Written by Evelyn McAdams
Edited by Aarohi Salaria
As of the start of Quarter Two, tube tops are no longer allowed at Ardrey Kell. While not shocking, it was disappointing news nonetheless and left many students asking “Why tube tops?”. However, what to enforce and when to enforce the dress code has been a frequent issue with Ardrey Kell and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District, as they often contradict each other. This has not only led to confusion among students but also among faculty. This imbalance influences not only this newest ban but also potential ones in the future.
According to the CMS district website dress codes, while at the discretion of the school, students should follow certain guidelines. One of which is to be “not gender specific”. While AK’s dress code policy does and does not use any gendered language it is hard to ignore the amount of traditional women’s fashion that was restricted. In 2019, the student handbook included a laundry list of women’s clothing that was off limits such as “Spaghetti straps, halter tops, strapless, midriffs and open back tops exposing any part of the midsection, back area or chest area.” When further reviewing the handbook most of these dress policies were either directly targeted towards women’s clothes or unisex. It is a pattern we have seen too often where dress codes are used to police girls' bodies while boys are an afterthought or the scapegoat for new restrictive policies.
Thankfully, Ardrey Kell’s dress code has relaxed in the last few years with students having more choice in what they wear. Still, aspects of the old dress code policies like Teacher discretion have continued to restrict students' freedom of expression especially students of color. As stated by the district and AK policy, teachers have the right to dress code a student if they feel their dress is not appropriate. While recent versions of the student handbook include fewer dress code rules, some can be up to interpretation. For example, “clothing that is excessively revealing is not to be worn” but that definition might look different across teachers, cultures, and body types. While it is easy enough to go by Ms. Brooks' interpretation of “Don’t let your butt cheeks hang out” students have reported being dress coded for less especially minority students. One black student reported being dress-coded for wearing a jumpsuit that went down to her ankles and being forced to be late for class. Unfortunately, it seems in recent times the dress code being less descriptive is causing its own problems.
All students need a loving, caring, and supportive environment to help them grow socially, emotionally, and academically. Is a message proudly displayed in our student handbook. Still, how can we as a school work to provide that when we are still fixated on policing women’s clothes and their bodies? Unfortunately, this new policy is not a good look and is reminiscent of some of AK’s older, misogynistic policies. Personally, I would appreciate more clarification on why tub tops are a problem and whether we can expect more bans in the future.
Overall, there must be a solution to this problem. So how can we fix it? Many would argue that getting rid of the dress code and teacher discretion would not only lead to more inappropriate outfits but could also be dangerous for students. High school is meant to prepare students for adulthood and the “real” world. Dress code is a part of that because unfortunately, people will judge you based on the way you dress. Moreover, there may be unique situations where teachers will need to step in and, unfortunately, if you have a large group of people, bias will always exist because of personal disposition.
However, none of this can be used as an excuse to continue a damaging system that punishes girls for existing in their bodies. While school is meant to prepare students for adulthood, so much of adulthood is finding the person you want to be and changing. Clothing allows students to safely express themselves. In case their expression becomes dangerous to themselves or others then a dress code becomes needed. A clear and fair dress code allows students to develop as people while also allowing teachers to do their job safely.
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