Is the PGCPS dress code sexist? Are people being judged on their body type rather than the actual dress code? The PGCPS dress code is very specific, yet each school has a specific take on the code.

The dress code changes from school to school, and varies based on whether the school requires students to wear uniform or not. For schools that require uniform, it is more strict. When attending a school with uniform policies, you have to wear your uniform. When your school doesn’t have a uniform, it is less strict but you still have to follow certain codes as to what you can and cannot wear.

Although the dress code at no-uniform schools is more relaxed, can it be a bit sexist? And is it fair to judge females on certain things even though they have different body types? Females can violate the dress code in more ways than males can. According to the students rights and responsibilities handbook, “Shirts and blouses should be
continuous from neckline to waist. The mid-section should never be visible…Skirts, dresses, and shorts are no
shorter than students’ fingertips when arms are hanging straight down at their sides…Tights, stretch pants, leggings and spandex body suits must be worn with clothing long enough to cover the buttocks.” This is mainly enforced towards female students, but for male students, there is not much to look at besides clothing that contains vulgar language or sagging pants.

So is the code sexist? Senior Romaine Williams said “I feel like we should wear what makes us comfortable as long as it doesn’t show too much skin…the dress code is significantly harder for females than it is for males. It’s sexist.”

Sophomore Eliel Peterson said, “The dress code has and always will be a sexist rule implemented into our school system.” She then added that “girls are constantly penalized for showing things like their shoulders. They are taken out of class and lose out on their education.”

It is already thought to be harder on females, but it can additionally be harder on females of different body types. Not everyone is built or shaped the same – there could be faults in the dress code that are biased to people that are built in different ways.

Junior Unique Griffin agreed that females get judged on their body types. She said, “Females who are built bigger are constantly criticized for showing too much or not being small enough for certain clothing.” Griffin later said, “Contrary to the systematic belief, there is no perfect body and women of any sort should be allowed to wear what they want without someone feeling the need to tell them that it is too much.”

“The dress code practices immense body discrimination,” said Peterson. “Women with larger features…being told they can’t wear the same thing a girl with smaller features can. Unless a female is coming to school naked or damn-near close to nakedness then I don’t think they should be dress coded.”