I attended Wilton Public Schools in Wilton, CT for all thirteen years of my education, and it was an extremely difficult but rewarding experience. It is rated as one of the top public schools in the United States and has been recognized nationally for various achievements. The teachers are all well qualified and most have a passion for teaching, however, nothing is ever perfect and Wilton does have its faults.
When I was in middle school, I began to recognize that there were some unfair rules and policies within the district. The school’s dress code was outdated and sexualized women’s bodies. In eighth grade, at age thirteen I was told that because my bra strap was showing I would have to either have my Mom bring me in a different shirt or change into my gym t-shirt. Being a young teenager is already overwhelming and stressful as everyone is trying to fit in with their peers, and I did not want to have to wear my gym shirt for the rest of the day. Both of these options affected my learning more than my “distracting” bra strap could have affected other students and faculty. My school’s reasoning for my need to change was that it disrupted male students learning and impaired my male teachers’ ability to teach. If the second reason held true, then these teachers should not be around teenagers to begin with as that is predatory and makes me extremely uncomfortable. As for the first reason, schools should be teaching acceptance instead of promoting the idea that a women’s education is less important than a mans’.
My experience of being dress coded at school is one of thousands across schools in the United States. My roommate Sara attended a private Catholic high school in the Los Angeles area; the students were all female and had to wear a uniform consisting of a skirt and polo shirt. Some students chose to make their skirts a little bit shorter than the abnormally long one that was given to them. It is understandable that a private school would want consistency among the student’s attire, however, the schools reasoning for not allowing the shortening of their skirts was that it distracted the male faculty. My question is: If a male member of the faculty suggested that he was looking at a female student’s body in a sexual way- wouldn’t that be extremely concerning and make you question his character? Why instead blame the student for wanted to add a bit of individuality into their uniform? One of Sara’s (male) teachers mentioned to her psychology class that none of the male teachers had made a remark about being distracted by a student’s appearance, and if they did it would be creepy and questionable. Why is it so acceptable to make female students feel shamed for showing their bodies?
This promotes a cycle of victim blaming as women are so often asked “what were you wearing” in cases of sexual assault. A women’s clothing or lack of does not give men permission to sexualize their bodies and objectify them. Women’s bodies are not distractions for men, and they in no way are entitled to view them as such. Schools in the United States should be valuing a girl’s education and prioritize their learning over their style choices. Dress coding makes students uncomfortable in a place where they should be ready to learn. Girls should be worried about their upcoming assignments, not whether or not a teacher is distracted by their physical appearance.
Stylish Students 