“I love your outfit!”- The compliment every girl likes to hear after spending the extra 20 minutes in the morning executing an outfit nicer than jeans and a sweatshirt. But as always, dressing up makes us more aware of whether our clothing ensemble follows the school dress code and the unwritten dress code, which can be referred to as “staying classy.”
With the fashion trends of today’s world, the line between dressing stylish and dressing inappropriately can be a little blurry. Jennifer Lopez’s clothes might be runway-worthy, but in the halls of Northview, an administrator would send you to the office immediately if you tried to mimic some of her wardrobe choices.
Even if you don’t get caught by the dress code police, does that mean the outfit is appropriate? Not always. Some teachers are more lenient about the guidelines than others, but that is no excuse to abuse the lack of enforcement.
Your peers are some of the most judgmental people you will ever encounter, and no one wants to be known as the girl who wore trashy clothes in high school. Plus, when you look back in your high school yearbook 30 years from now, the least you can do for yourself is make sure you look appropriate. Odds are, you’ll laugh at the fashion trends of 2013, but you don’t want to regret the way you portrayed yourself.
A low cut shirt or a pair of short shorts may attract attention at school, but certainly not the right kind. One of the most beautiful qualities in any human being is self-respect, which can easily begin with one’s choice of apparel.
Picture yourself going out to dinner to meet your significant other’s parents for the first time. First impressions say a lot about someone and can be hard to change. Before any greetings are exchanged, there are about two seconds where judgments will be made, good or bad. If your clothing choice seems inappropriate, you could be seen as lacking self-respect.
Within the first couple seconds, your wardrobe decision has already dug you into a hole, and all you can hope for now is a moment to redeem yourself, or you can wish this relationship goodbye. Your style says a lot about you, so make sure it’s saying the right things.
The school’s dress code covers a majority of the issues regarding skimpy clothing, but there is no list banning or permitting each piece in your wardrobe. On top of all this, a shirt that may look perfectly school appropriate on you might show a little too much skin on someone else.
According to NV’s dress guidelines, “Apparel should be adequate in both length and coverage to be considered appropriate for school. Shorts, dresses and skirts must be below the fingertips when the arms are extended down the sides.”
By following these rules precisely, there is no way you will be called out for dressing inappropriately. But realistically speaking, it is hard for girls to find shorts that extend to the fingertip, especially for taller girls. The longer your legs are, the shorter the shorts look, even if your shorts are proportionally the same length as the shorts of the petite girl. While keeping this in mind, it is important to realize that shorts with a reasonable and respectful length do exist, so make a point to look for them.
The true dress guidelines are simple: use good judgment. If the new shirt you bought is cut a little too low, pair it with a cute tank top underneath. When the hem of your skirt is near your palm, it’s time to retire it to the Goodwill pile.
With your unique sense of style, good judgment and self-respect, you’ll be handed compliments all day long for dressing with style, while staying classy.
Claire Goecke, Staff Writer
