Evie Janis

Students struggle to find the line between unacceptable and acceptable school wear.

Students at Benilde-St. Margaret’s feel that the dress code is too restrictive and limits students’ ability to express themselves. Specifically with the new rules this year, female students feel targeted because their options are slowly becoming more limited.

This year, administrators have a new, bright blue “pass of shame” for students who break the dress code to wear when they walk down to the office. It is a different color than all the other passes, making it obvious that students are being dress-coded while walking the halls, junior Leah Smith said. “It’s immature that teachers won’t tell you what’s going on; they’ll just hand you a pass, and you have to assume that what you’re wearing is breaking dress code,” Smith said.

This was a common theme among students, many of them mentioning they don’t agree with the system of the new dress code pass. Students feel it isn’t fair not to communicate what is wrong with their outfit and simply hand them the pass. “[Handing students the passes,] I think it’s really passive-aggressive…They don’t have to give you a reason, and they don’t have to explain themselves anymore,” junior Grant Lockman said.

There have also been recurring concerns about the dress code being targeted towards females, especially with the rules around skirts and shorts. According to the dress code, skirts and shorts need to reach your fingertips with your hands at your sides. Shorts that reach the fingertips are hard to find in feminine clothing, which makes it difficult for female students to wear shorts at all to school. However, most style shorts for boys are already at that length, which means those rules don’t necessarily affect male students as much as female students. “A lot of the things they rule against are things girls usually wear, like skirts and tank tops,” senior Chizzy Jibunor said.

Students are also very opposed to the idea of uniforms in the future at BSM. Having a school uniform has been something that administrators have mentioned they are considering. School uniforms can be seen as orderly, proper, and are likely appealing to administrators because they are often associated with prestige, formalness, and a well-respected setting of education. Students argue that uniforms would take away the ability to creatively express themselves, but also that the current dress code restricts students from wearing what they feel most comfortable in. Students who may not have the most traditional style are also not considered within the rules of the dress code. “A lot of people who don’t follow popular fashion trends aren’t considered, because the dress code is catered towards traditional T-shirts or things like that,” Lockman said.

Because of the new additions to the BSM dress code, students are struggling more than usual to follow the rules. Many clothes sold these days don’t fall within the lines of the rules at BSM, and thinking through options carefully before wearing them is difficult, Lockman said. “It’s really hard to find stuff that fits within the dress code,” Lockman said.