Westfield's ban on skinny jeans is a faux pas on many levels.
By LAUREN PADILLA
Longmeadow High
School dress codes have been an issue for as long as I can remember. No matter what, someone always seems to be unhappy — and it’s not just the students, more often than not, it is the administrators. I’ll admit, in the past I used to side with the school . . . that is, until Sept. 5.
My district had the day off for Rosh Hashanah. As I descended my staircase, I was fully prepared for a relaxing morning. Then, I picked up the paper; the front page article was about Westfield High School.
I read the first line — something to do with some 40 girls students being sent home for inappropriate dress. The number was abnormally high, but I still wasn’t shocked — like I said dress has ALWAYS been an issue with schools.
In the back of my mind, however, I questioned why so many were deemed to be dressed inappropriately. Then I read on: the district banned skinny jeans, leggings, and yoga pants.
I literally jumped up from my chair. WHAT??!!! Banning skinny jeans today is like banning poodle skirts in the 1950s! Bias cuts from the 1930s! Bobs from the 1920s! In short, leggings and skinny jeans are a wardrobe staple for nearly every young adult.
After a long walk through my garden, I managed to calm down. I tried to view the situation through the administration’s perspective: I supposed sometimes skinny jeans could be too tight…but, I was still upset. With a deep inhale, I continued reading.
The next line, intended as some sort of compensation, only worsened the situation: skinny jeans, leggings, and yoga pants are allowed when accompanied by a “long, tunic-type top.”
I was infuriated. From a fashion perspective, this is absolutely ridiculous. The appeal of leggings is their ability to lengthen a leg-line. Adding a “tunic” has the opposite effect; it cuts the leg in half. Even more ridiculous was the vague description—“long, tunic-type top.” I did a Google search, purely for my own entertainment. What were the suggested stores? Chicos and Dressbarn…not exactly the places to go for a back-to-school look.
I know somewhere out there someone is reading this article thinking: this writer’s absolutely insane! What else could the administrators do, with all these scantily-clad young women roaming the halls? Sit back and watch! Never!
So, before I’m hunted down by every administrator in Western Mass, let me explain myself. Firstly, I’m hardly the type of student who pushes dress codes to the edge; my school wardrobe consists of peplum blazers, pencil skirts, and kitten-bow blouses. However, I am also not the type who follows the media’s trends for teens. I choose to read Vogue over Teen Vogue, Elle over Seventeen.
However, the majority of students are in fact under the influence of “teenage media.” In small towns, there is little access to street style or other sources of fashion inspiration. So, the average student’s fashion muses are usually limited to either the media, or their peers. Very few have access to real style, or people who know the art of assembling an outfit.
My suggestion to schools is a simple solution: fashion education. Schools wouldn’t have an art teacher try to instruct a physical education class, so why have administrators try to influence fashion?
Here’s a thought: import a fashion teacher! I certainly would rather take fashion advice from a couturier than a principal. By installing a fashion curriculum, hopefully students would begin to see dressing in a different light—not just as a means of coverage, but as a true form of fine art.
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