Why Should Dress Codes Be Modified?

Why Should Dress Codes Be Modified?
Why should schools modify their dress code? All throughout the United States of America, 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 because they have the right to express themselves.
The first amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition (law.cornell.edu). Expressing ourselves is a big part of modern society. We express ourselves by our feelings and the way we dress. This is when the dress codes play a big role. When we are getting dressed we dress for ourselves to be comfortable and sometimes we even dress to impress people. “You only have one chance to make a first impression(unknown)” so why are schools limiting students by how they dress. In

Hollidaysburg’s Parent/Student Handbook, they say that their main priority “…is to educate each student to realize his/her individual potential within the challenges of a global society.” A student cannot realize his/her potential without having expression. So, by limiting dress expression they are limiting potential.
Some students complain about the school dress code all the time. They complain that schools do not give them the right to pick what the dress code should be. In a recent poll by www.debate.org twenty-four percent of people said that schools should strictly enforce dress codes, while seventy-six percent say that they should not. Schools cannot and should not work alone when renewing the dress code. Students all over want to be free to express themselves but cannot when a school staff member dress codes them.
Some students also say that the school dress code is sexist towards girls. Frankie Lindsay is a student from South Orange Middle School in New Jersey. Frankie Lindsay was tired of the dress code. Her friends and herself decided to bring the issue to the principle. One key argument was that they did not appreciate being told, repeatedly, that their bodies were distractions to the school environment (thenation.com). The parents at the school also brought up the issue that they girls are being taken out of class while the boys were warned. This invades the girl’s learning time. One women claimed that where she lives is at least thirty minutes away from the school, so her daughter had to wait a whole class period just to get a new pair of clothes. That student then had to make up all the work because the principle made the girl wait. The principle could have just let the girl go to class until the girl’s mom was there. But was the principle worried that the outfit might distract other people?
Next, when a girl gets told their bodies are distracting guys, the girls and guys get upset. Let’s say this, a girl gets dressed coded because she wore short shorts. The staff member tells her that her body is distracting guys, the girl then starts crying and gets angry. The girl tells all her friends that it was this one boys fault. The girls tell the boy to act mature and stop acting inappropriately. The girls just blamed the guy and made the guy feel bad. This causes an argument. Some girls have even blamed the guys for the dress code. Guys should not have to be blamed for the dress code, after all they did not make the dress code and it is not their fault. The school made the dress code to protect everyone, but by girls doing this to guys and viscera the school is causing problems and bullying. So, the dress code is not really protecting everyone.
Hot weather is one big issue a whole group of girls were upset about. One girl was working on a short video project for school when she decided to make a documentary called “Shame.” In the documentary, the girls talk about their issues in the school. The school had told
the girls that wearing shorts above your knees was not aloud. One girl stated that instead of wearing shorts in eighty to ninety-degree weather the girl had to wear jeans or legging to school. That same girl walks from school every day which is bad because that girl then can be overheated. Again, this is not helping anyone instead its making students hot. The schools say that certain clothes are distracting, but the students say that the heat is even worse when you can’t wear shorts. Especially, when stores clothes also do not work with the school dress code.
The groups of girls featured in “Shame” brought up the fact the stores do not sell things that work with their school’s dress code.

At Hollidaysburg Area School District, the students cannot anything “too sheer, too short, or too tight.” For more in site, this includes tank tops, crop tops, mesh tops, jogging shorts, mini-skirts, pants with holes above the knee, pajama pants, leggings unless covered by a top that is fingertip length, etc. (Hollidaysburg Parent/Student Handbook). That is a lot of clothing that students can not wear. Now though if you go to a store you are going to have a lot of trouble trying to find clothes that fit in the dress code. Stores want to make money, some do not care that their clothes are getting kids in trouble. In “Shame,” one girl said her and her parents have very difficult time buying clothes for her. Another girl also said that she buys clothes and then puts the on to see that they don’t fit the dress

code.
With all the controversy, schools should modify their dress code system to help teens feel more comfortable. Students would feel a lot more comfortable in hot weather. They also would have an easier time picking out clothes that fit their schools dress code. The students would complain less and, also, would not realize the dress code is sexist. Schools should also consult more with the parents and students on what the dress code should be. Clearly after noting all the controversy that schools and students go through with the school dress code, you will understand what students, parents, and schools go through and to why the school dress code needs to be modified.