Strict Dress Codes

For years there have been debates on whether or not dress codes in schools are necessary for student success. Schools should not dictate what students wear to make them feel better about themselves. Strict school dress codes have not been shown to improve either behavior or academic achievement. It is time for schools to abandon these strict dress codes. Dress codes can only harm students in the long run. It stops them from expressing themselves and stifles their creativity. Strict dress codes send the wrong message to students saying that what they wear is sometimes more important than their education. Dress codes can also impose on a student's exploration of their gender identity. From middle school into high school are the ages where children

Dress codes are not helping schools like they are meant to do; they are actually harming students in the school. Dress codes shame students and make them insecure about their bodies. They also disrupt precious class time that is vital to students. Buying clothes to fit the school dress code is costlier than some families can afford. Not only are dress codes stifling, but they are also unfair toward specific body types and different genders. Dress codes also decrease a student’s ability to be different from all of their peers in the way they dress. Schools should not have dress codes because they are sexist, unfair and disrupt class time.

Have you ever been excluded from learning because of what you wore to school? In most schools, dress codes are set in place to provide a better learning space for all students. Having a dress code can oppress students because students are given the impression that they should not express themselves. Not all families can afford the clothes that abide by the rules. For example, some students don 't have the means to pay for new clothes, so they have to use hand-me-down clothing. Enforcing a dress code can lead to more problems in the long run because of the exceptions made for students who are athletes and cheerleaders. Many school faculty members including teachers and administrators think that keeping a dress code will keep students looking appropriate while learning, but this idea is wrong because it keeps students from expressing themselves and, the dress code singles out women.

First and foremost why schools should have a no-strict dress code is because it brings girls self-esteem down. When girls get dress coded they might feel: sad, angry, annoyed and upset. And especially body shamed. “As a women, I know almost no women who like their body, who feel good about there body, almost none, but you don’t know how it got there,” Perlman said in an interview. As a result, Dress codes are body shaming girls from when they were in their teens, to adulthood. The average number of girls getting dressed coded has increased by 20% in the past year! That’s crazy! About most of the dress code, girls feel body shamed! One 15-year-old girl said, “I feel bad because it's my body... and there's no reason for the school to be telling me to cover up,” she said. Lastly, if schools had a less strict dress code with the excuse of girls showing too much skin, we would all be more confident with our

“The mere fact that I exist, means that I deserve to be here and to express myself any damn way I please.” said Euphoria Godsent when talking about the First Amendment. On December 15, 1791, our founding fathers accepted the First Amendment as a part of the constitution. Today, people twist the meaning of the First Amendment to form loopholes in situations, with one of the most guilty being public schools. Most kids go to school from a young age until they transition into adulthood where they also become their own boss, unlike their childhood. Teachers enforce a dress code telling the students what the school allows and denies students the right to wear, which acts as a great example of this. For the most part, students despise the dress code, for a plethora good reasons.What students decide to wear to school acts as a form of symbolic speech, which the First Amendment covers. However, schools claim that the teachers formed the dress code for the benefit of the students. So in the battle between teacher and student, everyone asks whether or not dress codes violate the student's First Amendment. Schools should get rid of dress codes because the way student's dress is a way to express themselves, dress codes can psychologically hurt students, and they violate the student's’ First Amendment.

School dress codes send a loud and clear message, “Your individuality is inconvenient.” (Rowland 22). The constitution guarantees the right to free speech,which can be interpreted as the right to freedom of self expression, and students use clothing to express themselves. Another message that dress codes send is that “the self identity that you want to express does not belong here.” Self expression is not an inconvenience or a distraction, it is the lifeblood of our nation. (Rowland 22). Schools tell students that they should be confident in themselves, but how can they if they cannot express themselves? School dress codes now are more about shielding the boys then protecting the girls which implies that boys are immature. Calling a girl’s clothes distracting is implying that she is at fault for any disruptions. “That 's like saying that because a store has a cash register, it 's the store 's fault if it gets robbed!” (Menza 1). Students are going to be distracted anyways. Sexist dress codes are like saying that an article of clothing, or a body part showing on a female will distract male students from learning. Dress codes should be simple for both genders, everyone should wear clothing that covers up the same area. With dress codes, students are forced to dress the same as other students, taking the individuality out of school, but schools try to send the message, you are individual. Figure 1 shows a strict dress codes for both students and

