Dress Code Policy

Schools provide opportunities to explore different paths of life, however, no school is perfect. Amidst the many issues a school may have- financial, health, or perhaps the education system itself- school dress code policies should not be one of them. These highly-controlled facilities are the central hub for learning and understanding the relationship between society as a whole and as an individual. Schools are where we, as students, learn how to behave towards and create relationships with people, but in many situations the dress code policies create hostile environments and widen the gap between female students and male students. While school dress code policies for female students are often justified to prevent distractions in a learning

A change that should be implemented to stop the oppression of women from school dress code policies is to spread awareness of the negative emotional effects dress code policies have on female students. The constant judgement from their peers and even school faculties members will eventually negatively reflect on self-esteem and confidence. Deborah Tannen writes in her article “His Politeness is Her Powerlessness” about how women tend to ask questions and respond to them with passive, indirect language. She includes, “because they offered freely, the payoff is in rapport. You’re neither one-up nor one-down but happily connected to others” (Tannen 4). Tannen primarily refers to cultures in which women are subordinates because of the lack of command in the way they speak. The statement demonstrates that women are not inferior individuals

It will lead female students to be more comfortable with their voice and promote their character that was once hidden away. In the present day, more and more women are sharing stories of their experiences with sexual harassment through the social world by sharing photos of them wearing an article of black clothing and including the easily accessible tag “#MeToo” in their stories. Jess Cartner-Morley in “New York Fashion Week: Industry Faces Its #MeToo Moment” mentions French fashion designer Myriam Chalek who chose New York Fashion Week, one of the biggest events in the fashion industry, to showcase her take on the “#MeToo” movement by using “a catwalk show that doubles as a protest, with models sharing their experiences of sexual harassment” (Cartner-Morley 3). With millions of eyes on one of the most anticipated fashion events, there is without a doubt that Chalek’s “protest” will inspire other women to speak up about their traumatizing encounters with sexual misconduct, especially with the designer’s choice to have her models. We assume models, with their long legs and ideal physique, to have a life of luxury and without any stress. Seeing these “perfect” individuals openly share with the public a moment of vulnerability will influence the many female students that are inspired by fashion designers and models to wear