Dress Codes Don't Suck!

A certain high school on Staten Island in New York is having problems with their students falling out of the dress code. It has become a fad, if you will, to go against the dress code and be punished, rather than wear the school’s proposed attire. In a way, the students have made breaking the dress code their own fashion statement.

The school’s philosophy is that the students need to abide by the dress code, which allows no provocative or gang related clothing (including low pants on boys). In turn, this will make them more successful students. “Dress for Success” is their mantra.

While I love fashion (I have been a fashion designer for more than 25 years and have also had more than my share of arguments with my parents about the way I should dress) I have to side with the school on this one. It has been verified that students do better in school if they are dressed to learn, rather than dressed for the beach or a night club. When I home-schooled my children, I found they were far more distracted when I allowed them to wear their pajamas to “school” then when I had them dress appropriately for their day of lessons.

I realize high school students want to make a statement with their clothing. But the statement many of them are making is not conducive to study. Girls in particular are apparently not aware of the distraction to boys, their provocative attire creates (or…maybe they are). I know from experience that choosing something to wear every morning, from your large arsenal of latest trends takes far more time than narrowing the choices with a dress code.

While the Staten Island school does not yet require uniforms, I propose that uniforms might be a better solution than fighting the students every day. School uniforms solve multiple issues; selection time each morning, less identification of wealth class, fewer distractions to both the students and the teachers, fewer regrets when viewing high school photos with your children later in life, and higher test percentages overall. And, if the decision is made to wear uniforms, I do believe the teachers should adhere to the policy as well.

When all is said and done, the uniform rule will not solve the issue of success completely. It has also been substantiated in numerous studies that students are more successful in school if their parents are involved, whether in the PTA, Home and School Club, or volunteering in other ways. And, that may prove to be a more difficult issue than staying with a dress code.