(The photo above is the most recent of the many outfits I have been dress coded in so far)

I’m a student here at Pasco High School in the Tri-Cities. As a student I’ve seen, heard, and experienced the difficulties with the school’s dress code. 

Just this past week, I’ve been dress coded three times. Once for wearing a tank top, because my shoulders were showing. Another time because my mid drift was showing. Lastly, because my skirt was “too short”; it was just above my knees. Being dress coded is humiliating. Not only does it put a mark on your record, it also ostracizes you in front of your peers. Being someone who struggles with confidence, I find a sense of pride in choosing my outfits for the day. However, being dress coded and being told it’s “distracting” or “wrong” to dress a certain way, deteriorates the confidence I try to build. How are we as students supposed to feel confident and safe in our bodies when we’re growing through an environment that tells us we shouldn’t be? 

People claim that wearing “revealing” clothing is “distracting” towards students and can take a negative toll on their learning. However, by pushing away the students right to express themselves, they are creating an unwelcoming environment at school that is more negative towards the learning environment.

Also take into consideration who is being “distracted” and why that is a justifiable reason to restrict clothing. By saying clothing is a distraction you are enforcing the idea that bodies are distracting and wrong and justifying the idea in other students that it’s okay to be distracted. The feeling of being objectified by merely clothing is a disgusting feeling. We all want to feel confident and we all want to feel safe; and there’s a way to have both. Instead of telling students to change the way they dress, educate those whom are “distracted”. Educate them on how clothing doesn’t equal worth, consent, or anything other than a piece of fabric. 

The current dress code is no shoulders showing, no shorts within a certain length, and no skin showing from the collarbone down to around the knees (chest, torso, mid drift, thighs). The dress code was made years ago to fit a certain era. Now, crop tops and shorts are the norm. As well as the hotter weather that starts and ends the school year; making it uncomfortable to wear longer shirts and pants.

By reforming the dress code the school will become a much more enjoyable place for students. A place where you can dress comfortably and learn comfortably in a safe and accepting environment.