A few weeks before the annual prom, school officials instituted a new policy requiring girls to submit photographs of their prom dresses before the prom. The purpose of the pictures is for school officials to review and approve or reject each dress. Officials say that "dresses cannot be too short, too low-cut, expose too much skin around the midriff or be ‘inappropriately revealing.’" Officials also say that all students and guests "must dress in gender-specific formal wear," meaning girls cannot wear tuxes and boys cannot wear dresses. (I'd be screwed.)
240 students have signed a petition against the new policy, some noting that they've already bought their dresses and will be stuck if their choices are rejected.
What do you think?
(The picture on the right is from my best post of all time.)
First- I love this picture of you!
ReplyDeleteSecond- this is archaic, sexist, bigoted b.s.
You look great!
ReplyDeleteI for one have to agree, only because I have seen what has passed for a 'dress' on girls. I also went to a Catholic school over 100 years ago and for some reason a photo was never thought of and they had to approve of our dresses at the door, can you imagine being turned away at the door of your prom?? All went well and we all did fine, but I think we are sexualizing girls more now and the dresses available then and now have greatly changed. Heck, I find it difficult to find a pair of modest shorts for my daughter who is only 10!
This is such a lovely picture.
ReplyDeleteI've got mixed feelings on this.
I would say if you enrolled your kids in a Catholic school, what would you expect ? But then they just made up this rule...
I do not like this policy at all. I think there can be certain rules about clothing and decency when it comes to minors. I mostly think parents should instill those rules. Knowing that not all parents enforce this, I can see where a school might step in and tell a child they are not being appropriate. Having said that, where is the line drawn? If a school thinkis a man in a dress or a woman in a tux is innapropriate, I am not ok with that.So if there can be no line drawn that allows for freedom/rights of the kids, than the school has no business doing this. I hope the kids win this one!
ReplyDeleteCatholic schools bother me to begin with...so...this isn't a good topic for me. Shoving an idea down someone's throat doesn't mean they will swallow it. People need to make their own choices.
ReplyDeletebisous
Suzanne
I disagree with the "gender-specific formal wear" (though a case could be made that they used "gender" not "sex"... and a case could also be made for pants on girls especially with greats like Diane Keaton rarely, if ever, wearing a formal dress), but if you are specifically choosing a school stream which has religious or cultural affiliations, you are opening yourself up to situations such as this. If this were a public school, I would like to see exactly how they would determine appropriateness (because I do think people need to respect this is a SCHOOL event and as such, some decorum is required), but all my experiences in Catholic churches have been that they strongly encourage a covered shoulder, a higher neckline, and a lower hemline on dresses. As a guest, I have never been turned away for being a little too far over the line (I had a shrug to cover my bare shoulders, and tried to make up for the short hemline by wearing flats. Still was pretty short), but I can understand taking a harder line on those who belong to that particular church (or in this case, school). I agree with which ever bird of the two birds above said about it really being the parents responsibility, but that the school is having to step in where parents won't. (That being said, there is always the parents who go too far, too)
ReplyDeletehmmm, are they asking the boys to submit pictures of their outfits as well?
ReplyDeleteYou would rule any prom, Ally!
Good point. No, they're not. Only girls are subject to inspection.
DeleteLike Cara said, it's a private school. They're paying to go there, and it is religious - thus opening themselves up to what is generally considered a conservative atmosphere, so really, their parents should be the ones reviewing the dresses before they are even purchased.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I think such restrictions are outrageous. I finished my high school diploma through home school because my PUBLIC school instituted uniforms my senior year. In my opinion - bullshit.
All that said, I never went to prom. I bought a dress (short, strapless) for homecoming my sophmore year, showed up with my date and bestie, then after we checked in, we all skipped off to play lazer tag in dresses down the street from the venue.
Megan Gann said it all! Teens do wear some outrageous looks these days but that's for their parent's to decide and you can't put such a policy in place to keep those students who are LGBT from wearing whatever they feel most comfortable in. The church tends to be a bit hypocritical when it comes to saying 'we are all GOD's children' and then turns around and shuns certain groups/types of people.
ReplyDeletewww.dressed2dnines.com
Wow, it's sad that it has come to this. If they wanted to have certain regulations then it should have been done at the beginning of the school year. But, this seems to only be directed at dresses, not tuxedos, suits, etc. Interesting ...
ReplyDeleteYeah, guys get a complete pass.
DeleteGirl, you're gorgeous. You see? Short hair and hoops. You look so good in the hoops I am making you an official Sicilian. I'm sort of on the fence about the dress code. The "gender-specific" is stupid and should be struck out. Yeah, fuck that. But girls (and their parents) seem to lack common sense about what's appropriate to be seen in public sometimes. Catholic school? I can understand the "too revealing" stuff. Sort of. But still...
ReplyDeleteToo many buttons being pushed here for me to stay sane.
