The average person knows that men and women are expected to uphold certain social standards. These beliefs have existed for millennia, but the standard idea is the same: women must be effeminate, graceful, and delicate; men must be masculine, tough, and strong. Obviously, this old way of thinking is long behind us. However, we can still see remnants of this prehistoric thought pattern in modern-day social norms. A woman who "wants a man" needs to be nurturing, attentive to her man's needs, and needs to dress properly if she wants to attract a "high-value" man.
So what does this have to do with dress codes?
School dress codes are meant to prohibit students from wearing certain clothing items. Most schools preach that this keeps students safe and appropriate. However, many dress codes tend to have more guidelines for girls' outfits. So, as a result, girls get dress-coded way more than their male counterparts. Does this mean that girl students need more protection? If so, from what? Creepy students? Teachers? Is the female body actually that distracting? Sure, teenagers are filled with not-so-delightful hormones, but the attraction goes both ways. Shouldn't male students also wear garments that cover their body parts? Shouldn't their shorts also go past their hands when they're standing straight?
Now, looking at the North Meck dress code, you'll notice that it is pretty diverse. The rules for more feminine attire seem consistent with the general rules. In fact, most of the rules apply to all students, regardless of sex. This means most dress code violations would be for sandals and bandanas, right? (I haven't seen anybody get in trouble for sandals or Crocs yet.) But, no, girls still violate the dress code more. On the first day of school, I watched a girl get dress coded for wearing a crop top. That's perfectly responsible, and I don't see a problem with that. Now, I wore a crop top the first week. It shows a good chunk of my stomach with low-rising pants. Nobody pointed it out. I've put on that same crop top at least 5 times at this point. I still haven't gotten dress-coded. I've also worn some skirts and dresses that were worthy of a dress-code referral. Still, nothing. Why isn't there consistent enforcement?
But even if we were to argue that the administration can't see every girl that violates the dress code, they can at least see the boys, right? I mean, they did make an announcement for ski masks! That's gotta be something... and yet I saw at least ten different boys wearing ski masks last week. And the week before. Oh, and we're not even talking about the horrendous level of sagging I've seen this year. Why are we sagging with Mario underwear on? Why are we sagging at all?? I have seen one too many brown stains for my liking. If the administration has been dress-coding males for this, it certainly isn't with the same urgency.
Yes, they shouldn't have worn the outfit in the first place. I'm aware of that. However, that isn't the point here. The point is that while the actual dress code seems unbiased, the enforcement of said code appears to target female students. There needs to be more focus on properly enforcing the dress code policy. There are so many possible biases based on the administration’s opinions, their preferences, and the students they like. If one teacher says that crop tops are cute, but the other says they're sinful, there will be an unfair situation for students. So why should students take the dress code seriously?
Dress codes are stupid. Now, I'm not advocating for the "abolition of dress codes!" That would be stupid, too. Rules are necessary for any society, regardless of size. But the enforcement of these rules matters substantially more. If teachers want to give students a "second chance," whatever! But girls should not be targeted for their shoulder showing when boys in that same class get away with 4 simultaneous violations.
I'm not a crusader that defends every action a girl does. That's weird. If you are violating the dress code, you should be punished for that. That is, regardless of sex, gender, race, body type, and all the other descriptors of a human being.
Hopefully, this doesn't cause the administration to start giving out dress-code referrals at the speed of light. Sorry if it does. 🆅
The opinions expressed within this piece are solely the author's and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of North Mecklenburg High School.