Dress Code or Dress Control

By Leila Sell, Opinions Editor

This year’s Dress Code has become the talk around Kennedy High, with many people feeling the policy is unfair and outdated. Female students have been saying the Dress Code is sexist and mostly negatively affects the girls rather than the boys. Last year’s dress code was reasonable on some level because we were allowed to wear tank tops, but this year the Dress Code went a little overboard.

One of the policies that the girls have been talking about is “No tank tops and shoulders must be covered at all times.”

This seems to go too far. Since when has showing your shoulders been distracting? Southern California gets really hot throughout the school year. Wearing a t-shirt alone can make people feel hot and sweaty.

“I think the dress code isn’t fair at all towards girls because how is showing your shoulders distracting?” sophomore Cheyenne Taffolla said. “Also, I think the dress code is much stricter than last year’s dress code.”

Sometimes, the Dress Code could be fair on some terms, like sagging pants or crop tops, since schools want students to dress appropriately.

The Dress Code isn’t all that bad. The issue is less about having rules at all and more how unevenly they’re enforced and how some of them feel confusing or unfair.

If the Dress Code focused more on keeping the rules equal and clear, it wouldn’t be so bad. For example, girls can wear tank tops but spaghetti straps aren’t allowed.

“The Dress Code is fair sometimes, but sometimes they make the rules confusing and unfair especially towards girls,” sophomore Kody Penza said. “But if the crop top is way above the stomach, then it’s reasonable.”

Many students understand that Kennedy High wants to keep the dress code more appropriate and professional, but sometimes the policy/rules can target the girls more than the boys. The confusion on what’s “appropriate” only makes it more frustrating and makes students rebel over the policy.

At the end of the day, most students don’t mind the dress code. School is a learning environment, not a place for judgement. Some students like to embrace their uniqueness with no intentions of “attracting boys with their shoulders showing.”

Most aspects of the Dress Code are valid and reasonable, but not showing your shoulder shouldn’t be in the dress code because it’s “distracting.” Boys get away with a lot of their clothing styles, so why can’t girls be allowed to wear tank tops?