Dress Codes: Who do they really serve?
Chances are you have been subjected to a school dress code at some point in your life. Whether it was a school uniform with detailed restrictions down to your sock color or something simpler, almost every school in America has one. Despite their long history of being implemented, there is a lack of consensus on how effective or necessary they really are. Some may argue they are rooted in misogyny, racism, and homophobia, but the rest assert that they are crucial to student safety. Even when looking at the data, it is still inconclusive. The appeal and repudiation of dress codes are endless.
Compared to the past few decades, the number of schools that require a specific uniform has decreased. However, in its place, came a rise in schools with non-uniform specific dress codes. The rules usually demanded skirts or shorts to be a certain length, tank top straps a certain width, hair color to be only natural colors, and a lack of offensive images. What seemed to be a reasonable set of requests for students soon became regarded as standards singling out certain minority groups. The biggest argument against uniforms is the fact that they often seemed sexist more than anything. A female and male student could wear the exact same thing—yet only female students would be reprimanded for their outfits. Those unopposed to school uniforms would bring up the fact that, with uniforms, students would waste less time in the morning picking out what to wear and instead focus on school-related topics. In addition, students also would not be able to be made fun of for what they wore, assuming everyone was wearing almost the same exact thing. Still, female, colored, and queer students felt overly targeted compared to their other student counterparts. Could it be an unrelated coincidence—or a form of control directed at minority students?
According to the data, school uniforms do, in fact, show a safer environment for students. In a Californian school, two years following a uniform mandate in grades K-8, assault and battery incidents went down by 34%. The number of deadly weapon, fighting, and robbery incidents also went down significantly. In Nevada, a uniform policy lowered gang activity and property damage as well. This was credited to the fact that uniforms aren’t baggy enough to hide weapons and made intruders more obvious. Every student wearing the same thing also didn’t alienate students who may not be as fashion-forward or capable of affording to follow every new fashion trend. Hillary Clinton even advocated for the fact that uniforms forced students to focus on school more.
On the other hand, school uniforms showed little to no difference in attendance or academic performance. In every grade tested, uniforms had no effect on scores in any subject, and even showed a few negative effects. The time spent implementing the dress code took away from problems schools could’ve been focusing on instead, such as improving facilities. A superintendent from North Caroline stated that they were more of a distraction from actual improvements that could be made in schools. The cost of making students purchase uniforms is also astronomical, reaching upwards of $1 billion each year nationally. Low-income households are especially affected by this matter. Black students also had designs in their hair filled in with markers by school staff, as it didn’t match what was stated in the dress code. A trans student was also told to change into the male uniform after showing up to school in the female one instead.
This brings into question if, in fact, the dress code might be making schools work backwards instead. While crime did noticeably go down, is it teaching students to avoid provoking others instead of teaching those who commit the crimes to respect others? An especially common argument that can be pointed out is the dress code’s sexist aspect. It is plausible that, by making female students cover up more, it is teaching them to be ashamed of their bodies. Schools could have spent the energy used in policing female students on reprimanding male students instead. In Peltier v. Charter Day School, Charter Day School was sued by a student’s parents for unfair dress code rules. They argued that making female students wear skirts was based on sexism. Looking at the Equal Protection Clause, the court was unable to find the school guilty till the Fourth Circuit reversed the charges after an appeal. When the Charter Day school was questioned about why female students were not allowed to wear pants, they answered that the dress code served to promote traditional and chivalrous values. Nonetheless, the fact that students were forced to dress according to stereotypes highlights that dress codes can teach students a certain way of thinking. If forcing students to be unable to dress comfortably is the standard, then we raise a generation of children to confine themselves to stereotypes and think that they are to be ashamed of themselves if they don’t adhere to them.
To sum it up, dress codes do have some evidence regarding lower crime, but they do not have substantial effects on grades and other academic components. The majority of the time, dress codes can be utilized to push ways of thinking or oppress certain students. Most of the good dress codes are due to the fact that they suppress students’ freedom instead of targeting the root misunderstandings they have. However, it is to be noted that dress codes still can be a positive aspect of school. If students were able to have input and reason with those higher up, students and their school may be able to find common ground that makes sure school is still appropriate, without stripping students of self-expression and freedom.
Bibliography
Coursey, Michael. “Dress Codes Can Help — or Hurt. Here’s How Schools Can Get It Right. - RAINN.” Rainn, 11 Aug. 2025, https://rainn.org/consulting-and-training/dress-codes-can-help-or-hurt-heres-how-schools-can-get-it-right/. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.
Pendharkar, Eesha. “School Dress Codes Aren’t Fair to Everyone, Federal Study Finds.” Education Week, 27 Oct. 2022, https://www.edweek.org/leadership/school-dress-codes-arent-fair-to-everyone-federal-study-finds/2022/10. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.
The Editors of ProCon. “School Uniforms | Pros, Cons, Debate, Arguments, & Education.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Nov. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/procon/school-uniforms-debate/cons. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.