Dress code is nothing new in public schools, every day kids have to cater to a dress code in their schools from high schoolers wearing a halloween costume to someone showing a little bit too much shoulder, people get dress coded. Something has always bothered me about it though. Of course the unfairness of the dress code being more strict on girls than boys has always been frustrating, but hats are more confusing. 

Beanies, dad hats, whatever. These are not permitted on Kleinisd property. When you enter a school, you have to take it off. It’s strange. I’ve seen people wear them anyways, but at some point are told to take them off. I admit i’ve worn beanies in middle school, and i would simply put it back on when told to take it off because it wasn’t even that big of a deal. It’s not a distraction, it’s not a gang thing. I just like wearing hats like how people like wearing accessories such as bracelets or necklaces. I don’t mean disrespect, I always treat my teachers with respect and even when I feel an urge to talk back, I always stay silent and do as I am told. But this rule just feels unreasonable. It’s not “distracting” either, nobody cares if i wear a hat or beanie, except for the school staff. Even if other students find it distracting and for example, try to take it from a student to horseplay, that’s not the hat wearers fault. The hat student shouldn’t get in trouble for having the hat, the one who took the hat and is horse playing should be in trouble and taught not to do that. You don’t tell someone to stop wearing a bracelet they really like because a student keeps taking the bracelet, you should teach the person who keeps taking it that they shouldn’t be.

I understand banning hats with inappropriate designs or logos, but that’s a general rule for all clothing. I also understand no hats for physical activities, just like with other accessories like bracelets and such. But why are hats banned entirely? It’s simply unreasonable and ridiculous, and goes against letting students have freedom of expression in their fashion and style.