Every school has its own dress code, stating what is and is not acceptable for students to wear. Many students strongly disagree with it, while some do not. For almost 60 years, students across the globe have had strong opinions on it, either liking it or hating it.
What is the dress code?
The dress code was made around 1969 by the U.S. Supreme Court. It is a set of rules that states what students can and cannot wear. Teachers across school districts state they want their students to feel comfortable and confident when they walk into school. With that, students find that hard when they are constantly being targeted for their clothing by those same teachers. Teachers constantly tell students to cover up and that it is inappropriate to dress how they like to.
How does the dress code affect us?
Every school has a dress code and individual students might feel differently about it. Many believe that it targets girls more than boys. One rule in our dress code says that girls cannot wear tops with “spaghetti straps” because it is somehow distracting, while there are very few rules for boys. Many students have noticed that their peers do not have an opinion on what they are wearing, and it is more the teachers saying things about their clothing. Students do not feel as confident when a teacher points out how their outfit is distracting, causing students to feel insecure and not feel comfortable with their bodies.
How do Rosemont Middle School students feel?
Students around RMS, Rosemont Middle School, have different inputs on the dress code. Some believe it makes sense, like wearing shorts three inches below the hip, to prevent one’s behind from showing. But many of it is disapproved by students, such as no spaghetti straps.
“I think the dress code is necessary to a certain extent. Students should have a way of expressing themselves through their clothes, but not so much that they are over the top. Students should be able to wear clothes/shoes comfortably but not so much that they fall asleep in the middle of class,” says student Alessandra Grigorian.
Alessandra states she feels that most of the dress code is necessary, while some of it is just plain over the top.
“I feel that some of the specific dress code rules are unnecessary because it just adds too much stress to young adults. Students just want to feel good in their own skin. It’s simply just too stressful!” says student Maya Johnson.
Maya clearly states that some rules are just unneeded and add stress to teens.
Can we do anything about it?
There are a lot of things we could do to get rid of the unnecessary rules like the spaghetti straps rule. A few years ago, someone from ASB went to a faculty meeting and spoke and got some of the rules changed. Over the years, the dress code has gotten less stricter.
