Addressing the Dress
L
ast year, there was a lot of confusion surrounding the dress code and uniform requirements and enforcement, a primary issue being skirt length. There was also talk of alterations to the hair rules for boys and the addition of UGGS to the formal winter uniform. In order to accommodate the needs of students as well as the requirements of the dress code, the administration brought in ten young women and ten women faculty members to investigate the issues with the current skirt and find solutions. The committee investigated the problems many female students had with the skirt, both in its fit and comfortability. The committee took these problems to uniform supplier Sue Mills, and inquired about other options and styles available. Along with ensuring the new skirt met dress code requirements, the administration wanted students of all body types to feel comfortable and confident in the new uniform. In order to make certain that students’ needs would be met, females of all ages, heights and sizes modeled the skirts during the selection process. Each of the twenty females on the committee was then asked to go out and interview ten or more female students, all of whom shared their personal thoughts about the current uniform skirt. After conducting the interviews, the committee reached the conclusion that the current skirt lacked many features that students desired. For example, many students said they wanted pleats, pockets and a soft cotton liner in the skirts. Another incentive to choose new skirts for the Upper School was to separate the Lower and Middle School look from the Upper School one. “[The skirt] was designed to be more mature and more professional,” Ms. Ronda Zents, Assistant Principal, said. Even though the process of choosing the new skirt was intended to meet the needs of the student body, there has been some backlash regarding the length of the new skirt. “One comment when our freshmen girls started to try on the skirt was that it was longer than the current [one],” Ms. Zents said. “It’s not meant to be longer, past your knees or anything that seems drastically different, but it is a longer style going into the more mature, professional look that was desired.” Along with the uniform changes came new rules. According to Ms. Zents, male faculty are no longer expected to distribute hours or other forms of punishment to female students because
of their skirt length. There is a new committee of women faculty members who will address dress code questions regarding skirts. The skirts are not the only new additions to the uniform. UGGS have also been added to the dress code, advocated for by Izzy Wheeler, a senior. “[People] hadn’t really told me they wanted to [be allowed to wear UGGS],” Wheeler said. “We had an assembly, and [the administration was] talking about the new uniform. Afterwards, I walked up to them and said that [since] we can wear a [specific] color of rain boots, can we [also] wear UGGS?” The UGGS are only to be worn as apart of the formal winter uniform and with tights, in order to ensure students are not abusing the privilege and only wearing the boots during appropriate weather conditions. “During the winter uniform period of January and February, [both male and female] students can wear the classic II short boot in the colors of brown, black and gray,” Ms. Zents said. Knock-offs of the boot that have the same look as UGGS have also been approved. “I would hear people complain, but nobody ever said we should seriously do something about it,” Wheeler said. “So when I asked, nobody had mentioned UGGS to [the administration] before.” The requirements of the uniform extend beyond clothing, however. Braids, often worn by people with natural hair, are an easy style option that promotes hair growth, keeps hair clean, is easy to manage and is currently on-trend. Nonetheless, the handbook prohibited braids for male students, despite the hairstyle being allowed for girls. Black male students felt as though this rule targeted them because of their individual preferences. Khalil Battle ‘21 was unaware that braids were not allowed on out-of-uniform days. When he was called out by a dean, he was confused. “My hair looked neat, and it wasn’t derogatory or offending anyone,” Battle said. “I even got several compliments from teachers, so I did not know why I needed to take them out.” Battle said getting his hair braided is a form of self-expression. He believed that the handbook rules unfairly targeted AfricanAmerican males. “If I can change my hair up, it’s not only because I am able to be diverse but is also because females are allowed to,” Battle said.
