During the senior orientation at Kings High School, administrators mentioned the dress code three different times. The slide explaining the dress code flashed onto the screen back to back, and then yet again at the end of the presentation, a point of emphasis for the year.

The dress code requires the entire area from armpit to armpit to bottom of 3-4 inch length be covered and the top must-have straps. In previous years, shoulders had to be completely covered, but the rule of the entire torso being covered remained the same.

Isabella Gordeev, a junior at Kings High School, believes that dress codes are too vague and opens the door for teachers to separately interpret what clothes are appropriate for school.

“I don’t think the dress code is fair to the students. I feel like it sexualizes more girls’ bodies over some things that shouldn’t be, like shoulders, and the way they word it, and the way they imply it, makes it seem like these parts of our bodies are bad,” Gordeev said.

When reviewing the new dress code policies around showing shoulders, Gordeev seemed appreciative of the change. She has noticed, however, that the dress code policy only applies in specific classrooms in the building. 

“I think that all the teachers should have come together and decided what they do and don’t care about for the dress code, because in one class I can show shoulders but in another class, the teacher seems to care,” Gordeev said.

Students feel not only judged for what they are wearing in school but also feel as if these dress codes set the standard in society for what is and isn’t appropriate.

“Certain parts of our bodies get so sexualized, not just in school but in society. It’s like we have to hide certain parts of our bodies. We can’t control how big our features are, so why should girls feel ashamed,” Gordeev said. 

Rylin Batac, a junior and part-time student at Kings High School, hasn’t been concerned about what he wears while he attends his classes. The dress code has never taken effect for his usual pajama days.

“The school isn’t really enforcing it. Apparently, you’re not supposed to wear pajama pants but I have like three times this year so far, and I really don’t know of anyone who has been dress-coded,” Batac said.

Because of the subjective nature of dress codes, high school senior Kadyn McCrady believes men’s clothing isn’t considered as inappropriate as women’s.

“I just don’t get why guys don’t get dress coded. Like they think girl’s shoulders distract the classroom, but if a guy were to wear a [tank top], that’s tight to the skin, that shows off their muscles, nobody would say anything even if girls do find that attractive,” McCrady said.

For Mr. Weber, an English teacher at Kings High School, the dress code doesn’t come to mind frequently as he believes students should be able to express themselves freely.

“I completely understand the premise behind wanting to maintain an environment where the focus is on what we’re learning, not what we’re wearing, but I also understand the desire for students to have the freedom to express their personalities through fashion,” Weber said.

Weber believes that the dress code at Kings simply doesn’t exist even with the rules in the KHS Student Handbook.

“I honestly do not see the ‘clothing police’ roaming our hallways, nabbing wardrobian scofflaws. It seems we have better things to do here, and that is certainly a strength at Kings,” Weber said.