Students, Staff have Mixed Responses to Dress Code

Nutley High School's dress code has been in place for over 20 years. Female and male students tend to have different consequences when it comes to dress code and some students think it’s unfair.

Junior Orliana Cruz says she came to school wearing long shorts and a full long shirt one day and got reprimanded; but, the next minute she saw a girl wearing short shorts and a tube top not getting anything said at all. 

Sophomore Divina Casco said, “I think that the dress code has to be fair for everyone. A skinny girl can wear an inappropriate outfit and not get ‘dress-coded’ but a girl who is bigger or has more of a body is more likely to get ‘dress-coded’. The rules should apply to any and everyone.” 

If teachers and principals care about looking appropriate for school, then students should not be allowed to walk around in pajamas and slippers whenever they feel like it. Students shouldn’t get treated differently because of their body types or how they look. 

Cruz said, “We shouldn't have a dress code because we should be able to freely express ourselves. I feel it is a way to target people for the way they look and their differences.”

Some students feel that enforcement of the dress code is mostly targeted to the females who are more curvy or chubby. This makes a lot of the students feel uncomfortable when walking into the building because they know people will stare and target them. They get afraid to express themselves the way they like. 

NHS administration prefers students to wear loose-fitted clothes rather than tight-fitted clothes. For people who are bigger, it can be hard to find clothes that fit them; and, it also depends on what they feel comfortable in. 

Vice Principal Ashley Barnes said that there are a number of clothing items that they prefer students don’t wear to school. “Administrators prefer that short shorts, flip flops, tight or see-through clothes, short skirts, and anything lace not be worn at school.” She feels that people should come to school wearing clothes that they would go to work in in the future and clothes that look appropriate for a student’s body type. 

“The dress code is in place for many reasons; if we had students who were aware of dressing appropriately, the dress code would not be as harsh,” Barnes said.

Nutley High needs to make an updated dress code that will be appropriate for people of all height, shapes, and sizes. They need to make sure everyone will feel comfortable, not only petite and short people.