Opinion

Biased Dress Code

By Haley Sheffield

Oct. 3, 2022

The dress code is a conversation that many individuals have argued about for years. This topic is very controversial when talked about with a large group of people, because so many people have different opinions. Firstly, I want to start off by saying all of this is in my opinion, and I understand that many individuals may disagree with me. As many of you know, the school dress code was changed this year and is located in the 2022-2023 student handbook on page 21-22.

Firstly, I want to mention how “hoods pulled over the head are prohibited,” (21) in my opinion I believe that this is unreasonable, because we are allowed to wear hats, beanies, etc. I understand that the reason hoods are prohibited is because of students wearing headphones during class which can be distracting. Although this makes sense in theory, it raises the question, what about women having long hair that are able to cover the earbuds? For many people, having their hoods up is comforting and it makes them feel more secure during their long day in school. If students choose to wear earbuds and not pay attention during class, and get sidetracked, then it will be up to them to catch up with their work in their own time.

Another thing that is prohibited this year is blankets. There is nowhere in the student handbook that explains why we are not allowed to have blankets. As someone who has been diagnosed with cold urticaria which is an allergy to the cold this is upsetting. I am able to have a blanket because of my 504 plan, but I find it unfair because other students are miserable in cold rooms in this school. Some classrooms in this school, especially in the winter, are so cold that I find it unreasonable to not be able to bring a blanket to school.

The student handbook is very open to your imagination, especially, the picture that is posted at the top of page 22 can be taken many different ways. All this picture shows is a tank top, shorts, and no shoes. This doesn't clarify specific articles of clothing that most teenagers wear on a daily basis. On page 22 it states “The administration at each school reserves the right to determine what constitutes appropriate dress’. I find this unfair because they get to use their judgment on what is appropriate to be on my own body. I could wear the exact same clothes as a peer, and get dress codes while they don’t because it was “inappropriate” to a teacher I passed that day, but my peer does’t get any consequences. It isn't constant throughout the whole school. I could wear a top that shows 2 inches of my stomach and get sexualized by one staff member saying “your clothing isn't appropriate”, but then to another staff member, it is completely appropriate. I understand that we lose certain rights when we walk into a public school legally, but I strongly disagree with adults who I don't know getting to decide what I wear. My legal guardians allow me to walk out of the house with the clothes I have on, therefore I think it is ridiculous for me to get consequences for it. Many staff members believe that having a dress code sets students up for success for their future career, but I think that is a generalization because every career is different. I asked Riley Saunders what she feels about the dress code and she states, “I feel as though it is more focused on women instead of men”. I also asked Ashley Martinez what her opinions are and she says, “I see men wear tank tops with their pants halfway down but that is okay”.

Overall many people have strong opinions on the current dress code and how unfair it can be. I don’t think one person can determine what is appropriate on someone else’s body because it can be different for everyone.

This article was written by Haley Sheffield, a journalism student at Waynesboro High School.