School Dress Code Letter | Teen Ink

School Dress Code Letter

May 21, 2015
By BSizzle BRONZE, Denver, Colorado
BSizzle BRONZE, Denver, Colorado
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I know you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living." -Harvey Milk


Dear School Administators,

I don’t think my belly button, bra strap, legs, or back will distract any male students or faculty. This dress code is telling girls to cover up so that they don’t distract males because “boys will be boys”. It’s hot outside. Girls are going to wear shorts and tank tops. We should stop teaching girls to change so they don’t have to fear men, and teach men to respect women. This is simply perpetuating rape culture. If a girl’s bra strap is “disrupting” to someone else, the person being “disrupted” should be the one who has to move or go sit in detention. Girls should not be taught to be embarrassed by a simple every-day garment. They should not have to sit in detention for wearing shorts that show one’s thighs. We are not saying to tell girls to wear utterly inappropriate clothing but girls should not be punished as much as they are for wearing a tank top and shorts. Instead of publicly shaming a girl for wearing shorts on a hot day, you should teach teachers and male students not to over sexualize a normal body part to the point where they can apparently not function in every-day life. It is not a girl’s fault if her bra strap is “distracting” to her male peers.

A few months ago, myself, and a few other female 8th grade students approached our vice principal  during our lunch period after she made a speech about how students need to be following the dress code. Basically, we said that we  thought the strict dress code and the school's attitude towards girl's showing any part of their body was plainly sexist. Rather than teaching girls to hide their body, we should be teaching them to love their body especially when girls are already self conscious during puberty any way. Her response was on the lines of, "so, if somebody put a bowl of candy in front of you, [In reference to girls showing their body parts to men] would you take some? That's why girls can't show their 'goodies'." It took me a while to realize what she said was wrong. Statements like that are the reason why girls can't walk down the street alone. This statement is telling us that boys have a right to rape or sexually abuse us because we are wearing shorts or tank tops. If rape or sexual abuse does happen, you are telling girls that it is their fault. We need to teach boys that this is not okay. Women are not sexual objects.

 

We believe having a dress code as strict as this one is unnecessary.

 

Sincerely,

Your Students 


The author's comments:

The school that I go to has a strict dress code that punishes girls for showing their knees and shoulders. I beleive this is outrageous. 


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This article has 10 comments.


on Feb. 17 2022 at 1:06 pm
AztroWorkz BRONZE, Bellingham, Washington
3 articles 0 photos 23 comments
@starfeather
Most girls don't wear revealing clothing to turn heads, they wear it to express themselves in ways that they enjoy. While there are some that do, I don't think that you should assume that all girls want to get attention from it. There is no rule that states that a person can't wear what they enjoy.

on Feb. 16 2022 at 1:19 pm
AztroWorkz BRONZE, Bellingham, Washington
3 articles 0 photos 23 comments
Oh my stars, what your vice principal said is possibly the most sexist statement I've ever heard. I'm so glad that you're brave enough to write this letter.

on Jan. 8 2022 at 6:13 am
Magical_Badger BRONZE, Nairobi, Other
1 article 5 photos 20 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If everyone fought fire with fire, the whole world would go up in smoke."
(A Series of Unfortunate Events)

I agree! I think dress codes should just be replaced with common sense.

Lee-is-swag said...
on Feb. 2 2021 at 3:25 pm
Lee-is-swag, Kennewick, Washington
0 articles 0 photos 3 comments
i agree, y do we have a dresscode like what?? we cant have our bra strap out and stuff that he need to controll like who looks at a sholder ands like "omg im in love" like tf

KJ03 said...
on Oct. 19 2020 at 8:51 am
KJ03, Ewing, New Jersey
0 articles 0 photos 18 comments
I agree with this article completely, I think if the schools are going to implement a dress code that is that strict then they need to investigate the nature of the staff and students around who are giving off a predatory nature to cause that. But, I do also believe there is a time and place for certain articles of clothing. A bra strap and shoulder shouldn't bother someone but also you are in school to look decent and presentable so those are things that need to be kept in mind when choosing what to wear.

on Jul. 23 2019 at 1:51 am
BenjaminLee BRONZE, Hecienda Height, California
4 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
Ling Ling 40 hours----TwoSet Violins

I agreed,
I hated when I dressed up to go out with my friends and people asking am I dressing up for a male...Girls should not be dressing for boys, they are dressing up for themselves and their own activities.

on May. 24 2019 at 9:59 am
22rbhattacharyya GOLD, State College, Pennsylvania
18 articles 2 photos 18 comments

Favorite Quote:
Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never spoken -Orson Scott Card

And when somebody "sexually assaults" you for wearing responsibility, you play the victim card...
Great!

on Mar. 27 2019 at 5:22 pm
starfeather PLATINUM, Olathe, Kansas
21 articles 0 photos 62 comments

Favorite Quote:
AD ASTRA PER ASPERA- to the stars, through difficulties.

I am a girl and when I see other girls walking around with shirts barely covering their belly buttons and booty shorts I think it's a little absurd. Teenagers shouldn't be wearing such revealing clothing like that. In the Bible, it says to dress modestly because to show off certain parts is glorifying yourself rather than God. Why do girls wear such revealing clothing like that if not to make heads turn? I honestly would like to know why showing as much skin as possible has become 'cool' in today's culture.

Rynn750 SILVER said...
on Oct. 23 2015 at 10:27 pm
Rynn750 SILVER, Somewhere, Wisconsin
5 articles 0 photos 32 comments

Favorite Quote:
"A cynical young person is almost the saddest sight to see, because it means that he or she has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing." - Maya Angelou

I think you have a point. I'm not sure how strict your dress code is, but at my school we can't wear jeans, tank tops, hats, or crop tops, but that goes for everyone. I think that's okay because it's the dress code and I don't see it as offensive.

on Aug. 3 2015 at 1:35 am
Alex_Teine BRONZE, Edmond, Oklahoma
3 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
~Love isn't a feeling, Love is a promise to protect those you care about~






~Alex Teine~

Well I'd have to agree on trying to teach girls to love their bodies, and for boy to not overly sexuilize girls. But there are a few things that I'd wouldn't agree on interest article. This is my opinion so don't take me out. I belive that girls should just completely cover up just for the safe side, you can wear what you like, but beware there are some boys who will try to take it too far. I've never been in that spot because I'm a boy, but there are others. Plus there you should be walking with a friend while you are out, not because boy will try to rape you, but also girls, and yes there are some girls that rape other girls. I think you beautiful in your own way. Don't let others say your ugly, or try to put you down, you are beautiful the way you are.