Smith 1

Reese Smith

ENGL 1302.910 - Perkins

Proposal Final Draft

6/22/22

Proposal

If you’re a girl and you’ve been in some sort of public school, or even private school,

then there's a good chance you have been dress coded for something as simple as a tank top or

leggings. Dress codes are basically a collection of guidelines that specifies what apparel and

accessories people are allowed to wear. Dress rules are founded on social views and customs,

and they differ depending on the context, type of situation, and events. Many have varying

opinions on whether these dress codes are positive or negative in schools or workplaces. Lots of

people feel as if dress codes keep things professional and reduce social conflict. Others think

these rules and dress codes often sexualize young girls and are unreasonable. If dress codes are

not adjusted to fix these long held issues, then disagreements will keep occurring, even leading

to things such as court cases or large protests.

Dress codes have been enforced in schools since the early 1900’s and have been creating

arguments ever since. As time has gone on and women have gotten more equality and rights, it

has come to the attention of many that dress codes are unfair and favor boys and men. The

Education Commission of the States has declared that almost half of the states in the U.S. have

some type of law providing local districts the right to set dress codes, with the restrictions and

harshness varying greatly. Over 50% of public schools in America have a dress code, which

often includes certain gender-specific rules. Because of the differences in how girls and boys

dress, some administrators believe these distinctions are justified and make sense. Specific
 Smith 2

policies that are directed towards females, on the other hand, account for a disproportionate

amount of the dress rules included in school handbooks in many instances. This is why the

problems came about and continue to even in 2022, because many deem this as unfair, not only

because different districts can have harsher rules, but also because girls seem to have an

increased amount of rules to follow for their attire.

Certain people still support dress codes for many reasons. They believe a dress code

encourages a more serious school environment that prioritizes education and positive behavior.

Along with this, they imply that dress codes have been shown to improve student achievement

by encouraging the scholars to focus on their education rather than their appearance, clothing

restrictions in schools decrease social problems and peer pressure which might arise from

physical appearance, and that there will be less pressure to keep up with styles and trends that

can be expensive if there is less focus on apparel. An article from Kosher Casual says,

“According to studies, a school dress code helps decrease the occurrence of some habits such as

aggression and promiscuity that are commonly conveyed through clothing. Dressing rules, unlike

uniforms, allow students to wear anything they desire, creating a feeling of self-expression”

(“Benefits of a School Dress Code”). This viewpoint does differ greatly from people who don’t

approve of the dress codes, creating such staggering viewpoints on the issue.

And while dress codes have always been a point of controversy, the internet and social

media platforms like Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram, along with the prevalence of new student

activism, has resulted in frequent protests against them, all around the country. Countless

petitions have been created in response to these regulations, as well as many school walkouts,

which means students will walk out of the school in response to something they disagree with or

find unfair. The dress regulations have been criticized as sexist because they unfairly target girls
 Smith 3

by body-shaming and blame them for further contributing to sexual harassment, which is victim

blaming. Female students have been punished by school administrators, sent home, or prevented

from attending events such as dances and field trips. The Texas Tribune wrote an article about

many legal cases that have come about because of these dress code policies, some of which are

“...part of a series of recent conflicts across the state over school dress codes, some of which

have turned into civil rights court battles over gender and race” (Waller). The sheer level of

seriousness that arises from these dress codes to create long-standing court battles shows just

how badly change needs to occur.

This social-political issue is such an important one because of the sheer amount of people

it affects, especially in the United States, where the dress codes are more common than not.

Students all around the country have their school work and day ruined based on a simple

wardrobe mistake, and that needs to be discussed and changed. Government officials and faculty

members across schools need to work together in order to come up with a more sound solution to

this ongoing problem. An article from Educators 4 a Change touches on the importance of this

by saying, “It is extremely important for educators to learn how to teach in a school environment

which has a dress code in order to promote a positive atmosphere where students feel

comfortable and safe in their own skin. In addition, making sure that girls and transgender

students don’t feel targeted by dress codes is a significant part of this process, as all students

should be equally affected by these restrictions” (“Teaching with Dress Code Restrictions”).

I have a strong personal belief that dress codes do more harm than good which is why I

do feel so strongly on this issue and plan to argue why the policies should be changed and

accommodate people, especially young women better. Hopefully through more research and

analyzing I can convey through my essay why things should be modified. Even as many protests
 Smith 4

and questions through court cases have been brought about, a true transformation of these dress

code policies have not been made, which is what I, and many others, are fighting for.
 Smith 5

Works Cited

“5 Benefits of a School Dress Code.” Kosher Casual, https://www.koshercasual.com/5-Benefits-

of-a-School-Dress-Code_b.html#:~:text=Here%20are%20some%20of%20the,and

%20less%20on%20their%20wardrobe.

“Teaching with Dress Code Restrictions.” Educators 4 Social Change,

https://educators4sc.org/classroom-practices/teaching-with-dress-code-restrictions/?

utm_campaign=&utm_medium=ppc&utm_source=adwords&utm_term=student+dress+c

ode&hsa_tgt=kwd-

112446192&hsa_mt=b&hsa_acc=2755491261&hsa_grp=129221826160&hsa_ver=3&hs

a_src=g&hsa_cam=14493075334&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_kw=student+dress+code&hsa

_ad=542927736705&gclid=CjwKCAjw46CVBhB1EiwAgy6M4m7TtILk4nAgZLSyb0L

TaE6g47OVBTGnMeu_bFDORmNCaVBG_r8LBBoC9DsQAvD_BwE.

Waller, Allyson. “Texas Schools Rethink Gender-Based Dress Code Policies after

Discrimination Claims Raise New Legal Issues.” The Texas Tribune, The Texas Tribune,

30 Dec. 2021, https://www.texastribune.org/2021/12/30/texas-school-districts-dress-

code-policy/.