DRESS CODES

[Ranger Mom]

This is my very first poll. While I think that some of the rules are a little ridiculous, for example: our girls aren't able to wear shorts if the are any shorter than 4 inches above the knee, (My daughter doesn't wear shorts, she's 5'2" with legs up to her armpits - we can't find them that long, nor would she wear them!!)

My question is, would you rather have a strictly enforced dress code or just give it all up and go to uniforms??

[Gobbla2001]

No uni's... Just strict dress-code!

[jason]

Uniforms cause WAY more problems than they solve...ask anybody on here that is from Forney and they will tell you the exact same thing...

[Dulce04]

Well, a group of my friends and I were discussing the same the just the other day. We all thought that uniforms would be better because then we can buy the clothes we want and wear them out and you won't have to always wear the same thing when you go out and stuff. However, we all really know that deep down we would really never ever want to wear the uniforms. At our school, we can't even wear sleevless shirts and our shorts have to be long enough to where the touch the tips of your fingers when you put your hands to the sides of your legs. Our shirts have to be long enough to be tucked in too. I think that one is ridiculous but we have no choice but to abide by the rules because if we don't, we have to wear these jumper suits that look like prison uniforms. They don't allow us to go home or have someone bring us clothes. It's just plain retarded!

[District303aPastPlayer]

Sinton has a very relaxed dress code. I believe it consists of tucking in the shirt, and thats about it. I know that there were a lot of problem in Calallen with the dress code. They adapted a whole brand new dress code, and there were about 700+ kids that signed a petition to just enforce the dress code they already have. The super said that there is going to be "no further discussion until next year" about the dress code. I find it hard to think that you would make ALL of you students unhappy, and not really seem to care.

[29x281]

I'm gonna get hammered for this, but I just thought I'd throw in some observations.

1)Students shouldn't have a say in it. They're at school to learn skills and to learn how to be a positive influence in the world, not to set fashion trends.

2)Whoever's making the decisions at Abercrombie & Fitch needs to do some serious soul-searching. The influence of their products on teenagers is profound, and not in a good way. Their t-shirts in particular celebrate promiscuity. There's evil in it.

3)We are doing great harm to many, many kids by allowing them to have this much control over their image at such a young age. In the last 40 yrs, kids have become increasingly image-conscious, to the point where more and more kids focus almost entirely upon fitting in with a particular group. Many purposely underachieve academically in order to fit the image.

4)Many parents, I believe, feel alot of remorse toward their children for having brought them into the world without an adequate support structure (money, attention, etc). The child senses this remorse -- and senses the parent's hesitancy to discipline -- and uses it to take total control over the parent-child relationship. This dynamic manifests itself in things like the child having complete authority over what clothes he or she wears. Someone please tell me how a kid gets let out of the house to go to school wearing a Megadeath t-shirt, or an Abericrombie "Jim's Sausage Hut" t-shirt, for that matter. The child obviously runs the show. Goodwill has better stuff than that.

5)The idea that identity can be formed through image is a lie. Or, any identity that comes from clothes is an identity based upon a lie. People gain true identity through relationships and achievements, not by being trendy.

6)School uniforms, if properly managed, would relieve the student from having to devote so much to image. I know, I know, there's even ways to manipulate the dress code, but it's better fighting that than what we're currently fighting. The students, of course, would scream bloody murder. Let em scream. The screamed, too, the day they got their first shot at the doctor's office.

[Chief Woodman]

