At this point, the infamous dress code argument is well known across society. On one side, individuals argue that uniforms promote unity and reduce bullying, whereas others counter strike it as limiting individualism and disproportionately attacking certain populations. For example, Boneville Academy states, “When all the students wear the same style of dress, then there will be the same kind of atmosphere across the school campus. This pattern encourages the student to concentrate more on their academic and co-curricular activities since the visual differences in social-economic gradings are very less.” However, Education Week counter-argues “A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that not only are school dress codes not equitable, but districts that enforce them strictly also predominantly enroll students of color.” While both arguments have merit, it is often agreed on that many aspects of dress codes are outdated. Even if one disagrees with this, it is clear that at many public schools across the nation, stringent uniform-based dress codes are not put in place. Does this nullify the argument? Ultimately, the argument is not this clear cut—what if uniforms are taken out? When one examines the extent of dress codes, it is typically a few rules. However, these rules set a precedent and expectation. In their dissolution, one might ponder whether they will stay that way or if students will truly feel comfortable wearing anything, from regular clothes to swimwear. Ultimately, dress codes should be as relaxed as possible to promote individuality and personal development.
Other than limits on offensive language, having no dress code is beneficial to students, as it enables them to experiment and discover their own style. Berkeley High Jacket states, “lack of a dress code gives students the liberty to present however they choose, whether it’s to reflect how they feel, their gender, their religion, or any other aspect of who they are.” While one could argue that students could take having no dress code “too far,” this rarely happens. At IHS, there is no dress code (except for ones towards offensive graphics/messaging on shirts), yet we see students dressed in a normal manner. Although students could come to school in swim trunks or a dinosaur costume each day, we do not actively see this happen. Instead, we see a variety of outfits and styles.
Ultimately, the purpose of school is to create a comfortable learning environment for everyone. Whether it is showing up in pajamas or sporting a coquette outfit, everyone should be entitled to that right—not just a select few. While one could argue that showing up in pajamas each day is not appropriate for a school environment, ultimately, why not? Students can learn in pajamas, and if it saves them the couple seconds they need in the morning to make the bus, that’s even better.
While there should be some limits on student attire, unless it causes severe offense to another, it should never be limited. Cases in which this offense would be present might be scenarios in which the clothing has offensive or discriminatory language written on it. While one could argue against this and for self-regulation in the words on clothing, this is ultimately a much more sensitive topic than the style of clothing–words have the potential to be vastly harmful.
Schools should continue to be safe havens for learning, and enforcing a rigid dress code is not a step towards that.
