The Dress Code Debate

It's back-to-school season and the "dress code debate" is at the front of the minds of administrators, students, parents, and even local elected officials. Dress codes are a good thing, especially beginning in pre-adolescent years. But some officials are giving the wrong reason for the need to monitor students' apparel choices.

This article cites a driver for the need for dress code is to prevent "distraction" for the boys at school. That's a poor excuse that doesn't give our society's budding gentlemen enough credit, or insults their mothers' parenting abilities - possibly both. The point of a dress code is to help students learn to respect themselves and respect their environment. And they should apply to both young ladies and young men.

A dress code isn't something that you leave behind when you accept a high school diploma. Entering the ranks of your career, you'll likely be exposed to a dress code. Whether you work as a fry cook at McDonald's or as the CEO of Unilever, there's an expectation of what you'll show up to work in. Companies have entire manuals dedicated to how your hair can be styled, what appropriate length skirts are, and how your shirt has to be tucked in. Subjecting students to dress codes in school is preparing them for the real world.

Really, a student's performance in the classroom isn't likely to be impacted based on whether her tank top straps are two inches or three-and-a-half inches. But, there's a case to made for the dress code. Boundaries keep us safe. Boundaries teach us lessons. A dress code is a boundary that teaches students what is and is not appropriate. It's a seed that's planted at the middle or high school level and continues to grow throughout their lives as they make career changes, and eventually go on to dress their own children.

Often teenagers don't have the maturity or foresight to dress appropriately, and a school dress code is their first foray into determining what is and isn't acceptable.

Some critics might claim that students shouldn't be judged based on their appearance, or what they choose to wear. Many people see apparel as a form of self-expression, a notion that I wholeheartedly subscribe to. However, the reality is that our children don't get to live in an isolated bubble in the name of self-expression. Presentation matters. First impressions count. And what you're wearing speaks for you before you get the opportunity to open your mouth.

Implementing a school dress code is an opportunity to teach students, but school districts must be sure the lesson they are teaching isn't rooted in unacceptable behavior. It looks like too many people are getting it wrong.