dress code red
Post-Tribune (IN) August 12, 2004 | Jamie Lynn Oslawski, Post-Tribune correspondent THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM PRINTED VERSION School hallways turned into runways? Not this year. According to dress codes established by area schools, some of this year’s trends are a bit too hot for school. Here are some things you won’t see in school hallways. in our site easrer dresses
For girls, bare midriffs, strapless shirts, short shorts and short skirts are not allowed.
For boys, baggy pants, hats, bandanas, and doodads are a negative. For all students, anything advertising drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gangs, or profanity is a no way. And don’t forget the no on boxer shorts, beach wear, physical education uniforms, pajamas, and bare feet, to name a few.
Why? Because these items push the boundaries of suitable school attire, said area administrators.
“Basically our dress code just says that we expect our children to dress appropriately. No sagging pants, halter tops, nothing with obscene language, or pictures that might depict drugs or gangs. Each school individualizes that,” said Cynthia Warner, an assistant principal at Hammond High School.
Dr. Alice Neal, superintendent of Tri-Creek schools in Lowell, stressed the importance of wearing proper attire to school.
“Students need to dress appropriately for the activity in which they participate. … Anything distracting, immodest, or anything that might be unsafe is not permitted,” Neal said. “We expect students to dress to fit the culture of the community and the school during the school day.” Conservative values are guidelines in Crown Point, said Ryan Pitcock, principal of Crown Point High School.
“We ask the kids to practice good judgment. We lean toward conservative values when it comes to dress,” said Pitcock. “We struggle with everyone with the new styles out at the mall.” Ben Velez-Johnson of Schererville, who will be a junior at Lake Central High School, said the dress code doesn’t change his style much.
“It’s fine, except for you can’t wear hats, bandanas, doodads, or anything like that. But other than that, you can basically wear anything you want,” he said.
Ben’s friends like to listen to rock music, and dress accordingly.
“You dress like the people you hang out with,” he said. go to web site easrer dresses
Ben and his friends like to wear clothing from brands such as Phat Farm, Enyce and Academic. The “preppy people” tend to wear Abercrombie and Aeropostale, he said.
Inevitably, when school administrators think they’ve figured out what’s inappropriate, a new style appears.
“Dress code is the kind of thing that’s always in flux as the style changes,” said Joe Martin, director of support services for the School Town of Highland. “Some things just don’t belong in school.” Pitcock and Warner agreed.
“Our dress code does change as styles change,” Pitcock explained.
“The dress code is very flexible because you have to stay flexible with the changing fashions,” Warner said. “One year we had a shoe string problem, then it was scarves in their back pockets.” Indeed, styles change and dress codes usually follow suit. When Martin graduated from Lew Wallace in 1964, men were expected to wear collared shirts, buttoned up to the top button. Jeans were not acceptable, and neither were motorcycle boots. Women were expected to wear skirts.
“The dress code is a reflection of the society, of what’s acceptable dress,” Martin explained. “I think things have relaxed somewhat. People used to buy new outfits to travel on airplanes, and now they wear shorts and T-shirts. It’s all a reflection of society.” The dress code changed dramatically at East Chicago Washington while Warner was a student there.
“I graduated in 1973 and I remember the first day we got to wear pants. … They made an announcement over the loud speaker, and we were so happy. Everyone went out and bought a new pair of pants to wear the next day,” Warner said.
No matter what era, however, dress codes are enforced in order to keep students focused on their education.
“We do not want a kid’s dress to be the focus in the classroom. We want the focus to be on what the teacher’s doing,” Pitcock said.
What not to wear Girls: No bare midriffs, strapless shirts, short shorts, short skirts and halter tops Guys: No baggy pants, hats, bandanas and doodads All: Anything advertising drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gangs, or profanity. Also, no boxer shorts, beach wear, physical education uniforms, pajamas, and bare feet.
Jamie Lynn Oslawski, Post-Tribune correspondent
