The last day of my middle school career marked the end of a restrained era but also the beginning  of freedom. I first walked into Grady as a freshman, my mind anticipating the next four years. I was confused, however, when I was told that day at an assembly held by administration that I could not wear a pair of shorts three inches above my knee.

Dress code has always been implemented at Grady, but over the past two years, the enforcement of dress code has become increasingly harsh. Girls cannot  even wear athletic shorts, unless, of course, the shorts are to their knees. As a high school student, I am capable of dressing myself appropriately. Almost half of my closet, though, would give me detention.

Dress code is enacted because of the basic standard of dressing appropriately for school. But what is classified as appropriate, and why is dress code needed? At Grady, girls are not allowed to wear leggings, thin straps, or dresses, shorts or skirts shorter than three inches above the knee. The list of what not to wear goes on and on.

Too much skin showing on the female body is seen as a distraction. But are my shoulders showing really a distraction? What are girls expected to wear at school? Girls aren’t allowed to wear leggings, even though they cover the entire leg and are worn because they are comfortable. What determines whether a girl is a distraction, or simply dressing comfortably?

Mary Whisner wrote in the Harvard Women’s Law Journal: “Women in particular are often compelled to appear in certain ways that symbolize their subordinate position in society.”

Whisner explains that women are subjected to a double standard. Why are boys allowed to wear shorts more than three inches above the knee without having anyone comment? Women are expected to maintain the standard society sets for them. Women are expected to maintain a sense of sexuality and class at all times, no matter the circumstance. Maintaining the dress code at Grady reinforces this double standard society has created between women and men.

Bandannas are used as an accessory and have been for decades. But recently, bandannas of all colors and styles have been banned for boys and girls alike at Grady. In an article titled “Sociological Perspectives on Imposed School Dress Codes,” in the Sage Journal, David Crockett and Melanie Wallendorf wrote “Dress codes shift rather than eliminate the symbolic expressions of class, ethnicity, and group membership that serve as the basis for school violence.”

Bandannas are prohibited because they are thought to provoke gang violence. Crockett and Wallendorf assert that disallowing bandannas only prompts school violence. It raises the question of active gang violence at Grady, which could provoke the issue.

School administrators cannot draw the line for girls on whether or not their attire is a distraction. There is no distraction when a girl is just dressing to be comfortable. Dress code restricts our individuality, and does not reflect out Grady motto, “Individually we are different, together we are Grady.”