Subliminal messages in dress code penalize some, not all

by Hannah Boggs, Arts and Style Editor

The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.

Hilliard Bradley’s dress code prohibits specific clothing items. Photo by Hannah Boggs (12).

For decades now, a dress code has always been something that is enforced in many different schools. However, there may be some parts of the dress code that should be changed for a variety of reasons. Whether it be due to underlying sexism and bias, or simply just a means of being outdated, many students and staff have formed their opinions towards the school dress code over the course of several years.

While there are many different factors that go into the creation of the dress code, one common issue is the subliminal sexism that is displayed throughout. Although there are rules in the dress code prohibiting males to wear specific clothing items, they get away with wearing these prohibited items much easier than girls do. Leyton Gibson (12) says that “the dress code is sexist” because “it’s not right for boys to be able to wear five inch seemed shorts but girls can’t show any skin without getting in trouble”. There is an extreme amount of inequity portrayed throughout the process of dress- coding. Guys will get away with wearing inappropriate shirts, yet a girl cannot show her shoulders without being shamed.

Kenzie Sullivan (12) expands on this idea and explains that “girls are extremely limited to what they wear, while the boys are allowed to wear whatever they want”. She also mentions that “teachers couldn’t care less about what boys wear, but if the wrong part of a girl's body is showing they get dress coded”. It is much easier for someone who is male to get away with breaking dress code rules, while the girls are constantly told to cover up for showing even a minimal amount of skin.

Despite the dress code being sexist, it is extremely outdated. Fashion is constantly changing, making what’s sold in stores change as well. It can be difficult to find items of clothing that follow today’s dress code word- for- word. Kenzie Sullivan also mentions that a dress code “limits today’s fashion” which she explains is “all about body positivity and expressing yourself”. Fashion today has changed drastically, especially in today’s climate where body positivity is so heavily encouraged. The school dress code goes against this by discouraging women in their fashion choices.

Not only do students feel like the dress code is outdated, some staff members feel the same way as well. Ms. Dyer says that the dress code is outdated due to people no longer “focusing on this performative nature”. She states that “a lot of the dress code is based on the formality of school” even though “the workplace isn’t even that formal anymore”. The belief behind the dress code being a way to prepare students for the workplace is not a good reasoning due to the workplace dress code changing overtime as well.

Many people have said that the dress code is a way to make sure that guys are not being distracted in class. From the time students were in elementary school, girls have been told it’s their responsibility to cover up in order to keep the boys distraction-free. However, is this really the best way to promote distraction-free learning? Kaia Lewis (11) thinks that “clothes do not change someone’s thoughts or actions, education about respecting women does”. It should not be a difficult task for men in class to stay focused if a fellow classmate is wearing a spaghetti strap shirt or showing a little bit of stomach. Instead of blaming the girl for wearing something a little more revealing, the male should be taught how to respect women.

Taking into account all of the bias and error within the dress code, the question comes in as to what the true purpose of a dress code really is. Audrey Schmidt (12) says that she feels “the true purpose of school dress codes is to shame and humiliate girls and to make men feel superior and protected”. She mentions that “by enforcing these rules, the school is admitting that they feel that men’s education is more important than women’s”. The fact that a teacher will pull a girl out of class and interrupt her education simply just to force her to change her shirt demonstrates the school’s true priorities.

Kaia Lewis also explains that she feels the true reasoning behind the dress code is “another cog in the patriarchy machine”. Even if it is subconsciously, the school dress code empowers a patriarchal society, where men seem superior to women due to the unfair treatment based on gender.

Polls were publicity taken in regards to school dress codes. On average, a total of 250-300 students responded to each question. When asked if students felt that the school dress code is sexist/biased, 90% said yes while 10% said no. When asked if they felt that the school dress code teaches impressionable girls that it’s their responsibility to not distract boys by wearing certain clothing items, 93% said yes while 7% said no. Lastly, when asked if they felt like parts of the dress code were outdated, 97% said yes while only 3% said no.

There are many subliminal issues within the pages of Hilliard Bradley’s dress code, whether it be due to underlying sexism, or simply just the outdated restrictions. The reality is that many female students feel penalized due to the patriarchal ways of the dress code, which ultimately results in pain and anger throughout the students of our school.

It is important that teachers take into account the harmful effects of the school dress code. There could be many changes made to the dress code which could promote more equality and spread a lot more positivity.