There are many stories about women who have been suspended based on the clothing they wear. In this article, I'm not telling you that as a woman I'm allowed to wear whatever I want, whenever I want. There's a time and place for everything. School isn't a place to dress as if you are going to a club. However, the way students and teachers react to the way you dress can be quite surprising, even if you are dressed in a 'non-provocative' way.
We aren’t speaking about uniforms, either. We're speaking about clothing you, a student, go out and buy from stores in your local mall.
You may have heard the dreaded line, "Excuse me, Miss?" from faculty around your school, escorting you to the main office where you're forced to wear a unisex pair of grey sweatpants as well as a hoodie in your school colors.
But, what are you missing out on within this timeframe? Your education.
What teachers fail to realize in this situation is that not only are you being taken away from your education that you (possibly) pay for, but you, as a woman, are also being told that what you are wearing is a complete distraction to your peers. As well as having your body being sexualised to the school faculty. All the while, you're wearing a simple top that doesn't completely cover your shoulders. This school system believes that a three-day suspension based on your 'behavior,' is going to fix how you dress. A three-day suspension, where you miss days of your classes and fall behind. Again, being told that your clothing means more than your education.
To describe what a woman is wearing as 'provocative,' is completely sickening. She is never 'asking for it,' or 'wanting it,' through the clothing she wears in public. In a public campus, especially in the summer, women are going to wear shorts and tank tops. It's hot outside- we can't wear jeans and a hoodie all year long. So long as you aren't purposefully disobeying the school's dress policy, you should be left alone. If you dress according to the weather, why are you being sexualised for something you cannot control?
The way you dress doesn't reflect anything about yourself. It doesn't determine your intelligence, and it certainly doesn't define your worth.
