Dress Code: The real problem with what we wear.

As the new school year has started, I’ve been noticing the many infamous apparel trends. Such as; ripped jeans, cropped tees, flared jeans, and matching athleisure. Just a couple of my personal favorite trends, of course excusing the trend that comes with wearing these things to school.

Being in high school is supposed to be the “best years” of your life, right? I’m sure all parents have told us that at some point, but like everyone, we struggle. When you’ve reached high school, it feels like you’ve reached a point where you struggle to have a good relationship with clothing, and struggle feeling comfortable in your own skin. Now imagine this; it’s only the 2nd week of school and you want to wear a nice outfit today. You put these really nice jeans on, and pair them with a nice shirt. Oh but wait, the holes in those jeans are too high up on your thigh, and your teacher tells you to change because she’d hate to see a poor young man get depleted of his education because he may be too busy staring at the holes, where 3 fist sized holes show your exposed thighs.

Never did I think that going into high school, my biggest bullies would be the dress-code and the people who oversee it. Yes, our high school. The place where we’re supposed to feel safe, and comfortable. The dress-code wouldn’t have to be such a big deal, if it were fair and equal to ALL students and not just one specific group. However, things such as female shoulders and thighs are sexualized it seems. I do understand that the teachers and staff didn’t make the dress code, but they do enforce it. I will never understand how a male student would wear a complete cut-off tee or “muscle shirt”, showing the whole side of their abdomen area, and instead a young lady is getting dress-coded for the hole in her jeans that’s just a little too high.

Personally, I’ve taken the time to make a survey and some people took it. As I was reading the responses, I was taken back for a minute. The situation is much deeper than holes in the jeans. These ladies have felt targeted, and singled out over simple little clothing problems.