Students are given a choice of their apparel. Some might choose a blouse paired with khakis, or a simple t-shirt and jeans combo. However, one female student might choose to wear something more revealing, perhaps a crop-top that shows her midriff and leaves her shoulders exposed. Upon arrival at school, her outfit choice has been noted by her teachers. The outfit is deemed inappropriate because her stomach and shoulders are exposed.

The school’s dress code states that an outfit will be viewed as inappropriate if “it creates a disruptive influence on the educational process, or interferes with the educational environment.” Dress codes are directed at female students and their choices in attire. Females are not allowed to expose certain parts of their body, such as their legs, midriff, shoulders or cleavage. This is because of the fear that it will be distracting to boys in the classroom. If a boy even catches a glimpse of a stomach or shoulder, he will be overcome with a desire. There is no way that this young man can complete his Chemistry lab now. He must stare at the girl’s shoulder. However, this is the farthest thing from reality. Most boys will admit that the clothes a girl wears has no effect on his education.

Students are expected to command a level of respect, esteem and professionalism with their choices in attire. But, to the administration and staff members, the outfit that the girl is wearing is the farthest thing from professional. The female population has been put down throughout history. Women are treated as less than men, but are held to a higher, ludicrous standard. This is evident in the dress code they are forced to follow. An outfit that a female student wears does not determine her professionalism in the classroom, it has no correlation to her ability to succeed. Professionalism is defined as “the competence or skill expected by a professional.” Students do not have a full-time profession, daily attendance at school and completion of school work are the closest things students have to a profession. In school, students are expected to sit and learn. A certain piece of clothing does not interfere with a young girl conducting her daily school activities. If a female student is in class, willing to learn and participate, then the clothes she is wearing are not a part of the problem.

When teachers and administrators tell a girl to “cover up” or “show some modesty,” they are essentially telling her that having certain parts of her body showing is something to scorned and ashamed of. It isn’t. The way a girl dresses herself is nobody’s business but her own. It doesn’t matter if a girl’s midriff is covered or revealed, that’s her personal choice of dress. Girls will dress for themselves, to feel confident with how they look, or to feel comfortable in the clothes they’re wearing. They do not dress to warrant the stares of boys.

An outfit is deemed “distracting and disruptive toward the education process” because it makes the boys want to stare at the girls and not focus on the lesson, but when staff members tell the girl her body is nothing more than a distraction, they are telling them it does not matter if they are comfortable in the clothes they are wearing, rather their main objective is not to dress for themselves, but rather the male population and ensure they are not a distraction. It is not a girl’s fault if a boy stares at her, regardless of what clothes she’s wearing. For most boys, a girl’s clothes do not have an impact on the learning environment. If it really comes to the point where a boy has the inability to conduct classwork, the boy should learn to not stare in the first place, and to stop treating the girl like she is an object to be gawked at all the time.