Seems a good dress code is good enough. But there are those who proclaim that the rules...any rules... are unfair. Espically those who are more intrested in self than what is just and logical. Too bad that some Americans take "our rights" to mean that "rules do not apply to me". It is rampant in our society. Take the issue of driving in the left lane on a freeway. Those who think that the speed limit laws do not apply to them cuss everyone who is in the left lane that does not break the speed limit. On the other side, the left lane is for passing only, but self appointed cops get in the left lane and proclaim that they are doing nothing wrong by blocking the flow of traffic. Truth is that both are breaking the law. Yet both try to justify their position by pointing out that the other side is the lawbreaker without taking responsibility for their own lawlessness. Our children lean this habit of "the rules do not apply to me" from the parents every time one whines about how the rules are unfair...ie every time you speed...every time you do a rolling stop etc. Plato put it best when describing the cycles of government. "Democracy which is the end form of govenment, breaks down when everyopne starts so demnding their rights that even our puppy dogs stand on their hind legs and demand theirs. (sound like PETA to anyone?) Then things get so difficult when trying not to offend anyone that eventually everyone will accept anything to make the madness end. Thus, one strong willed dictator takes power, and the cycle of government starts anew"- PLATO We in this country, when our children are making the rules and animal rights are more important than human rights, cannot be far from this arival of a dictator. Happened in Germany with someone named Hitler. We are not immune.

[Dulce04]

I'm gonna get hammered for this, but I just thought I'd throw in some observations.

1)Students shouldn't have a say in it. They're at school to learn skills and to learn how to be a positive influence in the world, not to set fashion trends.

2)Whoever's making the decisions at Abercrombie & Fitch needs to do some serious soul-searching. The influence of their products on teenagers is profound, and not in a good way. Their t-shirts in particular celebrate promiscuity. There's evil in it.

3)We are doing great harm to many, many kids by allowing them to have this much control over their image at such a young age. In the last 40 yrs, kids have become increasingly image-conscious, to the point where more and more kids focus almost entirely upon fitting in with a particular group. Many purposely underachieve academically in order to fit the image.

4)Many parents, I believe, feel alot of remorse toward their children for having brought them into the world without an adequate support structure (money, attention, etc). The child senses this remorse -- and senses the parent's hesitancy to discipline -- and uses it to take total control over the parent-child relationship. This dynamic manifests itself in things like the child having complete authority over what clothes he or she wears. Someone please tell me how a kid gets let out of the house to go to school wearing a Megadeath t-shirt, or an Abericrombie "Jim's Sausage Hut" t-shirt, for that matter. The child obviously runs the show. Goodwill has better stuff than that.

5)The idea that identity can be formed through image is a lie. Or, any identity that comes from clothes is an identity based upon a lie. People gain true identity through relationships and achievements, not by being trendy.

6)School uniforms, if properly managed, would relieve the student from having to devote so much to image. I know, I know, there's even ways to manipulate the dress code, but it's better fighting that than what we're currently fighting. The students, of course, would scream bloody murder. Let em scream. The screamed, too, the day they got their first shot at the doctor's office. Ok. I agree with you to a point but then I disagree. Being a teenager myself, I do think that there are some who are way too concerned with the fashion trends and such. I'm not TOO concerned with it but I do try my best to look good and be in the new trend that's going on along with trying not to look like a lemming. I do wear those Abercrombie shirts you talk of but in no way does that mean that I "run the show" over my parents. My parents allow me to wear stuff that they consider decent (stuff that isn't too short, too revealing, or has obscene stuff on it) but they also let me choose my own style because it reflects me. When people buy the clothes they buy it is so they can feel good about themselves and confident which helps their image.- And I mean image as in the way the see themselves, not how others see them. Not all teenagers are concerned with how others perceive them. Uniforms would help the situation but you will hardly find anyone with a good enough argument to change a school's dress code because there are more out there who disagree with uniforms. And in my personal opinion - those who "underachieve purposely to fit the image" are obviously not very smart anyways. Who says you can't do well in school why looking good doing it? And by the way, those Abercrombie shirts that say stuff like "jim's sausage hut" that you thought were just obscene, maybe your mind is in the gutter and it really is just jim's sausage hut. With sayings like those, you'll never know the difference.

[29x281]

Yes, I'm sure that's what Abercrombie had in mind. Advertise for a non-existent hot-dog restuarant. Please.

That's exactly the problem with those types of shirts: they allow you to play lawyer and make the argument you just did, that my mind's in the gutter. It's an argument that Abercrombie allows you to make, even though you don't really believe in it.

Tell me please, do you really think Abercrombie's intentions are that innocent -- the same company that sells catalogues featuring naked 14 yr old girls?

