When students returned to school this August, they were greeted by a new dress code.
The new dress code is more comprehensive than the old dress code. It addresses new topics, and, in many ways, it is less strict than the old dress code.
These changes came after the administration asked for student feedback about the dress code last spring through a Google Form.
Students mostly support the new dress code.
Freshman Isabella Appleton said, “I am very happy with the new dress code because I feel like I have more freedom now. I feel like we can now express ourselves and wear whatever we want as long as it’s appropriate.”
Several other students agreed that the new dress code allows for more self-expression.
Sophomore Carly Reed said, “It’s all about artistic expression, and figuring out who you are, and we should not be reprimanded for expressing ourselves. Picking out my outfit in the morning gives me a sense of excitement and confidence, which is why when I get dress coded I feel bad about my body and my style. Because at the end of the day, my stomach showing isn’t the end of the world.”
Not only does the new dress code allow for more self-expression: it also makes it easier for students to find clothes.
According to junior Lillian Newman, “While the old dress code was rarely enforced, it’s nice to see as times and styles are changing, the school is making accommodations. It can be quite difficult when you walk into a store, especially because of how trends affect a store’s clothing options, to find items that both fit the dress code and are cute and flattering.”
Other students were more apathetic towards the new dress code.
According to junior Xavier de Alba, “If I’m being honest, I don’t really care all that much.”
The new dress code contains new sections about the purpose, application, and enforcement of the dress code. This includes a requirement that “school faculty and staff shall enforce the dress code consistently.”
Additionally, the new dress code states that, “No student shall be disproportionately affected by the dress code enforcement because of racial identity, sex assignment, orientation, ethnicity, cultural or religious identity, household income, body size/type, or body maturity.”
This represents a major shift from the old dress code which stated that, “Appropriateness of dress and resulting consequences will be at the discretion of the Administration.”
Additionally, the new dress code allows students to wear hats and hoodies that allow their faces to be visible. Students can also wear fitted pants, and midriff or back-showing tops.
The old dress code didn’t explicitly mention hats, hoodies, or fitted pants. However, it did prohibit “garments displaying the midriff” and required that “one half of the back must be covered.”
The old dress code also prohibited “cleavage displayed below the level of the armpits,” and required that “skirts and slits in skirts must be no higher than ‘fingertip’ length.” These requirements are absent from the new dress code.
The new dress code can be found on page 6 in the student planner.