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American Female Dress Codes Research Paper

1024 Words5 Pages

Societital Follies: Problems In American Female Dress Codes In a world where women are publicly encouraged to show skin, there are public rules screaming for them to cover up. Shoulders, torsos, thighs, and cleavage are all banned in learning and professional settings, making the female shopping experience all the more difficult when taking a look at what is on the rack. There are many flaws in the American female dress code including a lack of cooperation between businesses and fashion, revealing “stylish” clothing options and intensely strict clothing policies in schools. The first issue is that women tend to value stylish utility over trend when dressing for work; however, this is not an easy preference when most stores carry largely …show more content…

Lapolla highlights some of the main trends for young women dressing for school today as well as the females’ thoughts on them when she writes, “For others, fashion trends that included plunging necklines, cut-outs and tightness were off limits because of the strict dress codes. Those in the focus group also stressed these trends as challenges.” Fashion-forward items often lack the utility and modestness desired by school dress codes, putting unneeded pressure upon females to look appropriate while still feeling attractive. Another example of this issue in schools is the fact that in schools with uniforms, only select items are approved including the following: polo shirts, skirts (always worn with tights) and khaki pants, resulting in many students feeling trapped in their clothing. Though it is claimed that they are for the overall satisfactory of everyone involved, strict dress codes do little to ease females who have it forced on them. For those un-interested in showing skin, shopping as a female in the 21st century is a challenge, and with stricter dress codes being inducted looking for clothing all together can be strenuous if one wishes to own more than a …show more content…

“A little give in the dress code.” New York Times, 2 Sept. 2011, p. B1(L). General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A265840362/ITOF?u=lom _accessmich&sid=ITOF&xid=44f d0dee. Accessed on 30 Jan. 2018. Lapolla, Kendra. “A conflict of sexual identity: Problems of finding special occasion dresses for girls at secondary school with dress codes.” Fashion, Style, & Popular Culture, vol. 3, no. 3, 2016, p. 327+. General OneFile,http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A4726 89343/ITOF?u=lom_accessmich&sid=ITOF&xid=6d2e2bcc. Accessed 30 Jan. 2018. Levi, Jennifer L. “Some modest proposals for challenging established dress code jurisprudence.” Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy, vol. 14, no. 1, 2007 , p. 243+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A161594223/ITOF?u=lom_accessmich&sid=ITOF&xid=74225e7e. Accessed on 30 Jan. 2018. Wisch, Nowell C. “The problem with women’s fashion.” Wearables Business, Spring 2005. General OneFile,http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A130767270 /ITOF?u=lom_accessmich&sid=ITOF&xid=08061556. Accessed 30 Jan.

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