Can dress codes go too far? Recent viral stories of ridiculous-looking tattoos and one UK student’s banishment from school grounds over an “unnatural” hair color have revived conversations about how much influence dress codes can have on a community. Today, we’ll take a look at the potential impact that detailed dress codes can have in a private-independent school.
Tattoos
According to one 2010 survey by Pew Research, 38% of Millennials have at least one tattoo, as do 32% of 30-45 year olds. (Only 15% of the Baby Boomer generation have tattoos.)
If we extrapolate from these findings, anywhere from 30-40% of younger potential job applicants (and your school’s graduates) may have some form of permanent body art. The prevalence of body art may warrant explicit instruction in your school's handbook, according to your school's mission.
For example, a conservative school might want to explicitly state that all employees' tattoos must be covered. An art school, on the other hand, might not need to mention tattoos at all in the handbook, as it would be considered an acceptable creative personal expression.
Then, there's temporary body art to consider, including henna. Henna tattoos wear off after several weeks and may hold religious significance for the wearer (e.g., an Indian bride decorating her hands and feet before her wedding), so be cautious when banning certain forms of public tattoos to avoid accusations of discrimination.
Still, about 70% of all permanent tattoo-wearers report covering their ink while in public locales to avoid censure. ISM suggests that trusting to common sense—and not outright banning applicants with ink in dress code policies—might not be a bad middle road to take in regard to tattoos.
Hair Color
Many schools require both students and staff to wear only “natural” hair colors, banning those that could be affiliated with specific subcultures or draw too much unwanted attention. Like uniforms or lack of visible tattoos, natural hair color can help students and faculty project a professional image that keeps everyone focused on the academic goals at hand.
That said, the term “natural” is rather vague and can be elastic in its interpretations, especially in light of Emily Raey’s predicament, a private school student whose dress code dilemma made UK headlines this past week. Her hair is dyed red, which she argues is a “natural” color and so falls within her school’s policies. However, her choice of hair color is a much brighter shade than her natural color.
Emily's story illuminates the potential dangers in too closely outlining dress codes, allowing students and staff to argue semantics rather than the "spirit" of the code. In Emily's case, the school’s policy for hair color specifically names blue and green as colors to avoid, but not red.
Questions to Ask About Your Dress Code
If your school is reconsidering how it handles the presentation of its community, consider these questions to create a better-fitting policy (pun intended).
- Does your dress code match your mission?
- How broadly can your current dress code be interpreted?
- Is the school unnecessarily limiting its pool of job candidates by proscribing job requirements—like a dress code—that aren’t truly requirements but are rather preferences?
- Is the school focusing on enforcement of dress code to the detriment of its students or staff?
- What are the real vs. perceived advantages of a formalized, strict dress code?
- Are dress code violations uniformly enforced? For example, Emily’s hair has been the same shade of bright red for the past three years. No administrator had brought the violation to her attention until this spring.
- When should exceptions to the dress code be made? Exceptions to your school's formal dress code should be outlined in your student and staff handbooks. These might include sports teams dying their hair after championship victories; student actors requiring specific hair and body art for their performances; and staff who temporarily change their appearances as a reward for hitting fundraising benchmarks.
Additional ISM resources:
ISM Monthly Update for School Heads Vol. 9 No. 2 Tattoos: More Common Than Not These Days
ISM Monthly Update for Admission Officers Vol. 9 No. 4 Student Dress Code Policies: Infringing Upon Religious Rights
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 37 No. 9 The Characteristics of Professional Excellence II
I&P Vol. 39 No. 15 Launching Your School's Survey Initiative