What, specifically (use actual quotes), does your shirt say? And how does it "reflect" you?

[Dulce04]

I knew you would come back and say that. And you're absolutely right, but who are you to make those assumptions that I really don't think like that, ya know? Because that's exactly what kids my age would say. The only shirts I buy from abercrombie are usually the plain ones with stripes or says abercrombie somewhere on it and I buy most of my jeans there. One shirt that I have however, says, ex-cheerleader.... and that is exactly me!

[sinton66]

Dulce04, it may be that not all teenagers make wise decisions in their purchases as you apparently do. Even purchases such as the ones you make which are innocent enough, help further the Abercrombie name. It helps them be more in demand, and there are plenty of teens out there whose judgement may not be as sound as yours that will purchase the more outlandish stuff they sell. I don't know as much about this firm as yall seem too, but it sounds like parents should do some checking on them.

[Ranger Mom]

I went to the A&F when they opened in our mall....my first conclusion was their clothes were out of my price range....I haven't been back in there since.

My kids don't seem to be all that impressed with what they carry...thank goodness!!

[3afan2K3]

Abecrombie is to expensive. I guess people like them cuz they have a wide selection of crap. And if I do buy A&F it's for a dance and I have to look nice for all my hunnies. O yea uniforms are bad

[Ranger Mom]

Until we started talking about dress codes, I had not idea that ANY high schools had uniforms. I know all of the Middle Schools in Midland do, but none of the High Schools do.

My little brother went to a private parochial school where they had to wear uniforms. My parents told me at the time (he is a good deal younger than me) that they put him there so there would be no "difference" in the kids - they were all equal. He said it was still "rich" kids in uniforms and "middle class" kids in uniforms. You knew "who was who"!!

My mom said it was "less" laundry. My kids very rarely change clothes when they get home from school, but I KNOW they would be shedding uniforms the minute they walked in the door. Sounds like twice the amount of laundry to me.

The issue of uniforms has been brought up at several board meetings, and his been IMMEDIATLEY shot down. I don't think it will EVER pass out here!

[Jimbotex40]

29x281:

im on your side on this issue. as for the jim's sausage hut shirt, i have never seen one. i have seen another non-existent restaurant advertised by A&F. its called pizza dojo, not as sketchy as the other one, but still pointless. when i first saw someone wearing it, i asked if that was a new pizza chain in mesquite.

in short, it is possible that jim's sausage hut isnt ***ual enuendo.

[ProudMama]

You probably will say this is none of my business but I am going to put in my 2 cents anyway. Here in Louisiana, most of the schools (public and private) have gone to uniforms and there doesn't seem to be any problem. There was some outcry at first but the kids have accepted it and now don't have to worry about peer pressure.
Just my 2 cents worth.

[Green Ranger]

My two cents are as follows, I do not think uniforms are needed, however I do believe a dress code would be helpful. Greenwood's problem is the person enforcing the code especially at high school level. IE Flip flops cannot be worn because of the distraction the noise they make. Just my two cents.

[dontknowitall]

i am from forney and all of my kids wear uniforms. the only time the kids talk about 'how bad' the uniforms are is when someone brings it up. the rest of the time, nobody notices and could care less. they are focused on doing their work (or not doing it) and/or getting to football/volleyball practice. it is easy on them because they just get up and throw on their khaki pants and polo shirt and get to school. it is easy on the parents because the clothes are affordable and accessible. they still get to buy their 100 dollar doc's or jordan's so that they can 'express' their individuality. its just like how they are getting tattoos and piercings so they can 'individually' be just like everyone else.

[29x281]

Yes, nothing says you're ready to take on some serious academic study like strolling into class with flip-flops flip-flopping.

But why stop there? In my opinion, bubble gum complements the flip-flops very nicely, espcially if you can time the rhythms of the flip-flopping with that of the gum-smacking. Add some Brittany Spears eye and lip glitter and you're set to really absorb Act 5 of Hamlet. Or, for the guys, the Abercrombie "Three Way In the Sticks: Coed Wrestling" t-shirt does very nicely. With its silhouetted image of a guy pinning a girl to the ground, it announces to your classmates that you're one cool dude, and it tells all the teachers and administrators to "Go to Hell" -- and you don't even have to open your mouth.

