The dress code at Caledonia High School desperately needs to be updated. The current dresscode is targeted against what students wear, and the new trends in clothes.

-It is already hard for students to find clothes that fit their style, and making it so that they can’t wear things like crop tops and halter tops makes it very difficult to fit in with their peers while looking stylish.-

Nowadays almost every shirt in the women’s section is cropped to some extent. The current dresscode says that the bare midriff can’t be shown, but as long as their “private parts” are covered why does it matter what they wear. Many people who are assigned female at birth (afab) feel disgusted when the excuse “it’s distracting” is used. They feel disgusted in their own bodies and by the people who are sexualizing their abdomen/ shoulders. When people are struggling with their confidence in what they wear, and they feel sexualized by their peers and their own teachers; don’t you think there is a problem that needs to be fixed? I suggest that the dress code is modified from halter tops and tank tops to a new rendition of the dress code. the new dress code could state “ tops that do not cover the chest or whos hem rests higher than the rib age should not be worn” This change will make trendy shirts like tanktops, halter tops, crop tops, and tube tops readily available to wear. With this change in dress code it will make it easier for students to shop for school appropriate clothes. As well as making students feel less sexualized.

I also recommend that we change the fact that wallet chains aren’t allowed. this rule is confusing as we are allowed to wear necklaces and bracelets and other accessories but aren’t allowed to wear wallet chains. Wallet chains are another popular trend in clothes in the past few years. You push children to express themselves but limit that expression by making it so students can only wear some of the things that they normally would outside of school.

I believe that as trends change and the clothes that are readily available change, the dresscode that limits what we can wear should change with it while still staying appropriate.

Thank you, this has been a message written by Remy Bell, a Junior at Caledonia High school (2021-2022)