On dress-down days, students look forward to wearing their own styles and being comfortable. They expect these days to give them a break from the rules, but with a strict dress code, there’s not much freedom.
“I can’t wear shorts or spaghetti straps, and that doesn’t leave me with many options in my closet,” said Gia Jimenez-Calvar ‘30. Like Jimenez-Calvar, we don’t understand the rule against spaghetti straps and shorts, especially since we wear shorts for P.E.
Some teachers understand the frustration. “On Field Day, you can wear shorts, but other times you can’t,” pointed out one Upper School teacher.
But assistant dean of student life Ms. Aguiar explains the school needs to have strict rules even on dress-down days. “We hope that the dress code sends the message that we’re still in school and that we emphasize the importance of looking neat, clean, and well put-together,” she said.
We agree that some clothes make us look less put together and recognize the importance of wearing clothes that are clean and neat; however, there are also days when we should be allowed to be more casual. In addition, with the hot weather in Miami, spaghetti straps and shorts would be more comfortable for many students.
Another thing we don’t understand is why there are so many rules for regular dress-down days, but students can wear distracting clothes during Halloween, spirit weeks, and Freshmen Welcome Week.
On those days, many students wear costumes that are big blow-ups, include wigs, or have lights or other distracting features. We don’t understand why this is acceptable, but a simple pair of shorts or spaghetti straps is off limits.
But even though we don’t agree with some of the current rules, we can still find ways to express our personal styles in little ways.
“Wearing certain colors or appropriate shirts with things you like on them–like bands or concerts you enjoy is a way to express yourself while following the rules,” suggested Upper School dance teacher Ms. Sasloglou. So, for now, we’ll continue enjoying the little things while hoping some of the rules will change.
