Conservative people believe that having a dress code in school will make learning more conducive. But today, dress codes often have the opposite effect. In recent months, enforcing dress codes in school has made national news various scenarios.
Why is there a Need for Dress Codes?
There are common reasons why schools impose dress codes on their students. These include:
- To prevent distractions.
- To reduce pressure based on socio-economic status since not all students can afford to wear expensive clothing.
- To deter gang-related activity as the use of specific jewelry or accessories can indicate the students being part of a gang.
- To create a more disciplined environment in schooland promote a learning culture.
- To create a safer environment since weapon-like accessories, jewelry, and other dangerous items can compromise the safety of the students.
For many school administrators, they establish the dress code to promote a psychologically safe, positive, and appropriate environment for learning. Extremes in clothing considered a distraction or disruptive from the learning environment shouldn’t be allowed.
Read more about this topic: In recent years, dress codes have become controversial because they have affected so many students in schools across the country. In the US, college students like you express themselves through fashion, which is why a dress code is a problem. Some of the essay samples on eduzaurus.com discuss this topic, and will help determine if dress codes are truly the way to go.
The Struggles Faced by Girls and Women
Any girl or woman who attends school will know about the struggles of complying with a dress code. For instance, if a woman going through her closet to wear something suitable to wear, that will make her feel uncomfortable all day.
She has to remind herself not to wear clothes that are “too short” or “too revealing,” or the school will consider them distractions. Many of these women often feel that the dress code is only targeted towards them since they don’t have the same freedom as the men in their school who aren’t judged on the clothes they wear.
In most schools across the US, shorts, leggings, tank tops, off-sleeve shirts, and yoga pants are all banned and these already comprise half of a typical woman’s wardrobe. Today’s young ladies love to wear trendy clothes but cannot wear these because of dress codes. After all, who would want to walk outside in long sleeves and granny shorts when it’s so hot outside?
Districts often give the reason that some clothes can be too distracting to other students. But if they get distracted, the blame should be on the students themselves, not the clothes worn by their peers.
After all, many principals and counselors say that you shouldn’t worry about other people, just worry about yourself. One example is in Tennessee, where a girl wore a shirt that promoted gay rights. For this, the principal made the girl call her parents to bring a different shirt since she was “too obvious” as a target.
Another extreme case was when the teacher of a girl in 6th grade in New Orleans told her to leave the classroom because she wore her hair with braided extensions, something against the hair policy of the school.
The Problem with Dress Codes
Enforcing dress codes has always been a point of debate in schools. It has cause struggles between teachers, students, administrators, and parents to determine what’s appropriate for school and who should decide this.
Recent news has highlighted the narratives of young women and girls. One girl had to wear a sweatshirt over her tank top even though there was a heatwave. Some had to place tape over their nipples if they didn’t wear a bra.
But instead of focusing on dress codes, schools should focus on improving the learning processes of their students by promoting the use of study organization apps, new educational systems, and the like.
Final Thoughts
Having your own style of your own is a way to can tell others about yourself even without saying a word. But if you cannot express yourself through fashion because of dress code policies, it becomes difficult for you. This is why we consider dress codes as a big issue in the US.
Jeremy Raynolds wasn’t always interested in fashion, but became obsessed with it after the first show he saw. He loves reading about fashion history. Jeremy’s other hobby is writing, so he shares his research and fashion tips on his blog.