Here are some pros and cons about the dress code we all face at school, work, and other organized events.
In a published article, “The Issues with Dress Codes by Ary Eagan”, it shows a survey of students who had been dress coded from across the country with 72.6% females responding with yes and 24.4% males responding with yes. Some argue that this leads to the bigger problem of children being disproportionately judged for showing skin.
Girls are at a higher rate of being dress coded, because a lot of what they wear is a “distraction”.
Also, in a world where there’s so much diversity, it’s important to know that different cultures will mix with American cultures and a dress code is somewhat of a restriction to those different cultures.
For instance, Larry Wilder, a professor from Fresno Pacific University says, “Society expects them to be committed to capitalism and democracy, to hard work, honesty and the American Dream—and to dress appropriately.”
Except, the American dream is not everyone’s dream. Expression can come through something as simple as clothing, whether that is wearing hats, kilts, shorts, or tank tops, that’s a part that makes someone who they are both personally or culturally.
It’s more important to realize that times have changed and each individual person expresses differently.
On the flip side, a dress code is always a good way to keep things organized, safe, and simple.
Bonneville Academy, in Stansbury Park Utah, talks about the benefits of dress codes stating, “These guidelines aim to eliminate any type of violence that can be caused due to socioeconomic variances.”
Along with safety, there are less distractions and more time to focus on other tasks instead of what to wear.
Gina Barreca, an English teacher for the University of Connecticut, writes an article on the importance of dress code.
She says, “Students spend a lot of time thinking about how they look—studies indicate that some girls between the ages of 12 and 16 can take as much as two hours to get ready for school, and that’s just to choose the right kind of Scrunchie…”
At a young age there is so much involvement in appearance and the time spent on that can be a lot more than people are realizing.
Dress codes have also helped with equality, which has solved bullying problems and self-esteem problems.
People compare themselves to others all the time, so with uniforms, for example, there is no reason to compare. This helps with attendance, good grades, and self-discipline because there isn’t the stress of picking out your clothes.
Even though uniforms are all the same, there are still ways for students to express themselves with the addition of accessories.
Overall, something as simple as a dress code can affect others. What is truly the best policy to follow? Is expression more important than order?
