Should schools have dress codes?

• Author: Bugg, William
• Position: Debate

Dress codes in American schools date back to the 1920s, when high school attendance first became widespread throughout the United States. Today more than half of America's K-12 schools have dress codes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Most states allow local school boards to establish dress codes to promote a safe school environment, prevent distractions, and set standards for what the community considers appropriate. But dress codes have always been controversial.

"As long as teenagers have been interested in fashion, there have been conflicts over school dress codes," says Jo Paoletti, a fashion historian at the University of Maryland.

Here, two experts weigh in on whether schools should regulate what students wear.

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YES Dress codes, whether they're in the form of strict uniforms or general guidelines for what to wear, are an essential part of our culture. In schools, in businesses, and on sports teams, dress codes promote professionalism, establish identity, and foster a sense of community.

What you wear communicates something about you and the institution, business, or team you represent. Whether you're dressing up for your prom, wearing your team uniform in competition, or putting on a dress or suit for a wedding or funeral, you're showing those around you that you care about your appearance and that you know what's appropriate for a particular situation.

Over the course of my career, I've worked in five schools in five states. Each of them had some kind of dress code for students and employees. While the specifics of dress codes vary widely from school to school--in our country and across the globe--their purpose is quite consistent.

In schools with strict dress codes--requiring, for example, collared shirts of a certain color--clothing is intended to communicate a seriousness of purpose that educators hope will translate to academic success. More relaxed dress codes may ban clothing with inappropriate slogans or offensive symbols--both of which create distractions for other students. The most rigid form of dress code--a uniform--is rare in most parts of the U.S., but it's very common in public schools across Africa, Asia, and South America. In schools with uniforms, students appear as equals, whether they're rich or poor, stylish or oblivious to fashion.

But as useful as they are, dress codes can be...