Although most rules in the dress code are necessary, some aren’t. One of those rules is that shorts, skirts, and dresses have to go to the fingertips when they are by your side. I don’t think this rule positively reflects our school. Our school is wonderful but this rule makes it seem as if it doesn’t care about the student’s wellbeing. This rule should be changed to say that shorts only have to go a third of the way down the thigh. If we change the rule not only would our school’s climate be more positive, it would be less sexist and the students would be more comfortable. In this letter, I will go more in-depth about the benefits of changing this rule.
Being comfortable is an important part of paying good attention. With the fingertip rule we have now, girls aren’t allowed to wear the shorts they own. Since girls don’t own many shorts that adhere to the dress code they either wear the shorts they have or they just wear pants. This might be fine during the winter but in the spring or fall, it can get too hot for girls to comfortably wear long pants. Not only will this new rule make girls more comfortable it will also make them more confident with their clothes. Shorts that follow the dress code often aren’t very fashionable. Wearing clothes that make you feel confident makes you feel more comfortable. With this current rule, some girls do show up wearing shorts, skirts, or dresses that do not follow the dress code. Although this might make them feel more comfortable and confident, it causes them to stress about if they are going to be dressed which can distract them and take away from their learning time. If they do get dress coded they have to go and find a different pair of pants that adheres to the dress code which often takes time and takes away from their learning.
Following the dress code and feeling your best can be costly and hard. If girls only own shorts that don’t follow the dress code, to be comfortable they would have to go out and buy new shorts, skirts, and dresses. Buying new shorts is not only costly but it can also be hard to find shorts that follow the dress code. The cheapest pair of women’s Nike shorts that, on me would not violate the dress code (not counting biker shorts) are $40 basketball shorts. Most girls don’t want to wear basketball shorts or pay $40 for a pair of shorts that they will only wear at school during the spring and fall. Local stores where girls would be able to try on shorts to see if they follow the dress code oftentimes do not have any shorts that do. An example is Scheels, Scheels sells no active shorts in stores, which would on me to follow the dress code.
The fingertip rule we have now is very unfair. With everyone having different body types the fingertip rule just doesn’t work for everyone. Someone could wear shorts that fit them well and go down to their fingertips. Someone else could wear the same shorts that also fit them well but their hand reaches 3 inches past their shorts. It is important to recognize that not everyone is the same and we can’t have a rule based on how long someone’s arms are. This rule not only targets a group of girls, but it also targets all girls in general. The fingertip rule is one of three dress code rules predominantly targeting girls, with five of the rules being gender-neutral and only one that predominantly targets boys. According to some people, if there isn’t a dress code people can get distracted. They’re talking about boys being distracted. This rule puts a boy’s education over a girl’s. Saying that girls need to wear clothes that make them less comfortable, confident, and more anxious so that boys won’t be distracted. It is not a girl’s fault if a guy gets distracted because he sees some of her thighs. Not only is it sexist towards girls, but this idea that girls need to dress so boys won’t be distracted also discriminates against boys. It’s saying that they don’t have enough self-control to not be distracted by a girl’s thighs. It’s also time for people to realize that guys aren’t getting distracted by a girl’s thigh. It’s just a thigh, guys aren’t going to be talking about how they saw some girl’s thigh and how hot it is.
A reason for dress codes and the fingertip rule is to teach kids how to dress and act professionally. We shouldn’t be pushing kids to try and be like adults. It’s important to realize that they aren’t adults and should be allowed to be kids, we have the whole rest of our lives to be adults. Another reason people say we need dress codes is so that our school has a positive environment. The fingertip rule does the exact opposite of what it’s meant to. If people aren’t comfortable, confident, and anxious it will and has made our environment more negative than it should be. As I already addressed, another reason for the fingertip rule is to not distract boys. A girl’s thigh is not distracting and if it is for some people it is their fault for not having enough self-control.
If the existing rule is changed to a better more inclusive rule where shorts only have to go a third of the way down the thigh, Our school will improve for the better. Students will be able to be comfortable and poised. This will not only positively affect the climate of our school but it will stop taking away from learning time. Students will be able to pay better attention and our school will become more inclusive. The new rule would let people wear shorts they already own and not have to buy new shorts. We need to enact this new rule so our school can be more inclusive and have a better environment.