What are we at school for?

[3afan2K3]

29x281:
Yes, nothing says you're ready to take on some serious academic study like strolling into class with flip-flops flip-flopping.

But why stop there? In my opinion, bubble gum complements the flip-flops very nicely, espcially if you can time the rhythms of the flip-flopping with that of the gum-smacking. Add some Brittany Spears eye and lip glitter and you're set to really absorb Act 5 of Hamlet. Or, for the guys, the Abercrombie "Three Way In the Sticks: Coed Wrestling" t-shirt does very nicely. With its silhouetted image of a guy pinning a girl to the ground, it announces to your classmates that you're one cool dude, and it tells all the teachers and administrators to "Go to Hell" -- and you don't even have to open your mouth.

What are we at school for?We are at to school to play football and other sports. O ya and to learn.

[Dulce04]

OK, well, I personally think you are going way overboard with this whole situation. Bubble gum and eye make up? I'm sorry but I don't know one kid who is going to sit there and stare at someone who has a lot of eye make up on and then later complain that they didn't listen in class because it was a distraction. Nor have I ever had someone ask someone else to stop chewing bubble gum. I understand if someone keeps popping bubbles -that's differen't- but usually when the kids in our school see someone else chewing bubble gum, they go and ask that person for a piece. Flip flops are not a distraction either because you only hear them when you walk, not when you are sitting in a class room being very quiet and supposedly listening to the teacher. I am in the 10% in my class and already am taking 4 college courses at Blinn College and I can tell you that none of these things you speak of has made me be distracted from my learning.

[Dulce04]

P.S.... Abercrombie is expensive, there's no doubt in that but American Eagle and them seem to be the only places where their jeans fit me right and I would rather pay more for jeans that fit right and last long rather than uncomfortable jeans that look bad and wear out fast.

[sinton66]

Tatoos and body piercings would be out of the question in my house, and I don't care if you could prove to me that Jesus did it! When you think you're ready for body alterations, then you're obviously old enough to make it on your own, and don't need me providing for you. (Thank God mine are grown.) wink

[29x281]

It's not about what personally distracts you. It's about setting a tone. School is not an MTV beach party. It's not an Ozzy Ozbourn concert. And it's not Oprah's makeover day. It should be a place where students come for seriously study.

Students should dress accordingly.

Well what about college dress codes, you might ask? Discipline is rarely a concern in a college classroom. Students who don't want to be there don't bother showing up, so the problem takes care of itself. In high school, however, discipline is THE key. Without it, learning will not take place. Dressing in a manner that is respectful of the situation is a big part of that.

I'm not opposed to much of Abercrombie's clothing line. I think the basic designs do look quite good most of the time. But some of the messages on some of their shirts celebrate promiscuity, and their advertising techniques are blatantly immoral. But I'm not too concerned about your jeans.

We're on the threshhold of an education crisis in this country. If parents, teachers, and administrators don't have the guts to tell our kids no and take control of the situation, then God help us all.

The inmates are running the asylum.

[Old Tiger]

I say niether strict dress codes or uniforms. I think they should have leniant dress codes but enforce them if it gets to bad. I think the shirts you can get at Gadzooks are pretty funny. Me personally I bout the "Graberbootie & Pinch" shirt. :D

<small>[ July 28, 2003, 01:46 PM: Message edited by: Old Tiger ]</small>

[pirate4state]

I don't recall this being a problem when I was in high school (Yikes-13 years ago!!). BUT I have seen what the "kids" are wearing these days and they DO NOT look like "kids". I am astounded at what todays parents (my peers) allow their CHILDREN to wear. I don't have any kids, but if I did I would not allow them out of the house looking like a bunch of hoodlums & hootchie-mamas; which, sadly is what these kids dress like these days. I agree with 29x281 in that...1)Students shouldn't have a say in it. They're at school to learn skills and to learn how to be a positive influence in the world, not to set fashion trends.

