Cover your shoulders—it’s distracting the boys. Your shorts are too short, I can’t focus. Your shirt is revealing—change into something else. I bet, if you’re a girl or you identify as female, you’ve been told one of these things. Why do people act like girls are the problem for what they wear? Many dress codes are sexist and unfair, and something needs to be done about them—perhaps following Poly’s lead in establishing a more inclusive dress code.

One reason girls get penalized for their clothes is just for following fashion trends. Corset, slip, and bustier tops have been popular for the last year and, though they are more for vanity than shaping, they are still usually tight-fitting and revealing. 

Usually, clothing brands don’t cater to dress code approved clothes; popular stores like Brandy Melville and Urban Outfitters are full of crop tops and jean shorts that aren’t even close to mid-thigh length. For research, I went to five clothing websites with different price ranges and I recorded the number out of the first five “new in” or featured items that were appropriate for schools, according to some of the most common dress codes. Out of the five sites (Brandy Melville, Urban Outfitters, Pacsun, Shein, and Depop), only 11 out of 25 items were past mid-thigh length, covered shoulders, and covered midriffs. From scrolling through the sites a bit more, only sweaters, sweatshirts, and some jeans were dress-code approved. 

Some people don’t want to wear modest clothing. My closet is full of minidresses and tank tops. Although some trends are not very dress code approved, a few are. Last year, polo shirts were usually seen layered under vests and sweatshirts. High-rise jeans, cargo pants, layered tops, and chunky knit sweaters are predicted to be some of the biggest fashion trends of the fall and winter. Even though some of the recent trends are modest enough for dress codes, it’s really hard to find trendy clothes that will fit the requirements. 

Poly’s 2016-2017 dress code stated that showing shoulders and waists wasn’t allowed, sweatpants weren’t allowed, ripped clothes weren’t allowed, shorts and skirts must be at least mid-thigh length (or knee-length for dress-up days), and leggings had to be paired with something mid-thigh length. 

If you think about it, most of these rules apply to girls’ clothes. A lot of the pro-dress-code rhetoric is sexualizing girls, such as comments along the lines of “boys not being able to focus.” I don’t see a lot of dress-code-breaking clothes in the men’s section. But, Poly has changed its dress code to be fair towards people of all genders. Currently, the dress code says to “dress appropriately” and to not wear clothes that glorify violence or drug use and depict violence. Personally, I think this is perfectly reasonable and Poly has made a step in the right direction. Head of Upper School Sarah Bates noted that the GSA, the Gay Straight Alliance, first expressed disapproval for the gendered terms in the old dress code. “The dress code should be fluid to meet the needs of the current student body,” she wrote in an email to the Polygon.

 However far Poly has come, other schools have to step up and end unfair dress codes. While it’s hard to have no dress code at all, something similar to Poly’s dress code could help end sexist rules, sexualization of young girls, and restriction of fashion.