain religions or cultures'" (Claybourn). The discrimination dress codes provide do nothing but harm to students.

    All in all, dress codes, especially strict ones, do far more harm than good. They objectify girls and make them uncomfortable, they can be racist or homophobic, and they prevent student self expression.The question of whether uniforms do good is a different and interesting topic that I think could be argued either way convincingly, but when it comes to debate on whether dress codes are really helping students, I am firm on the side I have chosen. 

Works Cited

 

Brown, Lyn Mikel. “Girls against Dress Codes.” Rethinking Schools, 4 June 2020, rethinkingschools.org/articles/girls-against-dress-codes/.

Claybourn, Cole. “Why School Dress Codes Are Often Unfair | High Schools | U.S. News.” US News, 23 Dec. 2022, www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/articles/why-school-dress-codes-are-often-unfair.