argumentative essay on dress code

Dress Codes – Top 3 Pros and Cons

Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates

While the most frequent debate about dress codes may be centered around K-12 schools, dress codes impact just about everyone’s daily life. From the “no shirt, no shoes, no service” signs (which exploded in popularity in the 1960s and 70s in reaction to the rise of hippies) to COVID-19 pandemic mask mandates, employer restrictions on tattoos and hairstyles, and clothing regulations on airlines, dress codes are more prevalent than we might think. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ]

While it’s difficult to pinpoint the first dress code–humans started wearing clothes around 170,000 years ago–nearly every culture and country throughout history, formally or informally, have had strictures on what to wear and not to wear. These dress codes are common “cultural signifiers,” reflecting social beliefs and cultural values, most often of the social class dominating the culture.  Such codes have been prevalent in Islamic countries since the founding of the religion in the seventh century, and they continue to cause controversy today—are they appropriate regulations for maintaining piety, community, and public decency, or are they demeaning and oppressive, especially for Islamic women? [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ]

In the West, people were arrested and imprisoned as early as ​​1565 in England for violating dress codes. The man in question, a servant named Richard Walweyn, was arrested for wearing “a very monsterous and outraygeous great payre of hose” (or trunk hose ) and was imprisoned until he could show he owned other hose “of a decent & lawfull facyon.” Other dress codes of the time reserved expensive garments made of silk, fur, and velvet for nobility only, reinforcing how dress codes have been implemented for purposes of social distinction. Informal dress codes—such as high-fashion clothes with logos and the unofficial “ Midtown Uniform ” worn by men working in finance–underscore how often dress codes have been used to mark and maintain visual distinctions between classes and occupations.  Other dress codes have been enacted overtly to police morality, as with the bans on bobbed hair and flapper dresses of the 1920s. Still other dress codes are intended to spur an atmosphere of inclusiveness and professionalism or specifically to maintain safety in the workplace. [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 11 ] [ 12 ]

Should Dress Codes Be Implemented and Enforced?

Pro 1 Dress codes enforce decorum and a serious, professional atmosphere conducive to success. Research shows that the quality of work improves when performed by individuals who dress up. One study found that participants who wore formal business attire (such as suits) scored higher on cognitive tests, with specific increases in abstract thinking. [ 13 ] [ 14 ] Another study compared negotiations completed by a group who dressed up and another group who dressed casually. The dressed-up group closed more profitable deals. [ 13 ] [ 14 ] Study participants who wore a white lab coat or who were told a white coat was a doctor’s coat made 50% fewer mistakes on high-concentration tasks than people who did not wear a lab coat or who were told the white coat was an artists’ smock. [ 13 ] [ 14 ] High school athletes at St. Louis Park High School in Minnesota agreed that their teams’ dress code days (which include dressing up on game days) positively contributed to team unity. Brendan Donahue, a hockey player, said participating in dress code days better prepared him for games. He stated, “The dress codes add a further feeling of connection, teamwork and bond by wearing the same thing. It acts as a uniform much like our jerseys. Our dress code of dressing up adds a feeling of professionalism to our team and sport.” [ 15 ] Read More

Pro 2 Uniformly mandated dress codes promote safety. From school chemistry labs to manufacturing jobs, some dress code requirements are obviously about safety. Many places require protective glasses, steel-toed boots, fire-resistant jackets, hard hats, or reflective vests, for example. [ 16 ] [ 17 ] [ 18 ] [ 19 ] Other items of clothing may be restricted for less obvious safety reasons. Leggings, for example, are frequently made from synthetic, flammable materials that could react with spilled chemicals and catch fire. Similarly, skin-baring clothing may also be banned around chemicals to prevent burns. [ 19 ] Religious headscarves have been banned in some settings, such as prisons, because wearers could be strangled by the garments in an altercation. [ 16 ] [ 20 ] [ 21 ] Still other dress codes, such as no full-face masks (like Halloween masks) allowed in movie theaters, are intended to help prevent shootings and other violence. [ 22 ] Other clothing restrictions at schools and public places may seem arbitrary but are used to protect against gang activity. Colors, brands, and logos may be gang-affiliated in certain locations. As Lincoln Public Schools in Nebraska explained, “Clothing and accessories associated with gangs and hate groups have the potential to disrupt the learning environment by bringing symbols that represent fear and intimidation of others into classrooms. The identification and prohibition of this clothing help decrease the impact of gangs and hate groups in school. These rules also protect students who are unaware they are wearing clothes with a gang or hate group affiliation.” [ 23 ] Read More

