Although I graduated nearly two months ago, I still keep up-to-date on the rules and regulations of my high school, through either my sister, former teachers, or younger friends. Today, I learned of a new rule my all-girl high school had instilled for the 2016-2017 school year, which required that any dress worn to a dance must be midi-length or fall halfway down the calf.
Throughout my five years at the school, I’ve had a fair share of dress length rules, such as the dress must reach your fingertips when your arms are placed flat on your sides or the dress cannot be shorter than three inches above the knee. Although dress shopping was hard with these rules in place, it was still possible to find dresses to meet the dress code, and these rules were reasonable.
However, there are two main reasons why I am against the new rule requiring students to have dresses that fall below the knee:
1. Long dresses are expensive, especially for a one-time use.
It’s no secret that long dresses are much more expensive than shorter dresses. Besides being made of more fabric, long dresses are often made for more special events, making them more detailed, which is another factor for the price increase. This price increase will make dress shopping harder for those who may not be as financially well-off as others. After prices of tickets and dinner, many people cannot afford to spend very much money on a long dress that they will only wear once. In order to save money, I’ve worn many of my short dance dresses to different events, including weddings and parties, but the only occasion I’ve ever been able to wear my long prom dresses is when going to prom.
2. Covering the knees? Really?
At a Catholic girls’ school, there are certain rules to expect. Yes, when we kneel, our uniform skirts have to touch the floor, but that’s just the rule for the uniform, and it’s to be expected. But requiring that a ring dance or winter dance dress covers a girl’s knees is a little absurd. I’m not against dress code; although it may be hard to shop for dresses that meet the requirement, the past-the-tip-of-the-fingers rule or the three-inches-above-the-knee rule are common rules at many private and public high schools. These rules set a standard which allows girls to buy cute dresses that they feel confident in while ensuring that the dresses are appropriate for a school dance.
I understand that the school has good intentions for these regulations, but all the dress code does is complicate dance dress shopping, and prevent young girls from feeling confident in their dresses. Besides, the long length of their dresses at the dance won't ensure what will or will not happen later on, after everyone has left the dance.
