On March 26, 2017, two women were denied entrance to a United Airlines flight because they chose to wear leggings. Upon further inquiry, both the young women and many other outraged flyers learned that United Airlines deemed flyers using an employee pass must “be properly clothed.” Leggings, it would appear, did not pass the United Airlines policy. United Airlines argued that for people flying with a specific pass they are under more stringent dress code policies. Yet, regardless of what the policy stands currently, banning leggings is a prime example of how dress codes police women’s bodies.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than half of the middle and high schools in America employ strict dress codes for students. Racial slurs, inappropriate images, and vulgar language are commonly prohibited in most establishments. In addition to these rules, institutions add a stipulation on modesty.
This most often targets cis-gendered women clothing. Common rules include the finger tip rule—shorts and skirts must go down to the bottom on one’s fingertips—and tops must be three fingers wide, no bra straps can show, and clothing should not be too tight or too low-cut. These rules theoretically apply to all genders. However, they most commonly apply to women.
Told to look feminine, society makes women believe dresses and shorter bottoms create the look of an attractive woman. Yet, rules that govern schools and workplaces scold women for attempting to comply with these trends. More importantly than the rules themselves, however, are how they are enforced. To begin with, these rules ignore those who do not identify with their gender. Additionally, women with curvy bodies are punished more frequently than other women. According to The Atlantic, women are far more frequently policed for their non-rule abiding clothes than men. Many women are told to leave class and change as their clothing is distracting. Yet, this reasoning reinforces the idea that women should avoid tempting men, rather than teaching men to not view women as sexual objects. By telling women to leave class, it is saying a man’s concentration in class is more important than a woman’s access to education. Furthermore, it hyper-sexualizes women, telling them that by simply showing their shoulders or mid-to-low thighs, they are no longer students, but sexual objects made to distract men.
Dress codes, whether it be the fingertip rule, or leggings classified as improper clothing, are unfairly discriminatory towards women. They create the idea of hyper-sexualized women dressing solely to please men. They also reinforce the problem of telling women how to avoid distracting men, rather than explaining to men that women’s clothing is not an advertisement for them. Therefore, dress codes, though one of the most common set of rules throughout the country, are perhaps one of the most dangerous police forces towards women.
Sources:
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/10/school-dress-codes-are-problematic/410962/