Dress Codes Are Stupid: Here's Why

Every girl who's ever been a teenager has heard this at least once in their lifetime before. 

"You are not wearing that to school, young lady." 

Or some other variety of that. 

But how often do you hear the same thing being said to boys? Not very much. 

This isn't just common, but it's also a global phenomenon. Girls from all over the world are prohibited from wearing certain types of clothing in public or even at home, and the number one reason for it happening is because restricted clothing is "too revealing" and "inappropriate." It's said to lure in unwanted attention to certain parts of the body, and can lead to further problems because of it. 

Of course, I agree with some of this, but not all the facts. Many schools put dress code policies, and it's understandable why. No girl should go to school in panties and a bra and expect to get away with it. Certain types of clothing can indeed be attention grabbing and topics of gossip. But some standards are so specific but unrelated that it seems ridiculous at this point. I mean, I'd understand that it may have had vital effects in the past, but with the new generation and twenty first century styles, it's common to see many prohibited dress styles becoming major - and innocent - trends of today. 

For instance - some schools don't allow girls to wear tank tops. Why? Mainly because it's said to "reveal the shoulders" and other body parts, which can be distracting in class. Yeah, maybe if you wear spaghetti straps or a tube top that reveals more than it should, but would a tank top like this actually bother anyone?

Honestly, probably not. And yet thousands of girls in the US find themselves being dress coded for wearing clothes such as this because it's "too revealing." But what does it reveal? Does it not reveal that a girl can have confidence in herself and her body? Does it not tell people that Western culture has changed to empower more women? Does it not tell men to mind their own business and not objectify women? Apparently none of this is applied, because women are still being called out for wearing something "too high" or "too low," even if the clothing may be completely covering and appropriate. 

Now we apply this to guys. What would happened if they were to wear a tank similar to the one above? Most likely nothing. Because guys don't have chests to hide, so they get off scot free. What if they were to be wearing shorts that came over their knees? Not odd at all, unless it's the middle of winter. In fact, guys could go so far as to run around shirtless and be completely unaffected, whereas a girl finishing her morning run in shorts and a tank makes her "revealing" and "inappropriate."  

The only dress code that I've ever heard applied to guys are "no pants that hang loose enough to show underwear." Ok, fair enough, at least they're being coded for something, but where's the rest? For every one dress code rule for guys, there are seven more sexist ones applied to girls. 

In the Middle East, it's common for women to completely cover both their bodies and faces with a cloth called a niqab, or (if the eyes shouldn't be revealed) a burka. Sometimes it may be by choice due to religion, but in several regions it's because of laws enforced by men that prohibit a woman from walking around in anything else. In fact, some places still require that a woman always be accompanied by a man when out in the open, limiting a woman's freedom even more than it already is. Why is such rules put on women? Patriarchal societies have ruled the majority of history, and they are still silently enforcing their rules now. 

Back in the Western world, in New York clothing can often be what men blame when they catcall on women. Cat callers say all sorts of horrific things, so bad that if someone else had said that to their sister or mother, they'd surely be beaten up. Some examples include:

This is what women have to face every single day from men. They are humiliated and left uncomfortable, and many men use this as an advantage against girls. Why would girls be sexualized at such young ages, and forced to obey mans' orders? 

Why is it that we blame women for the "way they dress" instead of addressing the real problem - man's issue with respecting a woman? 

If you want to see what cat calling looks like on the streets of New York - even when a woman wears acceptable clothing - check out this video. It's a short documentary that follows a woman wearing normal clothing being catcalled over a hundred times while walking around New York for ten hours: 

The sad thing is, this isn't just prevalent in New York. It can also be often spotted in India, Australia, France, Japan, Mexico, and so many more countries. Are all men this lowly, no matter how well they may be raised? 

That's what schools should really be teaching their students. Boys and men alike need to learn how to respect women for who they are, not for what's attached to them. Girls should be given more confidence towards the way they dress, but in an appropriate manner. 

You can't ask a girl to leaver her body at home and go to work or school without a chest or bottom. Rather, you need to educate men not to look at a girl's private areas, because a good amount of time, girls are not trying to attract unwanted attention towards themselves. They just want to be fashionable, and they are - it isn't our fault that guys don't have enough self dignity to do so otherwise. 

I'm not sure what's so sexual about a shirt that reveals shoulders, slightly ripped jeans that flaunt the knees, or a top that shows an inch of stomach, because as far as I'm concerned, it shouldn't have any effect on boys - or girls, for that matter. 

All I'm going to say is, it's time we put an end to sexualizing clothes more than we need to, and accepting women for who they are, not for their physical features. Teach men how to respectful towards a lady, because without it we will not achieve equality. I'm not a large feminist, but this is definitely an issue that must be put into light and should be stopped. 

Do you have any opinions or concerns that you want to voice yourself? Write it in the comments below! 

Until then, this has been Ganga Prasanth. 

See you at the next read!