Article by Presley Frank, Illustration by Maria Cazzato

Dress codes have always been viewed as a way to set clothing boundaries and represent an establishment in a respectable manner. This is incorrect, and dress codes are ways to regulate strictly women’s attire in a belittling method. Dress codes feed directly into extreme misogyny and rape culture and are deeply rooted and connected to them. Dress codes also feed into the ideology that what a women wears is the fault for rape and not the rapist themself. Dress codes have always been a way to objectify and sexualize women.

The clothing which someone chooses to wear in their everyday life is not a crime and should not be taught as such. Belittling women for how they choose to express themselves because of the misogyny that runs deep in society is unacceptable. Misogyny is so prevalent in society that it is ingrained in everything around us, including the dress codes in schools. Telling young children, specifically girls, that what they wear defines them and how they should be respected is damaging, especially when this “lesson” is never directed at men.

Dress codes were built on rape culture and still stand on that. Rape culture is a society where rape is normalized and treated as an issue of no importance. Dress codes further endorse the idea that what a woman wears causes rape and dress codes also normalize rape against women. 

Dress codes are a much deeper problem in our society than people think. They create false ideals and are taught at such young ages. It is crucial to end the stigma around what women wear and how they choose to express themselves to make any progress in society with equal rights between genders and ending rape culture.