Dress Codes Detrimental to Girls Emotional Health

School dress codes have become more about ensuring that girls do not disrupt the learning environment for boys than about establishing school identity and maintaining decorum.

Although the enforcement of a dress code on campus is rather inconsistent, one does indeed exist. Those that enforce the rules seem to feel that they have a right to judge appearances, including determining the acceptable length of shorts, the cut of shirts, and the general level of coverage a garment provides.  If not by direct confrontation, then with indirect verbal hints or simply a scowl, certain individuals express disapproval for what students wear to school.

This judgement, which in itself is unfair, is further complicated by its almost exclusive focus on girls. Girls are expected to wear shorts or skirts at least longer than their fingertips can reach and can’t have exposed shoulders.  Failure to abide by these rules almost certainly will inspire the ire of those in charge.

Boys who break the rules however, are far less likely to be disciplined.  While tank tops are forbidden, the wearing of such revealing garments by boys on campus goes virtually unnoticed.

One time all the girls in my middle school were required to stand up in class and have the length of their shorts measured. Not only was this completely sexist, but it also was demeaning.  No such humiliation was ever suffered by the boys.

Women do not wear clothes to please men; at least the majority don’t. Being disciplined for wearing what one is comfortable wearing is silly, and more importantly, it is detrimental to student self esteem. I’m not saying it’s okay to go to school without clothing, but the current dress code makes girls feel more self-concious than they already are.

We are lucky that Campolindo administration, and most teachers, seem to have more important matters to address than student apparel choices.  Unfortunately, there are a few individual teachers who still insist on tormenting students for their style choices.  There are also plenty of schools across the country that are quite zealous in their enforcement of dress codes.

Dress codes are not in the best interest of girls. They are justified by the weakness of the opposite gender. Yet, such rules serve as a constant reminder that society is focused on the female body, and continues to prioritize the needs of men over women.

According to TheNation.com, parents of students at South Orange Middle School in New Jersey spoke out about how the dress code was affecting their daughters. They raised the question of “whose ‘learning environment’ is being prioritized, and at whose expense.” They sent an email to the superintendent expressing their concern after he sent out an email to the entire school saying that the  “Dress code continues to be a concern, specifically with our female students.”

Campus dress codes prioritize boys’ education at the expense of girls’, which is something that I think should have been left in our past.