Coming to the United States has hit me with a lot of changes and differences I knew were coming, but I did not expect it to be as surprising as it has been. Everything is different; the sports, the traditions, the food, the style, and of course, the school. I knew from movies that I would have a locker, and that my schedule would be filled with new and interesting classes, but one thing I was not familiar with, was the dress code. 

What is the dress code at Revere? Why can I not wear my ripped jeans to school? So many questions hit me. Because where I am from, we do not engage in dress codes at school. At least not in public school. I have never experienced being dress coded. Neither have any of my Danish friends.

According to RHS Principal Phil King, we have a dress code because there is an expected level of professionalism and dress. 

“At the high school, we emulate the real world here in the United States, by telling students; this is acceptable style of dress, and this is not acceptable,” King said. 

If the dress code is repeatedly not followed, it can result in detention or Saturday school, which are another two new ideas to me. Both King and assistant Principal Doug Farris appreciate the way students dress and says that most of the time students get dress coded, it is as harmless as them having a conference, and ask the student to change.

 “There are kids in the hall doing a great job. You guys all come prepared and ready to go for the day and we appreciate that,” Faris said.

But what happens when the students graduate from high school? Do colleges have dress codes as well? What is the purpose with dress codes in High School, if colleges offers way more liberty? 

“It prepares them for the next step,” Faris said. 

King agreed and supplemented.

“A part of what we do here at the school is to help prepare your next steps and that’s just an expectation. I think there is a lot of things students can wear without any trouble at all but there are limits,” King said.

As a last comment, King added that a dress code is not personal and when someone gets dress coded it is simply because they do not meet the schools standard of dressing.

“We are not out to get someone because they are not dressing a certain way. We try to make sure it is the same for everyone. And we appreciate the students that work with us,” King said.

I find dress codes in school very odd. I see why the school tries to prevent students from showing up in ridiculous short miniskirts or any other very inappropriate items. I’m just saying, it worked fine without a dress code at my old school in Denmark.