Why Do Dress Codes: Are They Beneficial To Students?

Dress codes are a controversial topic in school districts around America, but are they really beneficial to students? The definition of a dress code is a set of requirements or rules that regulate the manner of dress for an occasion. For the occasion of school, dress codes will often require either a uniform or very modest attire. The purpose of a dress code is to have an unvarying student body, or to limit the chances of students wearing inappropriate clothing to school. Dress code passing attire may include uncomfortable clothing, expensive clothing, or clothing requirements that are unfair to some students. Dress codes should not be enforced because they unfairly target minorities, take students away from important instructional time, and

The highest targeted minority of anyone by the dress code is young black women. While 90% of dress codes target specifically young women, another 80 percent is targeted to African American individuals who wear head coverings such as bandanas and scarves. This means, a young black woman is the most likely to be targeted by the dress code. Raising children under the impression that discriminating against anyone at all for their clothing is bringing misguided young men and women into the world, and on top of that, unfair dress codes are raising America's children to believe it's okay for specifically women and people of color to be discriminated against. To work towards equality and away from gender and racial inequality, dress codes revolving around women's clothing have to end. In many dress codes, words such as “Clevage”, “Breasts”, and “Nipples” are used to describe a young woman's body. Not only do these rules, including these words, make young ladies uncomfortable, but oftentimes there are slim to no rules about the male body. Statistics show that not even 69% of dress codes ban clothing items associated with boys, and that's not even to show how many of the 31%

It's a common assumption that some clothing young girls wear is “distracting” to students in school. Schools argue that dress codes provide guidelines for appropriate attire and can simplify school clothing shopping. Some schools worry that clothing can show off a social status, and limiting what students can wear may reduce bullying. The school states its reasoning, “Dress codes affect the students in the sense that they keep a greater focus on learning, rather than showing off one’s status through clothing.” (Boneville Academy). Schools believe that if rules are set against inappropriate clothing, that students will value their education instead of focusing on their appearance. Guidelines teach students to dress with respect, and slim down the choices of what they can wear, which may make getting ready for school easier. While this bigger picture may make sense from afar, the underlying problems are ever so present. With a dress code in place, surely, there is less distraction and more focus on education for everyone, except for the young girls that are majorly distracted. Instead of teaching kids to focus on their schoolwork no matter their surroundings, other students are taken out of class, which isn’t only distracting, but detrimental to their learning. Therefore, the argument that dress codes do more harm than good still