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Busy parents on a budget, such as I, welcome school dress codes. My daughter attends school in a district that requires children dress according to a code that allows children to choose between a few different styles of shirts, pants, shorts, or dresses/skirts within a range of colors. The district recently allowed casual Fridays during which students can wear jeans with a school T-shirt, sweatshirt, or a red polo shirt. The high school students here are allowed to dress as they please (within reason), but elementary and middle school students abide the dress code.

Personally, I love this dress code, although I have heard a few parents complain about it. One parent claims it is too expensive to buy the dress code clothing, but I went to a local thrift store and bought my daughter a shirt and jumper for $3.00 total. She is able to wear the pants I bought her last spring and the same shirts with two new additions this fall. When her grandparents ask me what she needs for Christmas, I tell them new pants or a sweater that matches the dress code. There is no need to purchase an entire new wardrobe in this fall's fashions before September each year.

Proponents of school uniforms may argue that a dress code prevents students from wearing inappropriate clothing, which may identify one as part of a gang (and judging from the school district's dress code instructions and my discussion with other parents, this is its purpose); however, this does not prevent children from engaging in gang activity, evidenced by graffiti on signs near the middle and high schools. It seems to me that high school is a critical time for students to engage in gang activity, yet, it is also a critical time for self-expression, which is often accomplished through dress. I'm not convinced that the dress code for grammar school students achieves the above purpose, because it is not an issue in elementary school. Gang involvement here starts as early as middle school and continues into high school, so not having a dress code in high school appears counter-productive to reducing gang presence.

What I really like about the dress code is the simplicity it offers when preparing for school: my daughter has a few choices and does not take 30 minutes dressing for school because she doesn't know what to wear. Also, students can't compare clothing brands, because they all dress alike! I remember facing this horrible issue when I attended public school as a child. During middle school, I spent hours on the telephone with friends comparing what to wear to school the next day. Even in elementary school, it was obvious that I dressed more poorly than other students, but at least I didn't dress like the few students who appeared to wear clothing from Salvation Army (don't get me wrong; I am not so shallow, but this was through the eyes of a fourth-grader). What are children going to do, compare shoes? I suppose they would, but a pair of decent shoes is more affordable than an entire wardrobe.

Learn more about this author, Marina Amici.
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