The student body of Benilde-St. Margaret’s has several opinionated views regarding the perceived unfairness of the dress code, which has been an ongoing topic of debate for years. In particular, despite the administration’s efforts to promote equal enforcement between male and female students, many still feel they are held to contrasting standards of what types of clothing items they are allowed to wear at school.

Throughout all grade levels, many students acknowledge that males and females are subject to different expectations of what clothing items are appropriate to wear or not. “I just think BSM enforces [the dress code policy] so differently for both girls and guys. Boys can get away with wearing something like short shorts, but if a girl were to wear even normal shorts that are okay with the dress code, some teachers don’t think they’re long enough,” sophomore Brooklyn Riley said.

There is a general consensus that females are subject to the majority of enforcement issues. As a result, they often feel constrained by the standards of the dress code and are hesitant in choosing their daily outfit. “Sometimes it just feels safer to not wear [shorts] at all. It’s just too big of a risk because I don’t want to get in trouble or anything, and I don’t know which teachers are strict about it,” Riley said.

Additionally, students become frustrated when they are forced to comply with a dress code that prioritizes more traditional standards rather than comfort, especially considering that BSM does not require its students to wear a typical Catholic school uniform to begin with. “I just get really hot like in the spring and stuff. I just wish we could have a little more leniency. It shouldn’t be that big a deal if we wear the same stuff the guys do. Then I wouldn’t have to take so much time out of my day planning out my outfit in order to go along with the rules,” freshman Claire Ryan said.

On Mass days particularly, students feel the uneven dress code enforcement is even more apparent. “The boys can honestly wear like a nice pair of sweatpants or even a non-branded hoodie and get away with it. With the girls it’s more noticeable [if we did something like that], which means we can’t be that relaxed with our outfits and we have less options,” freshman Rowan Stelzer said.

Because students are frequently in disagreement with the dress code, many wonder if the BSM administration will ever fully reach the standards of these individuals who wish for it to be changed. “We really do try to enforce the dress code as equally as possible, but sometimes we have to do what we know is right for the school,” BSM Student Life and Activities Coordinator Cami Dahlstrom said.