ReplyDeleteI won't jump on my soapbox on your blog, but I will say you are gorgeous in this shot. Not just for the clothes and pose, but because of the gentle happiness emanating from it.
I'm so glad you gave yourself this experience. xo Jazzy Jack
Your prom pictures are gorgeous and I love how Jazzy Jack described your gentle happiness emanating cuz it sure does.
ReplyDeleteI'd say leave the dresses to the parents to decide, which of course parents don't always know what their kids are wearing. If they show up to the dance in something inappropriate then they can be asked to leave.
Hey Ally ... You look GORGEOUS in your prom dress!!!!
ReplyDeleteLike Jazzy too many buttons being pushed here! I just think that when you stifle kids like this they will rebel ~~~ If this ridiculous rule was put in place at the beginning of the year then the kids would at least have had an opportunity to plan the right dress for the occasion. As for gender specific ... That is horrible!!!! I hope the kids win this one!
I think it's ridiculous but nothing suprises me anymore in this world...good that a petition has started because that approval seems very subjective!
ReplyDeleteANYWAYS: you look amazing! That colour is perfect on you!
Have a great day,
-Kati
I agree with Cara almost completely. I don't have a problem with this, especially because it's a private school, as long as they treat everyone equally. The "gender-specific" part isn't equal, and I can also see where looks might be approved based on the wearer, not the actual dress (for example, flat chested girls seem to "get away" with a lot more...which I don't feel is fair). - Ashley
ReplyDeleteFirst ... glorious picture, Ally!!! I'll never achieve anything so elegant, and you have every right to be proud of it!
ReplyDeleteCatholic values ... are as varied and subjective as they can be. Lots of different approaches to the faith and it's stated values. Frankly, I think it's reprehensible to place such roadblocks in front of young people who are looking forward to of this unique coming-of-age ritual. The memories last a lifetime ... the good ones, but especially the bad ones. It is often so much of a burden on family finances, and young people so often are at the mercy of often taste-challenged idealogs in minor positions of power. I hope common sense and some empathy win out. It will be annoyed parents that make the difference!
While I have little in the way of qualms with the school wanting to keep things tasteful with the clothes that students wear, the notion of telling them that they must stick with so-called gender specific fashions seems like an affront on the civil liberties of these young people. What a true shame that things like are still happening in the 21st century. When, or when, we we stop caring who wear what type of clothes, Indicators of such though they may be, they're just pieces of fabric, they don't define our gender, sexual orientation, or anything else major like that (unless we chose for them to intentionally) any more than what what we had for dinner last night does.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica
*PS* Beautiful, fairy tale princess worthy prom look, Ally.
Sorry, we editing typo there, I meant to say, When, oh when, will we stop caring...
Delete♥ Jessica
*Wee* - my phone's spell check has a mind of its own and it drives me batty!
Delete♥ Jessica
Thanks, Jessica. What I find surprising is that many people get more upset over symbols than real problems. As you say, clothes are merely pieces of cloth. It's what they symbolize that has meaning to people.
DeleteWow, this is tough one. What happened to the good old days girls wore pretty party dresses with tulle like the one you have on.
ReplyDeleteI can see how the super tight and short club dresses would look inappropriate. But not sure I agree with the extend of submitting pictures and definitely DO NOT agree with gender specific rule.
I think having a detailed guidelines about length and midriff and cleavage rules is appropriate but the rest they have to allow kids to express their own personalities.
It is tough call. Especially when you think from a 'mother's point of view'…
Daphne.
You look so pretty and beautiful here! I have some mixed feeling also. I think submitting pictures of the dress is taking things a bit too far. But I feel like if people had common sense and followed some very basic rules on what is appropriate, then it wouldn't be necessary.
ReplyDeleteYou look gorgeous in that blue and I love the angle and pose of this photo! I think that private schools have the right to impose a dress code and that the fair way is with plenty of advanced notice. For something like a prom where people buy their outfits so fat ahead, I think a dress code needs to be announced a year ahead. I may not agree with the dress code-and in this case I think their rules sound mainly antiquated, bigoted and sexist -but I am also no fan of religious institutions or religion in general. If people wish to be Catholic and send their children to Catholic schools they either have to embrace all of its nonsense or work from within to change it. There is a long history of sexist attitudes there so I wish them luck but I won't be holding my breath. xoxo
ReplyDeleteStunning look!
ReplyDeleteHave a nice week-end!
Angela Donava
http://www.lookbooks.fr/
First of all you look Gorgeous in that dress. Secondly, I am always against anyone dictating how we should dress... this is America and once you begin giving up Freedoms meekly, it can become a slippery slope. I'm Proud of the Students that are standing up against this infringement on their Civil Liberties of dressing for Prom as they Dreamed of being for a very important day in their lives. Dawn... The Bohemian
ReplyDelete