Importance Of Dress Codes

Every person who has gone to school has heard of the dreadful dress codes that all are required to follow. These dress codes exist because school officials believe that children should learn to dress appropriately in different occasions or situations, and while these rules are executed for a good reason by schools, these rules also serve as a hindrance to other older students, especially for those who are already in college. Being young adults, college students have already had a lot of time exploring and experimenting with clothing and style, and have most likely found what type of clothing suits their personality and expresses their character. These dress codes, however, keep the students from being themselves and at the same time make them

The rules of the dress code target girls and girls alone. There are not many policies set for men in regards with the dress code, even though restricting them to wear “inappropriate” learning attire when entering the premises should be executed as well, to be fair for the girls. Moreover, the dress code for boys only prohibits them from wearing bandanas or hats, and shirts with vulgar language, but school authorities never call them out if they break the rules. Many young men are also allowed to enter their schools wearing basketball shorts as well, whilst girls are looked down on for deciding on wearing a sleeveless top to class in the hot weather. To add, the dress code also body-shames young women. Because of the dress code, young women are ashamed of their bodies due to their restrictions in showing something as simple as their clavicles or bare shoulders. Further, the dress code “[makes] them feel ashamed of how they look” (Levy, 2016). And, “telling a young girl that she cannot wear a tank top is really telling her that even her shoulders are not acceptable for public display” (Patel, 2015). Finally, the dress code objectifies females’ bodies. “Sexual objectification describes a view under which people are seen as instruments of sexual pleasure” (Meltzer, 2015). The dress code, which encourages women to hide their bodies because “boys might get distracted by their bodies,” objectifies them in this manner. In addition, “this

When students are prohibited to wear whichever suits their style and personality, it affects their outlook on themselves. The dress code sends a message to students that they should hide their bodies or personalities, and the students, having no choice but to oblige, feel very sad about it not just because they’re deprived of the right to express themselves, but because of the fact that the dress code policy changes their outlook on their bodies, shattering their self-confidence. In addition, punishing students because they are expressing themselves is “more damaging to a [student’s] self-esteem than anything else” (Clerk, 2014). Since most of the students’ time is spent in school, and school is said to be a student’s second home, schools should allow the students to feel free to wear whatever they feel good and confident in. Moreover, the dress code makes students feel insecure about their bodies. Most—if not all—students who are affected by the dress code policy is girls, and since these girls are told by the dress code to cover almost their whole bodies, they are, inevitably, left with nothing but shame and insecurity towards their figures. “The limitations of the dress code, especially for females, can make a young woman feel insecure, concerned, or even ashamed of their natural feminine figure” (Martens, 2014). Additionally, since students are pressured to follow unreasonable rules inside the school,