A controversial topic that I wanted to shed light on is about the high school dress codes that targets young women. In my high school years I had to wear these very ugly uniforms that included polos, T-shirts, hoodies and all the above. There was possibly no way for us to express ourselves through fashion. If you didn’t have any uniforms then your dress code must’ve looked like this: no very short skirts no very short shorts no bra tops or no crop top … everything I had to be modest.
I remember being the black sheep of my school because I used to dress differently than everybody else despite having to wear a half uniform. I would always accessorize with jewelry, belts and high heels on top of having colorful hair. Not only that caught the attention of the teachers and supervisors but it also caught the attention of other students in which led to me being bullied for 5 years straight. It wasn’t uncommon for me to get picked on by the supervisors just because I elevated my look. I got sent home many times even though outfit met the criteria. Nonetheless, as I am currently a college student today, I would never wish to re-live my high school years just because of this dress code. I am now free to dress however I want without worrying about anyone else.
Not long ago I read this article on the Snapchat app that talked about a young girl from British Columbia who was sent home because her outfit was deemed “too sexual”. In the article of Daily Mail titled “High school senior, 17, is SENT HOME because her turtleneck and knee-length lace-trimmed dress made her female teacher ‘uncomfortable’”, it was also followed by the testimony of her enraged father in a video. Though he wasn’t mad as his daughter, but at the school. “Today my daughter was sent home for wearing clothing that made her female teacher and her male student teacher “feel uncomfortable”. Centered out in front of her class and told she needs to leave class and brought her to the [vice president] before she went home in tears. After asking her how she would like me to handle it she said she wanted to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen to the students that come after her. […]”. After posting it on Facebook, it sparked a frenzy. Many also made comments about the situation:
I have to agree that if some type of clothing on a young woman’s body “arouses” you as a teacher, then that must be a sign that you’re in the wrong place. Female students shouldn’t be responsible for anyone’s bonners including for male students too. It’s essentially teaching young people especially these women that their bodies are the reason why rape culture exist, making them feel shameful about themselves. Nonetheless, this awful situation also sparked a movement online and on campus too. Many of her fellow students have protested in front of their school as they’re seeking a reform in the dress code.
Identity at this age is crucial: high school was the time of our lives where we really figured out who we are. I understand that giving clothing restrictions are essential to teach the teens how to keep things modest, but stopping them from expressing themselves through fashion is a whole other level of evilness. What most people don’t understand is that our everyday garment not only serves as a functional cloth that protect our bodies from the outside world, it also serves as an unspoken language. Whenever you wake up in the morning and you have a good feeling about yourself, you would select garments with brighter colors or with fun patterns. If you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, your garment selection will a little… well… sad or mismatched. In other words, we tend to express our emotions, our status, our sexuality, our interests and our wealth through our clothing. So fashion plays a big role in our psychology too. As a young woman who has just grown out of her teenage years, I still find it important to dress as I please because it is part of my identity.
In conclusion, high schools should rethink about their laws on clothing and stop targeting young woman from dressing as they please because of “the affect” it might have on boys. What’s worse is that they’re teaching the hyper-sexualisation of the female body. For those of you who are still in high school: hang in there! Once it’s done, you will be free from the shackles of the educational system’s crude rules on self-expression.
Written by Jasmine Besner
Published on March 14th 2021
(780 words)
The Language of Fashion 