Pro 3 Dress codes promote inclusiveness and a comfortable, cooperative environment while eliminating individualistic attire that can distract from common goals. As Bonneville Academy, a STEM school in Stansbury Park, Utah, explained, “The primary objective of a school dress code is to build constant equality among all the students. When all the students wear the same style of dress, then there will be the same kind of atmosphere across the school campus. This pattern encourages the student to concentrate more on their academic and co-curricular activities… then all the learning becomes more interesting and relevant… Students who are used to dress[ing] properly will be well equipped to evolve into the actual world, especially when they enter into the ever-competitive job market.” [ 24 ] Susan M. Heathfield, a management and organization development consultant, stated, “Employees appreciate guidance about appropriate business attire for your workplace—especially when you specify a rationale for the dress code that your team has selected.” Simply knowing whether suits are required or jeans are appropriate removes guesswork for employees, which leads to a more comfortable work environment. Similarly, dress codes can make a disparate group of people feel like a team—no one is left out or judged differently solely on the basis of the way they dress. [ 25 ] [ 26 ] [ 28 ] Dress codes can also make workplace hierarchies friendlier and more work-conducive. A manager who dresses in suits with ties may intimidate employees who wear branded polo shirts and khakis, preventing effective communication. [ 28 ] Further, dress codes mean employees and customers or clients won’t be distracted by individualistic clothing. For example, a customer of Nebraska State Bank & Trust Co. complained to the bank’s president about a branch employee’s outfit of mismatched tunic and leggings, fringed boots, and large earrings. A customer complaint can not only alienate the customer but also distract employees from their tasks and potentially embarrass or shame the employee whose outfit sparked the complaint. [ 29 ] Read More

Con 1 Dress codes reinforce racist standards of beauty and dress. As the National Women’s Law Center summarized, “Black girls face unique dress and hair code burdens. For example, some schools ban styles associated with Black girls and women, like hair wraps. Black girls also face adults’ stereotyped perceptions that they are more sexually provocative because of their race, and thus more deserving of punishment for a low-cut shirt or short skirt.” [ 30 ] Assistant Superintendent and Principal of Evanston Township High School, Marcus Campbell spoke about changing an outdated dress code: “if certain females were not a certain body type, if they had more curves or they had certain features that were developed, they were dress coded over another young lady who may not have the same features but were wearing the exact same items. Our young women of color were dress coded more than our white girls were. So we found it to be racist, we found it to be sexist, we found it to be antiquated. It was not body positive, and there was just trouble all around with our dress code, and we knew we needed to make a change.” [ 31 ] Banning traditionally Black hairstyles goes back at least to tignon laws passed after emancipation, which required Black women to cover their hair with scarves (tignons) so as to not compete with white women. But these rules continue today as Black girls and women aren’t always allowed to wear their hair in braids, locs, or other styles suitable to Black hair texture at school or work. [ 7 ] [ 32 ] Black male students are often “dress coded” at schools for hoodies, low-rise or baggy pants, and do-rags. Black boys were also more likely to be disciplined (suspended, for example) for a dress code violation than non-Black students. [ 33 ] As Dialectic, a company that counsels workplaces, concluded, “Traditional dress codes work to police certain kinds of bodies. They ensure that employees follow the practices of the dominant culture. Under the guise of professionalism, dress codes tend to punish marginalized groups of employees for refusing to conform.” [ 34 ] Read More

Con 2 Uniformly mandated dress codes are seldom uniformly mandated, often discriminating against women and marginalized groups. The average dress code, whether for a school, workplace, public transportation, or other location, includes more rules for how girls and women should dress than how boys and men should dress. [ 35 ] [ 36 ] Girls in school are frequently “dress-coded” for “too short” shorts and skirts, “too thin” tank top straps, leggings, and other clothing that might be a “distraction to boys.” [ 36 ] Fourth-grade teacher ​​Marci Kutzer said these rules send a clear message to girls: “A boy’s education can be compromised by your gender. Please do what you can to neutralize it.” [ 36 ] The problems follow women into the workplace. A leaked training presentation from Ernst & Young coached women to “look healthy and fit” with a “good haircut, manicured nails, well-cut attire that complements your body type,” but not to wear too-short skirts because “sexuality scrambles the mind.” [ 37 ] Dress codes also frequently exclude people outside of the gender binary and/or force them to adhere to the codes for their sex assigned at birth. [ 35 ] [ 38 ] Journalist Li Zhou explained, “Transgender students have been sent home for wearing clothing different than what’s expected of their legal sex, while others have been excluded from yearbooks. Male students, using traditionally female accessories that fell within the bounds of standard dress code rules, and vice versa, have been nonetheless disciplined for their fashion choices.” Similarly, the Ernst & Young training excluded non-binary and gender non-conforming people. [ 35 ] [ 37 ] Read More

