Why We Should Not Have Dress Codes

Imagine if no one would have to worry about getting sent to the principal's office just because of tank top straps, a short skirt, or a haircut? According to yhsnews.com, “Having a dress code can tell a girl that the way she dresses and looks is important to others, and this can make girls feel more self-conscious about themselves, which can sometimes cause eating disorders and anxiety.” Dress codes cause problems in one's mental health, which is not good, but that is not all dress codes do. They are biased and make students feel like they cannot express who they are. Schools should not have dress codes because they are unfair towards girls, they limit individuality, and even though they make choosing an outfit a lot easier, students cannot

“In many such instances, school officials argue that female students cause a “distraction” to their male peers when they wear these items of clothing. Yet, in schools where such dress codes are in place, males typically face far fewer restrictions on the type of clothing they can wear, or no restrictions at all” (Gale). Dress codes are also sexist and the studies back this up by sharing how schools pay more attention to how girls dress and boys have less rules to follow. For instance, if a boy wears pants that sag or are loose on the waste and a girl wears a tank top due to the warm temperature, the boy is just going to get told to pull his pants up but the girl will get in big trouble with the principle and might even be asked to go home and put on something less revealing. Some more proof that the rules are sexist is that they often state how girls' outfits are distracting, but never the other way around. These are two reasons why dress codes are not fair towards females. Secondly, dress codes are causing students to feel like they can’t express who they are and that their originality is

Although theft can happen because of expensive items, it is not fair for students to have to buy more clothes to fit the dress code when they have nice clothes at home that they spent a lot of money on. Dress codes make you only shop for clothes that can be worn, but what about all of the clothes in your closet that your family paid for? In an article published by Gale called “School Uniforms and Dress Codes”, it states “If all students are wearing the same or similar clothing, they spend less time focusing on how they look and analyzing their peers” (Gale). Students care about how they look at school, but they also care about what others are wearing and if it is cool or not. However, if everyone was wearing the same outfits or clothing pieces, then everyone would look the same and not wear what expresses themselves. Even if dress codes make schools more organized and have a smaller chance of theft, they still make students buy new clothes and force students to not be themselves. Overall, schools should not have dress codes because they do more bad than