In recent years, dress codes have been undergoing significant shifts in many schools across the nation. With language targeting hair, visible skin, and footwear, dress codes are often touted as promoting professionalism and eliminating distractions in the classroom. However, policies around dress codes are receiving pushback from students and parents for disproportionately impacting students of color, LGBTQ+ students, and students from low-income backgrounds. In response to student-led research, one Washington DC-based school decided to center input from students to reevaluate their policies to ensure they are inclusive and respectful of all students.
In this podcast episode, I share my insights on school dress codes with MindShift. This episode investigates the reasons for creating rules about what students wear, whether dress codes work the way adults hope they do, and one school’s process of creating a more relaxed dress code.