Con 3 Dress codes bolster religious and cultural intolerance. Only in 2019 did US Congress change the 1837 rule that banned headwear of any sort, including religious headwear such as kippahs, hijabs, and turbans. [ 39 ] While the United States protects religious expression and cannot ban religious wear as France has banned burqas and hijabs, American dress codes frequently use acceptability standards to less explicitly ban religious garb. [ 9 ] [ 40 ] [ 41 ] A 5-year-old Native American Texas boy was sent home for a dress code violation because he wore his hair in a long braid according to tribal religious code, which states hair must not be cut except when in mourning. And a Georgia State Representative tried (and failed) to add hijabs, niqabs, and burqas to an existing anti-masking law originally aimed at the Klu Klux Klan (KKK). [ 42 ] [ 43 ] Until sued by Tvli Birdshead, then a high school senior and a member of five Native American tribes, the Latta School District in Oklahoma refused to allow Native American regalia on graduation day, which for Birdshead meant a Chickasaw Nation honor cord, a beaded cap, and a sacred eagle feather. Native American Rights Fund has long battled to protect the cultural and religious rights of Native Americans against discriminatory school dress codes. [ 44 ] [ 45 ] Read More

Discussion Questions

1. Consider the official dress codes in your daily life. How are dress codes implemented in your school, workplace, and/or religious institutions? Do you find these appropriate? Restrictive? Explain your answer(s).

2. Consider the unofficial dress codes in your life. What do your friends think is acceptable for various occasions? What do you wear when visiting a place of worship or to grandma’s house for a special dinner? How do you dress differently when hanging around with friends than when going on a date? Do you find these formal and informal codes appropriate or restrictive? Explain your answer(s).

3. If you have to choose one, would you prefer a uniform policy for school and work, just a dress code, or neither? Explain your answer.

Take Action

1. Consider the pros of dress codes with Bonneville Academy.

2. Analyze students’ rights about school dress codes with the ACLU .

3. Examine the history of rules and laws about clothing and the contemporary repercussions with law professor Richard Thompson Ford.

4. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three ways. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the “other side of the issue” now helps you better argue your position.

5. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives .

More Social Debate Topics

1. Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms? – Proponents say uniforms may increase student safety. Opponents say uniforms restrict expression.

2. Is Cancel Culture (or “Callout Culture”) Good for Society? – Proponents say cancel culture allows people to seek accountability. Opponents say it amounts to online bullying.

3. Are Social Media Sites Good for Our Society? – Proponents say social media spreads information faster than any other media. Opponents say it enables the spread of unreliable information.

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Natalie Leppard Managing Editor [email protected]

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Student Dress Code Argumentative Essay

Is belleville west's dress code a waste of time.

Belleville West has had a dress code since 2002 and students and parents have hated it . The students from west think it is a waste of time and the nonsense it has for them. Most students think it is a appearance or even to try to reduce violence.

School Dress Code Individuality In Schools

School Dress codes do not allow students to completely express their individuality. Schools want students to be able to think for themselves and create a sense of who they are, but it is not easy when they are forced to abide by rules that take away from from that. It should be a place of expressing ourselves freely in a learning environment without having to worry about what we wear as an interfering issue. The fact that the school system cares more about the student dress code than their education is an issue in itself. Schools should promote dress code individuality because of religious aspects, mental health, and human experience.

Why I Shouldn T Have Dress Code Essay

Students should be able to wear whatever kind of cloths they want to school because its freedom of expression. There shouldn’t be a dress code mainly because some people can’t afford the clothes the school wants the students to wear. Then there parents would have to worry about there kids getting in trouble at school. The kids should be able to dress the way they want and not have to worry about buying clothes you can’t even wear to school. Students should be responsible with what they wear it might not be perfect but they shouldn't be told exactly what to wear.

