StuCo Update: Dress Code

This year, Student Council has decided to pursue a gender-neutral dress code in the interest of gender equity and equality. Our discussions of dress code began at a Council meeting on Sept. 30, 2014, in which we discussed the key flaws in the current dress code. It became clear that gender neutrality was on the minds of students. It also became clear that neither a certain level of professionalism nor easy enforceability could be sacrificed in the creation of this new code. Since then, the council has had multiple discussions about the future of the dress code, working to draft an ideal proposal and rationale which reflects our council’s strong sentiments of equality, professionalism and practicality.

Our next, and hopefully final meeting about the dress code will happen next Tuesday, Feb. 17, in the Forum of the Academy Center. We can’t emphasize enough that everyone is welcome to come to Student Council, and how beneficial it is when more voices become part of the discussion. (If you have any questions about attending meetings, please email kzhen@exeter.edu)

It became clear that our school needs a regulatory foundation that promotes equality, both between the two binary genders and between binary and nonbinary genders.

We would like to catch up the community on how our council has reached the current proposal. On Jan. 28, 2015, the Policy Committee brought the following rationale to council for their consideration: the Student Council of Phillips Exeter Academy believes that designation of the dress code as male and female is discriminatory; resolved, that the Academy reform the dress code as gender-neutral to better accommodate all students.

The rationale for this decision is listed as follows: The current dress code holds male and female students to different standards, it is far more relaxed for “girls” than it is for “boys,” whose dress code is both more formal and enforceable. The standards set by the dress code perpetuate negative gender stereotypes—specifically, that girls are less professional than boys. Additionally, the current dress code stipulates that faculty must decide whether a student is a “boy” or “girl” to enforce the wearing of a tie. This in turn may cause undue stress for students who may feel uncomfortable declaring one of two gender identities, or whom a faculty member may perceive to be of a different gender identity.

Following the presentation of this rationale, council had a discussion after which there was a motion to vote to adopt the rationale. It passed by a majority vote, with 63 in favor, one against and zero abstentions.

The majority voted in favor of the rationale because they felt that the current dress code holds women and men to different standards, and that this inequity translates to the perpetuation of negative gender stereotypes in our community. Though it was raised that women could simply “dress up,” our council saw rules that hold different genders to different standards as morally unacceptable. Our council was also swayed by the voices of those who struggle with gender identity. We have included excerpts from a few individuals here:

“As someone who’s going through the process of trying to realize what and who I am, it frustrates me that people will place expectations of what they think I am, girl or boy, on how I dress. It makes me feel pressured; it makes the process of self-discovery harder because it constantly enforces what I’m ‘supposed’ to be—what people have told me I’m ‘supposed’ to be for my entire life. I don’t want to go out in a skirt and have people assume that I’m a girl—because I’m not a girl, and my clothes aren’t ‘girl’s clothes.’ They’re just my clothes, regardless of what gender I am. I really, really need this to stop. I’m confused and stressed enough, and I don’t need everyone—my friends and teachers and classmates—contributing to that anxiety.”

“I don’t want to live in a community that calls me a girl for dressing a certain way—which causes me anxiety from the minute I wake up and start getting dressed until the minute I get back to my dorm room at night.”

“Right now, at Exeter, we have the power to begin dismantling a system that causes depression, anxiety and general unhappiness in nonbinary and transgender people all over the country and the world.”

It became clear that our school needs a regulatory foundation that promotes equality, both between the two binary genders and between binary and nonbinary genders.

These voices, along with concerns about equity between genders swayed the group to pass the rationale with this overwhelming majority.

There was concern that this push for a new dress code stemmed from a desire to “kill the tie.” This is not at all the intention or purpose of the new dress code proposal, in fact, in both options (which are presented below), the tie is still mentioned and recommended. The tie is not going away—there will be a broader list of acceptable attire, and the tie will remain one such option. It is important to remember that the proposal for a new dress code is based on concerns for equality, which affect individuals within our community and represent the values that we stand for as a community.

On Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, the Policy Committee came back to council with drafts of two possible proposals: Option one and Option two. Both were based on previous feedback from the all-council meetings and smaller committee meetings. The two options presented begin with the following preamble, which is similar to the current dress code:

The following dress code is required in classes, assemblies, when representing Phillips Exeter Academy at other schools and colleges and on occasions when dress code attire is specified. Because fashions change rapidly, members of the community should keep in mind that the purpose of the dress code is to reflect the discipline and the seriousness of purpose we associate with academic pursuits and other occasions requiring dress code attire. This principle governs any question about an item of dress deemed inappropriate, but not specifically listed in the code. Phillips Exeter Academy asks that its students remain in clean, neat and professional attire during all required appointments.

From here, the options differ.

Proposed option one

• Dress Shirt
• Sweater
• Turtleneck
• Dress
• Ethnic attire

Always acceptable are:

• Ties
• Jackets
• Scarves

Proposed Option two

• Turtleneck
• Dress shirt and tie
• Dress shirt and sweater
• Dress shirt and blazer or cardigan
• Dress
• Ethnic attire

The pros and cons

Pros of Option 1:

• Meets the requirements of the rationale
• Simple to understand
• Simple to enforce
• Allows for more freedom in dress options, especially in hot weather
• Less expensive wardrobe for students

Cons of Option 1:

• Seen as a small decrease in formality

Pros of Option 2:

• Meets the requirements of the rationale
• Requires the tie in one dress option (though the tie would still not be required in all dress options)

Cons of Option 2:

• Complex and difficult to enforce (for example: what would happen if someone was wearing a dress shirt without a tie but was wearing a sweater, but takes off the sweater. Are they still in dress code?)
• Not enough options for warmer weather, especially for girls
• More expensive wardrobe for students

Once both proposals were presented there was a discussion on the pros and cons of each proposal. Here is a breakdown of the discussion:

After the discussion, our council took a written vote. Option One had a clear majority (for the reasons listed above). Option Two was the minority (for the reasons listed above) and few abstained. The vote gave council a direction for the proposal, and from that meeting onwards the committee has been working to put the final touches on the proposal. The committee has been discussing whether or not to include flannel shirts, jeans and polo shirts in the banned item list. This discussion about flannels and any other final concerns with the policy will be on the agenda of council on Tuesday Feb. 17, 2015 and discussed then. We want everyone who wants to be involved in this process to be involved. We would love to see you at the student council meeting on the 17th. You can also talk to anyone in student council or to us (Benj Cohen, bcohen@exeter.edu, Emily Lemmerman, elemmerman@exeter.edu and Sachin Holdheim, sholdheim@exeter.edu) in person at a table in the Fishbowl of Wetherell at any of the following times:

2/13/15: After assembly, during lunch and dinner.

2/16/15: During meetings, lunch and dinner.

2/17/15: After assembly and during lunch

We love to talk about the dress code, so please stop by!

We are very excited about these proposed changes to the dress code because we believe it is a step toward equality of the genders on campus at Exeter. We believe something as simple as the dress code can have profound effects on the mentality of the community. We believe in taking a stand for equality on all levels. From here, we hope to bring our final draft of the proposal to the faculty, and we would love to see a more equitable Exeter next year.