The School Dress Code Debate

 Crop tops in the Us and long hair on boys in the UK the perennial school dress code debate is even more visible than every before thanks to the internet. I have a unique take on this for two reasons: One, I didn’t really go to school and the school experiences I did have were way worse than these public school kids who like to complain.

Our school dress was way more draconian than most. Boys, could not wear jeans, sneakers only for gym time, girls skirts had to be to the knee or lower and tops had to cover and be appropriate (and this was very subjective) and I believe that boys had to wear collared shirts, at least I always seemed to and everyone else was as well.

When it comes to school dress codes,  there is a certain amount of appropriateness that is involved. This is less about female autonomy and more about making a helpful working environment for everyone involved including boys. If you think about working places there are lots of clothing items that one would consider completely inappropriate for a working environment.

As much as feminists may not like it, boys are visual, especially at those early pubescent ages when they are just learning about sexuality, their own sexuality and how to deal with their baser urges. Indeed this is one of those things that comes right at the intersection of women and human sexuality.

I’ve said it before and so have others: the school system has become a system for and by the exaltation of women in the United States. In almost every metric except for STEM fields, women are outpacing men. This isn’t a terrible thing. In just a few short decades we’ve gone from women barely completing high school to a world where women regularly go to college. This is a great thing, however, it has come at the expense of some boys. The clothing thing is just another example of this. Does it matter that a boy may be distracted by simply inappropriate clothing? Does it matter that valuable learning time is wasted on something as inane as a crop top? Yes it does, but sadly for many school administrators these considerations just don’t seem to make the grade.

Controlling the clothing of women traditionally has been a way to oppress women. In many parts of the world, it still is, however, there is no reason not to ask for some simple decorum in terms of attire in a school setting. It is not a law and when girls leave school they can hike up the tops, skirts, and break out the cute shoes. There are nights, weekends, and the rest of life to wear cute amazing clothes. High school only lasts 7-8 hours of 9 months of 4 years of a ladies’ life. Besides, half the time, a trend is here and gone in the time it takes to protest it at school and have these discussions.  And obviously, this isn’t the first time that we’ve had this discussion either. From girls wearing pants in school (the 60’s) and girls wearing jeans in school (the 70’s) to ever shorter skirts (80s and 90s) it seems like every decade or so, trends change and we’re having this same discussion.

We need not oppress anyone: boys or girls in this debate. We just have to work to create positive learning environments for both boys and girls and that includes appropriate clothing. Besides, it is training for life, there are plenty of instances where a crop top isn’t appropriate and that isn’t a promotion of rape culture it is simply a matter of decent society.