Schools Should Not Have Dress Codes Essay

Recently, more and more schools all over the country have turned to dress codes. Some people say that dress codes teach professionalism and protect students. However, schools should not have dress codes because dress codes target girls and limit their freedom of expression. They also are hard to enforce and students break them anyways.

Dacula High School Dress Code Essay

No matter what a student wears to school it doesn’t block or contribute weather a student will learn or not, so if a student wants to wear a crop top to school they should be able to wear it if a girl decides to wear shorts to school she should be able to wear it. Sometime boys might feel it’s too hot to come to school in a t-shirt and decides to wear a tank top he should be able to wear it and not have to serve a consequence. No matter how much schools have dress codes students will try to outbreak those rules. At the end of the day students come to school to get an education, students use their brains to learn and not what they wear to school.

Why School Uniforms Should Be Required In Public Schools

Firstly, school uniforms reduce the distraction in the classroom. According to “UNIFORMS: are they a good fit?” it states, “Many of these students say dress down days are somewhat distracting”(Marsha 36). This evidence proves that at a school where school uniforms are usually worn, they get to have a free day where they can wear whatever they want, but even then, one, just one day, students claim for it to be a little distracting. It also states from the same article, “Sixth grader tiffany gets sent to the principal's office because

Dress Code Pros And Cons

What if your middle school girl came home from school one day and told you that she had to wear boy’s gym shorts because the yoga pants she was wearing turned boys on. Well, this happened to a 13 year old girl for two days in a row at her school. Most schools in the United States have a dress code policy containing many rules for what kids have to wear. In the United States dress code has a very controversial background with many opinions for and against it.

Why We Should Dress Codes Be Allowed In Schools Essay

A person’s way of dressing can usually express what they feel, especially in young adults. Other times it can be because of a religion or a background. It is the right of a school to make laws concerning the safety of their students, but “they must do so without violating the constitutional rights of students” (Reuters). In 1969 the very first dress code law was established by the US Supreme Court in the case known as Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District. Several high school students wore black armbands to school as a way of protesting against the Vietnam War. Although dress code is meant to protect students in a learning environment, it can also limit their freedom of speech and how they identify themselves. As a teenager, clothing is a very large role in your life. After all, your style portrays your personality and the crowd that you hang out with.

Persuasive Speech On School Uniforms

Envision waking up every morning to put on the same outfit and walk out the door, stress free. People would not have to worry about what fits, or what is fashionable at the time. Schools would not have to worry about inappropriate clothing but at the same time, that clothing may be a way for a student to express himself. Many schools view uniforms as a solution to several problems, but many schools view uniforms as a lack of self expression. School uniforms should continue, even though children may not get to express themselves, because they prohibit violence, provide cheaper lifestyles, and promote better education.

You might be thinking about the schools that rich kids go to in movies and TV shows or you might be thinking about Catholic schools with small children all wearing the same colored school uniforms. This is probably what most people imagine. We associate uniforms with students of foreign countries and private schools. Thoughts of students dressing in school uniforms have led to stereotyping and a gloomy outlook on schools pushing for a uniform policy. We live in a society that says you must express yourself and be an individual at all cost, but some fear that uniforms display us as robots who lack the ability to express ourselves, however, this is far from the truth. School uniforms give students a sense of unity because they feel like they can fit in without fear of being too different. Making a dress uniform mandatory will decrease sexual harassment, create more interesting humans and make schools safer.

The Disadvantages Of School Uniforms

In the article of Dr. Alan Hilfer from 2009, “Disadvantages of a School Uniform Policy” stated that “We need free thinking children of to become thinkers of tomorrow, not droned who will continue making the mistakes of previous generations”(Hilfer, 2009). Feelings on school uniforms seem to differ as much as the reasons for having them, hate it, or love it. Recent studies done in the University of Alabama states that: “Student Uniform use was not significantly correlated with any of the school commitment variables. In addition, students wearing uniforms did not appear to have any significantly different academic performance” (Brunsma & Rockquemore, 1998). The problem whether schools should still be continuously implemented is a highly debatable topic. Uniforms nowadays are acting as collars to students, and schools are holding the leash. Children and adolescents in school are in that adapting period of life, they want to find out and learn about consequences on their decisions. Schools need to create an environment that encourages creativity and inspire them to break out of their shell. The tradition of uniforms is a repetitive and binding curse that needs stopping. This paper tackles how school uniforms produce more problems than it could handle.