Dulce04 you represent yourself (in your posts) like the exception to the rest of your generation. I applaud you! Unfortunatley, with all the advertising in television & print everyone (including some adults) rely to much on what everyone will think of them based on what they are wearing, driving, etc. I hope that you continue to make sound judgments and wish you the best of luck with your bright future.

And those are my 2 cents. :)

[JasperDog94]

I know that this issue came up in Jasper one year and the only reason it was voted down (narrowly) was because the "rich people" didn't want to pick up the slack for buying the "poor people's" clothes. So when push came to shove, the best interest of the students was put behind the almighty dollar.

I will also say that I'm in ministry and it appals me to see what these girls wear to church. It's not so much the boys, but ladies (and I use that term loosely) you need to get a clue that when you wear a short skirt or short shirt, you're putting one thing on the guy's minds. I am a happily married man, but it is a distraction to me as an adult when young ladies and older adults wear inappropriate clothing to church. (I know that this post is a little off topic, but I feel that this is a societal issue that we need to deal with.)

[slpybear the bullfan]

Ahh... the sounds of youth and elders exchanging philosophy...

Well, I might was well put in my $.02

1.) I would vote uniforms all the way. It really isn't that big a deal once the kids get over it. Besides, it will get some of them used to the stripes they will wear after school... (just kidding guys, I was told that once when I was a Sr.)

2.) I gotta agree with the skimpy clothing comments. I am a guy, and yes, I do have testosterone flowing through me. It is pretty disturbing when you get a quick glance at a very revealed woman or you are walking behind the same, only to find out through a double take that she is 13 or 14. Don't get me wrong, I don't want today's girls dressing like nuns, but they could leave a LOT more to the imagination.

3.) Here is one that you kids will roll your eyes over and you parent will laugh about... I thought about women totally different after I had a daughter. Gee, Dad and Mom just got smarter again.

Well, enough patronizing, condescending talk for one day... wink

[cubs]

Well, ya know - if the parents were enforcing the dress code - vp's wouldn't have to spend their time doing so. It all starts at home, folks. I knew what my son was wearing to school and he did not dress like he just got up out of bed and went "as is". Of course - he went to private school in the lower grades and was very glad not to have to wear uniforms, so he followed the dress code of his school without a problem. Must admit though - I liked the uniforms - never a question about what to wear in the morning. And, although this was not a problem at the high school he went to - gangstas can't wear their colors if they're wearing a uniform.

[fb_gurl]

I am a senior in High School and our school has some ridiculous dress code rules. Yet I think that Uniforms would be best then we would all be equal. No chance for ppl to be seperated b/c of lack of money or vice - versa.

Our dress code allows you to wear flip flops but shorts to be finger tip length and NO sleeve less shirts. It is a problem and it would be easier to wear uniforms.

[exbccards76'smom]

An enforced dress code is a good idea. I work in another town, and during the school year there, I sure do get tired of see guys with shorts so baggy their underwear show. Now that's sloppy. We had a strict dress code when I was in junior high...so strict girls had to wear dresses all the time.

[CHS_CG]

I also think uniforms would be better at our school. Two years ago they tried letting use wear shorts that didnt have to be to our finger tips and if a teacher of somebody of the staff thought they were too short we put on a jump suit. It would have worked if the teachers and staff would have caught more ppl. When our school changed the dress code, I had to go buy all new clothes bc either my shirts werent long enough to tuck in, or my shorts werent at my finger tips(im 5'4, shorts down to my knees isnt my idea of looking nice) or my shirts didnt have sleeves. I do believe our school cuts SOME ppl slack tho. (me most of the time not being one of them) Our staff lets some ppl wear those shirts where the sleeves are cut so its LIKE they dont have sleeves yet theres some sleeve on it. Which I love those shirts but some ppl have got in trouble for havin them on and some havent. Uniforms sound like a good idea to me. (And as for the Make up/ gum thing....that is just soo stupid, it seems like ppl will pull anything outta their butt to win their case.) and that is my 2 cents, agree or disagree