Dress Code Policy at CHS: has it gone too far?

Rachel Garcia, Reporter

Many girls at CHS have experienced a new type of dress code this year and most of the new policy was never specified as dress code. Clothing items such as tube tops have been an ongoing trend since summer 2017 because it helps keep girls cool in the Californian heat while still staying covered in an appropriate way. Personally, I would always wear tube tops, jumpsuits, dresses, and shirts during my Junior year which was only three months ago. Now that it is hotter than ever in August, girls are no longer allowed to wear tube tops. This includes if the tube tops had sleeves attached, light fabric cardigans or jackets were worn over, or even sewn on straps couldn’t make the clothing acceptable.

Just three months ago there was no problem with wearing these kinds of clothing, but now that girls who don’t meet the new dress code policy are forced to go to the office; wear huge orange shirts and; are forced to give their own clothing up while being publicly embarrassed in front of the entire school. Not only does this make many girls feel like they should be ashamed of their choice in clothing and body but, it makes them feel like they can’t even show their bare shoulders because they’ve become a distraction in class.  The dress code policies are unfair since girls who are bigger chested seem to be dress code more than girls who are thinner. Senior Daisy Martinez comments “ I don’t think its fair that the school dress codes based on certain people’s body shape. We can’t control how we grow, it’s just something that is out of our hands. Just because a girl is skinny she won’t get dress code compared to a girl who wasn’t as thin. I’ve walked the halls in what is now considered to be dress code this year and not one person dress coded me while I see others who are obviously different than me get dress coded.”

This shows discrimination amongst our school which makes me wonder why the policy has changed so quickly and yet no one informed students to not wear this kind of clothing. This could have been avoided if girls were given a heads up on the clothing now being considered as dress code for all body shapes but we were not given any notice. You have to understand that many girls used all of their money that was saved or worked to buy this type of clothing because it was acceptable just three months ago! On the first day of school, many girls got sent up to the office for their tube tops. No warning was given that day and many female students were publically humiliated in front of their peers. What a way to start off the school year.