Argumentative Essay: The Trouble With School Uniforms

To sum up the fact, many of the people who agree on not having school uniforms stand strongly. However, they are completely convinced they will work wonders for two main justification bullying can’t be eliminated and clothing can’t boost performance in academic environments. This is true due to all statistics stated by many studies, if we want to live in a world where kids want to be able to be themselves everywhere then we must think more deeply about not just our thoughts on uniforms. We must ask ourselves, we must ask ourselves, “should we really be spending money on useless uniforms Kids hate to

Thesis Statement On School Uniforms

In conclusion, school uniforms are a great thing to have in schools. Even though there is that argument on whether school uniforms will violate the right of self-expression to students it will continue either way. At the end of the day students should see that there are more positive effects with uniforms rather than negative ones. It should be taking in consideration that the clothes a student wears will not determine the ability of learning, but why not pick school uniforms that can help stop current school

Should School Uniforms Be Banned Essay

“Uniforms sends a message and remind students that they are in school. One element of the message that when students are going to school that is their place of work” a quote taken from Joe Palumbo, the Co-Principal of Newacomb Academy. School uniforms create an identity for a school because without them there would be more difficulty in students to maintain school rules, and school uniforms teach students to dress properly and take pride in their appearance. One purpose of a school uniform is for identification and people will be able to distinguish which school students go to based on type of clothing they wear. I strongly believe that school uniforms should not be banned from schools because they are cost-efficient, promote equality among

Why Is It Important To Have Dress Codes In Schools Essay

Many high schools have implemented dress codes that set rules for what students can and cannot wear while on school premises, and yet many people disagree with these policies. Though arguments can be made for either side, a dress code can have a very positive outcome for all parties involved. A fixed dress code promotes professionalism in a learning environment, and contrary to popular belief, it does not limit a student’s freedom of expression. Last but not least it encourages equality and acceptance among their peers. A dress code can be reasonable if used in proper situations that require certain attires. I believe there is indeed a need for a dress code for it to be able to maintain an atmosphere conducive for learning.

More about Student Dress Code Argumentative Essay

Related topics.

• High school
• School uniform

Argumentative Essay on Against School Dress Code

Is the dress code as necessary as it needs to be? The dress code is one of the most talked-about topics in schools across the world. Is it needed? Does it affect students? There are many questions on how dress code causes bad factors in a school for many reasons. Dress code has cause students to be upset, it also causes parents financial struggles, and some dress codes are even out of hand with the rules. 

Firstly, students are affected by this rule every day as they have to wake up and base their outfits on what the school requires. Some kids have to wear jeans and are not allowed to wear shorts even in the summer causing students to be hot and stressed while at school. Also, the dress code makes students feel as if they cannot express themselves and who they are because they had to wear what the school requires them to. Many students have spoken up about feeling they cannot express who they are due to being told to wear plain t-shirts or being told to wear jeans all the time. 

Secondly, some schools require uniforms which greatly affect parents financially because uniforms can cost up to six hundred dollars. Whilst some may not cost as much, some parents still have to work longer, harder days in order to afford the uniform so their kids can go to school this causes them to have less time with their kids. Because uniforms costing so much, some parents cannot afford the uniforms which causes students to miss school or wear raggedy clothes and get in trouble at school in order to go. And schools will punish the child if they do not have a uniform or is it not clean.

Lastly, some of these school’s dress codes are out of hand. Some schools require girls to wear skirts all year including the winter season, which causes female students to be out in freezing temperatures where they can get sick or frostbite from the weather. Also, some schools will punish students for their uniforms being wrinkly and or unkempt. Which may not be the student’s fault.

In conclusion, these reasons given are why the dress code should not be enforced as it hurts parents and students. By the dress code is mandatory in some schools, parents are hurt financially, some students feel uncomfortable and unhappy at school, and schools taking the opportunity to make the rule extreme. All these can be supported by looking it up on the internet from thousands of other users supporting the claims. Hopefully in the soon future dress code will be fixed and or less strict so students feel like they can express themselves. Therefore, the dress code should not be enforced in schools.

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