Dress code is put into place to keep students from being bullied for how they dress and how some people may treat them different depending on what they wear. There is a lot of evidence that show students losing time in the class room because they are too worried about there personal apparel. David Brunsma, a sociologist who wrote Uniforms in Public Schools: A Decade of Research and Debate in 2005, says,

Conclusively, there are many more important reasons why schools in our country should adapt school dress codes. The schools that participate in the traditional wearing of uniforms, are getting a jump start in the countless number of advantages schools can get to help up their statistics. Learning that there are many minor issues of the judgmental side of the dress code, a few more issues come from the simple fact of students not having to worry about what they are wearing the next day. Additionally, teachers would not have to anguish about getting on the students about their dressing habits. Likewise, not only the teachers, but the parents as well would have a much more relaxing day and would imply the skills that the students need to help

Why should schools modify their dress codes? All throughout the United States, schools have dress codes. Some dress codes have meaning full and low dress code rules, others have rules that make teens feel uncomfortable and get punished for. Daily students are judged on how they dress. Dealing with a dress code takes time and effort for a teen to understand why they are being punished.

Almost all schools in the United States, private or public, have dress codes. Some are more strict than others, and some don’t have one at all. In my opinion, all dress codes are unnecessary and extremely degrading to all genders. Females are targeted specifically for dress codes, and there are many reasons they should not exist or even be considered.

How many times have you heard of a child being sent home due to their outfit? In so many towns and cities there is ridiculous dress codes. Most of the dress codes are directed towards females. These rules somewhat make them feel as if they have to hid their bodies so they won’t distract men. High school dress codes are detrimental to all student’s confidence outside and inside the classroom.

One main reason public schools have uniforms / dress code is because in 1996, President Clinton allowed the school uniform movement and said, “If it means teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms.” This gave schools the power to control the

Uniforms have been around for centuries, from back in the day when women had to wear dresses or skirts and men had to wear pants. To now where students and employees have to wear certain pieces of clothing. People dress to express themselves, schools tell their students to be who they are and to be proud; however, when the student tries to do so they are sent home or held in the office which not only takes away their rights to express themselves, but takes them out of class. According to Friedrichs, “A shocking number of students are actually sent home or suspended for breaking dress code, which means even more time out of class.” A school's job is to prepare children for their futures, that can be quite hard when the student is not there to learn. Dress codes can be overwhelming to maintain. A student's wardrobe isn’t going to be full of polos and khakis because they most likely do not wear polos and khakis outside of school. Dress code should not be as strict, hoodies should be allowed, tank tops should be

A recent study by Lands’ End found that the number of schools with dress codes increased by twenty one percent from 2000 to 2013. School dress code is a very controversial topic in today’s America. Weather they are against or for it; everyone has their own two cents to put in. Some schools force their students to wear uniforms; while others just say do not wear shorts. I think dress code should be more lenient for three main reasons: there in an inconsistency in rules about dress code, it promotes rape culture, and it promotes sexism in our youth.

As times have changed school dress codes have not. These dress codes have not been updated and are shaming young girls and woman. The argument for dress codes are saying that dress codes help keep order and discipline in schools as well as self respect. Within that argument I disagree about a majority of those reasonings. “Dress codes have proven to increase student achievement by encouraging students to concentrate more on their studies and less on their wardrobe. A de-emphasis on clothing can also save money, as there will be less pressure to keep up with expensive trends and fashions.” Not only do dress codes target young women by treating them as if they are distractions, they also tend to cost more than normal everyday attire would. The