Dress code policy unfitting for all body types

As warm weather is approaching us, the staff at Airport will be cracking down on a problem that has been around for decades:

Dress code.

Our district’s dress code is a set of rules that we as students are forced to follow, and if we do not then we will receive consequences. In my opinion, the dress code rules should not be written out as they are. As of right now, the dress code rules are set in stone and apply to everyone equally.

Everyone’s body is a different shape and size, and the way clothes fit a body shape are diversified. I do not agree with the fact that all of the student’s bodies are being forced to abide these inequitable rules on the clothing we wear to get an education.

To back up my opinion, one of my favorite quotes by Albert Einstein is, ”Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Of course this quote is not referring to a millennial’s clothing choice, but it can be interpreted as such. Body image is such a touchy subject in today’s world of the perfect celebrities and how they portray themselves on social media. For example, if a heavier set student is told he or she cannot wear a certain outfit that they have the confidence to wear because it does not fit their body shape well and is distracting others, then they will most likely begin to be self-conscious about their body; the same scenario goes for a student that is very skinny, short, tall, etc.

Another reason I think the district’s dress code rules arw unfitting for our students is that these rules are much stricter on females. For example, I have seen many young men wear “Chubbies”; this is a brand of clothing that sells very short shorts for guys. These shorts often do not pass dress code, but these boys aren’t getting dress coded. But on the other end of the spectrum, let’s say a girl decides to wear a pair of “norts”, a nickname for Nike athletic running shorts that are in no way attractive or distracting to someone trying to learn, and she has nothing provocative showing; it is very likely she will get dress coded, be forced to change clothes, call a parent or guardian, and then receive consequences such as a b-note or d-note.

A young woman from New Jersey wrote her senior quote and posted it on Twitter, later going viral to students across the globe. Her classic black gown senior picture was posted as well as her senior quote that stated, “I’m sorry, did my shoulders distract you from reading this quote?” This was a jab at today’s dress code policies and how they claim they are enforced to keep away the distractions.

While I disagree with the dress code policy, I believe students at Airport High should still follow them accordingly. Even if you are a 5’10 young lady who cannot wear athletic shorts because your arms are long and the shorts are not fingertip length, you should still follow the school rules. Rules are rules, and until they change ought be followed.

Even if you are a fluffy person and are told you cannot wear something because it shows too much, you should still follow the school rules.

Even if you are a young man who wants to wear your favorite NBA sleeveless jersey that is not distracting anyone from learning, you should still follow the school rules.

I have never agreed with this strict policy and until there are changes made to it to make it more fitting to our bodies, I will never agree with it.