It was an unsually hot week in our tiny suburban town- getting well into the 90’s, which is practically unheard of during the month of April.  It was the first week of Spring in which it was finally hot enough to wear shorts, go swimming at the lake,  and bare shoulders in the hot sun. All students at my middle school were thrilled, happy to have this beautiful sunshine and scorching temperatures, and all of us eagerly awaited the arrival of summer. Righteously, the girls of our 8th grade class donned our best new summer dresses, tank tops, and shorts, but alas- the demon that came to haunt us every summer and hot day had swooped down upon us women- our school’s dresscode.

Every year, countless of girls were told to go home or change because of their “innapporpriate” and “distracting” attire, being told that they were not suitable for a school setting and that the male students and staff would not be able to focus. Now quite frankly, I had always thought that our dresscode was there for good and decent reasons- we are students, and must maintain a proffesional attire for a school environment, but now I am not so sure. Is it really okay to deny my learning oppurtunity and send me home because it is sweltering outside and I want to wear shorts? What type of message is our administration and school sending when they say that I, an underage female girl, am wearing clothes that are “distracting”? I have pondered these questions many times before but never have really come to a definitive answer, until now.

I showed up to school in what I thought was an appropriate outfit consiting of flowy shorts , a tanktop, and cardigan. Now believe me, if this outfit had been one that was meant to make others stop and turn their heads, my mother would have marched me right back up the stairs to my room and told me to change, but it wasn’t. It was just a simple, casual outfit that covered all of my stomach, chest, and bottom, and showed my legs because I had learned the day before that the classrooms were not well airconditioned. I walked into the office of my school’s adminastration, and was given a fierce and startling look from one of the secretaries. She immediately stood up upon my arrival, looked me up and down and said these words; “Your shorts are way too short, that is inappropriate and I am going to need you to change right now,”. I gave her a confused look; I had walked out of my house with a smile on my face thinking that my outfit was not only proper but cute, a tasteful ensemble that was perfect for a spring day in school. Apparentally, my school did not agree. 

A blush quickly crept up onto my cheeks as I tried to apologize, but I was quickly interrupted. “Do you have other clothes in your backpack or are you going to need to look in the lost and found for pants?” the office lady said with a look that I can only describe as straight disapproval was spread on her face. I explained to her that I had not brought other clothes, and came to school not under the impression that my outfit was provoking or unsuitable. Then to my horror, our male principale walked by just at this precise moment of my utter humiliation, and our secretary called him over. She asked him if he thought that my clothing was inapporpriate, and if it followed dresscode. I will never forget the uncomftorable and shaming feeling that I felt as I felt his eyes look me up and down. After this inspection he agreed that what I was wearing was not suitable. I had two options- go home and change, or dig through our dirty lost and found in a sure hopeless attempt to find other pants.  I sure as heck was not going to be humiliated even futher while paraded around my fellow peers and teachers while I dug through the lost and found to find pants so that I was no longer deemed “distraticing’ to look at, so I went home and changed, only to return 20 minutes later. I cannot tell you how incredibly worthless, degraded, and unimportant I feel about this experience. To have adults, people that are supposed to be guiding and positive figures in your life call you out and try to shame you for something as basic as my clothing is an experience that is just downright disrespectful. I do not wear shorts  or tanktops to be sexualized and because I want to provoke a reaction from boys or anyone else. I am wearing them because it is hot outside and I cannot focus on learning when I am told to participate in a uncomfortable environment while wearing clothes that are just not properly suited for this climate.

I am not wearing these clothes to be promiscuous, or to ellicit any sort of reaction or as to be a “distraction” to those around me. When you send me home or make me dig through someone elses leftover clothing, you say that my education and comfort is not as important as a boys, and I will not stand for it. I know that these dresscodes are in place to keep me safe and to make sure that I maintain a professional environment, but I will not stand by and let you humiliate me and try to degrade my body and selfworth because boys cannot control themselves. Our school systems need to understand that summer is approaching- it is hot and misreable when you don’t get to wear breathable clothing that sometimes lets others see your legs or shoulders. I wasn’t showing anything revealing, and was wearing clothes that are casual yet definetely appropriate for a learning setting, yet I was told that I am a distraction. That my body is not okay to be shown to others, and the message that I need to limit myself so that others may succeed is not okay. Dresscodes need serious revamping and questioning about what sort of precedent they are setting for girls.