Many schools across the world have dress codes set in place to uphold a sense of unity and establish an appropriate learning environment. But, in recent years, many school dress codes seem less focused on education and more focused on controlling students, targeting females specifically, through backwards and
Forced To Wear A “Shame-Suit?”
Yes, you read that right. A Florida teen was forced to wear a shame-suit after she violated the dress code. Miranda Larkin, a 15-year-old student, was sent to the office change into the shame-suit because her skirt was shorter than knee-length. The shame-suit wasn't just a random pair of clothing from the office. It was comprised of bright red sweatpants and a neon yellow shirt that read "Dress Code Violation."
The Day Jeans Became “Offensive”
Who knew that a pair of blue jeans on a 12-year-old could be deemed as "offensive." In the United States, a girl was internally suspended because her jeans were "too tight" which violated the school's dress code. The school's superintendent went on to back the school administrator's decision saying "There are and will be times in which some styles of clothing are not appropriate or conducive to the school environment." She was wearing blue jeans…
Flat Shoes, A Cause For Controversy
Not only does dress code discrimination happen in schools, but it can also happen on the red carpet. At the Cannes Film Festival, Vicci Ho, a former festival film programmer, was not allowed on the red carpet because she was wearing flat shoes, not high heels. She was told her flat shoes were considered street shoes and that she had to change them.
A Chill Outfit Gone Wrong
A sophomore in high school was said to have violated her school's dress code by wearing leggings and an over-sized fleece pullover to school. She was kicked out of class and put in in-school suspension because it was deemed inappropriate. The school said leggings are okay to wear if a skirt, shorts or a dress is worn over them and is not shorter than 3 inches above the knee. But the fleece pullover, which was the same length as the skirts, shorts or dresses, was not acceptable.
A “Revealing” Skirt
There once was a time, looong ago, when girls' skirts had to reach their knees and an even older time where they could go no higher than their ankles, but surely we don't live in those times anymore. Or so we thought. Carey Burgess, a 17-year-old student, received an in-school suspension and was sent home for the day for wearing a skirt that showed about three inches of her thigh. Her skirt was deemed "too short" and "inappropriate" by the school, although we've seen way worse.
Another Tale Of The War On Skirts
It's not just in the United States that these discriminating dress code violations are happening; it's all over the world. In the United Kingdom, the headmistress of a secondary school banned girl students from wearing skirts altogether! It's not just men making these discriminating dress codes, it's women too! Her reasoning behind banning skirts was so boys and male teachers wouldn't be "distracted" when a female student sits down or walks up stairs in a skirt.
Banned From An Exam
This Algerian student wasn't just sent to in-school suspension, she was banned from taking an exam. The university student was said to be wearing a skirt that was too short and was barred from taking an exam because of it. More than 100 men and women came to her defense by sharing selfies of their bare legs on a Facebook group, "My dignity is not the length of my skirt."
A Seriously Mistaken Prom Dress
Alexus Miller-Wigfall, a high school student in the United States, was out enjoying a fun night at her high school Prom. However, her fairytale dreams were cut short when a school administrator said her dress was "too revealing," giving her an in-school suspension. Her mother, however, believes this happened because her daughter is "plus-size."
“Offensive” Words
Student Briana Popour wore a shirt with the words "Nobody knows I'm a lesbian." The school described her shirt as "offensive and distracting" and asked her to change it. When Briana refused to change her shirt, she was suspended. The school received a lot of backlash and later changed their decision.
Bare Arms Are “Sexual Objects”
Ari Waters, a 7th grader in Ohio, chose a knee-length yellow dress to wear to her school's dance. When she walked into the dance, Ari was told to put on her jacket back because her dress was sleeveless. When the mother asked how her daughter was violating the dress code by wearing this dress, the school's vice principal said her bare arms were "sexual objects" and cannot be shown.
That Dress Is A “Sexual Distraction”
Lauren Wiggins, a Canadian high school student, was given detention for wearing a halter top maxi dress. The school told her her the dress was "inappropriate" and a "sexual distraction."
Discriminating Against Religion
Women around the world have been wearing hijabs for centuries as a symbol of faith, modesty and privacy. Many countries have banned women from wearing hijabs and many more are trying to do the same. In Paris, a woman was rejected from the clothing store Zara because she was wearing a hijab.
A 200 Student Ban?
In 2014, a school in Staten Island, New York banned nearly 200 students for a few weeks due to dress code violations. The large majority of the barred students were female. Many of the girls showed up to school wearing crop tops and tank tops to intentionally break the dress code in protest.
Yoga Pants Can’t Be Pants
A school in the United States banned female students from wearing yoga pants without a skirt or shorts on top. Of course the young women at that school were furious. More than 100 female students wore yoga pants to school in protest. The Facebook event read, "We can't help we were born girls and we shouldn't have to pay for it either because boys can't 'control' themselves."
Politician David Moore Took It A Step Further
Not only did Montana lawmaker, Republican David Moore, want to make yoga pants against school rules, he wanted to make them illegal, period. In February, he said nipple exposure and tight-fitting clothing, including yoga pants, would be considered indecent exposure. He was quoted saying, "Yoga pants should be illegal in public anyway."
Sometimes You Just Can’t Win
Stacie Dunn, a Kentucky mom, was sent to pick up her daughter from high school for violating the school's dress code policy. Her daughter was not wearing a short skirt or revealing shirt; she was said to be violating the dress code by wearing a shirt that showed her collar bone. When the mom brought a scarf for her daughter to cover her collar bones, the principal still deemed her outfit inappropriate.
Some Skirts Are “Too Long”
At a French school, a 15-year-old Muslim student was sent home for wearing a floor length black skirt. According to the school, the skirt was "too long" thus breaking the ban on religious affiliation in school. The school received a lot of backlash and her story went viral on Twitter with the hashtag #JePorteMaJupeCommeJeVeux, translated to #IWearMySkirtAsAPlease.
“Girls Wear Dresses And Boys Wear Tuxes”
That's what a Louisiana principal told Claudetteia Love. She wanted to attend her prom wearing a tux and was told by the school principal girls were banned from wearing a tux to prom. Outraged at the situation, her mother responded saying, "I feel like he's taking his values and throwing them on my daughter because of what her preference is and what she represents."
Even Knee-Length Skirts Don’t Stand A Chance
A student was sent to the principal's office and told to wait there until a parent could come sort things out for wearing an outfit that was deemed inappropriate. Her white fitted t-shirt and knee-length skirt were seen as a violation of the dress code apparently.
A Senior’s Worst Nightmare
For her last day of high school, senior Evette Reay wore a green dress to celebrate all her accomplishments. Instead, she was sent to suspension 30 minutes before the final bell rang. When a teacher found her dress to inappropriate he told her to go home and change. Reay responded "No" and the teacher went on to threaten to hold her diploma if she didn't go home and change. While the dress may have been dancing with the line of appropriateness, the way it was handled was far from acceptable.