Wikipedia

Dress code

"Dresscode" redirects here. For other uses, seeDresscode (disambiguation).

Adress codeis a set of rules, often written, with regard to whatclothinggroups of people must wear. Dress codes are created out of social perceptions and norms, and vary based on purpose, circumstances, and occasions. Different societies and cultures are likely to have different dress codes,Western dress codesbeing a prominent example.

Cannes Film Festivalhas a dress code that requires men to weartuxedosand women to weargownsandhigh-heeled shoes.[1]

Dress codes are symbolic indications of different social ideas, includingsocial class,cultural identity,attitudetowards comfort, tradition, and political or religious affiliations. Dress code also allows individuals to read others' behavior as good, or bad by the way they express themselves with their choice of apparel.[2]

History

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Europe

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See also:Western dress codes,Sumptuary laws,andEnglish medieval clothing

From the seventh through the ninth centuries, the Europeanroyaltyandnobilityused a dress code to differentiate themselves from other people. All classes generally wore the same clothing, although distinctions among the social hierarchy began to become more noticeable through ornamented garments. Common pieces of clothing worn by peasants and the working class included plaintunics,cloaks, jackets, pants, and shoes. According to rank, embellishments adorned the collar of the tunic, waist or border. Examples of these decorations included, asJames Planchéstates, "gold and silver chains and crosses, bracelets of gold, silver or ivory, golden and jeweled belts, strings of amber and other beads, rings, brooches, [and] buckles".[3]The nobility tended to wear longer tunics than the lower social classes.[3]

While dress codes of modern-day Europeans are less strict, there are some exceptions. It is possible to ban certain types of clothing in the workplace, as exemplified by theEuropean Court of Justice’s verdict that "a ban on Islamic headscarves at work can be lawful."[4]

The Americas

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Theindigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coasthad a complex social hierarchy that consisted of slaves, commoners, and nobles, with dress codes indicating these social distinctions.John R. Jewitt,an Englishman who wrote a memoir about his years as a captive of theNuu-chah-nulth peoplein 1802-1805, describes how, after some time living there,Maquinnaand the chiefs decided that he must now be "considered one of them, and conform to their customs". Jewitt resented the imposition of this dress code, finding the loose untailored garments very cold, and attributed to them a subsequent illness of which he almost died. He was not allowed to cut his hair and had to paint his face and body as a Nootka would.[5]

In the early 20th century,informal wearwas the norm across many social settings, including workplaces, restaurants, travel, and movie theaters. In the 1950s,casual wearbecame prominent in many of these settings, but informal wear remained dominant in workplaces and churches. Beginning in the 1980s,technology companiesin Silicon Valley developed thebusiness casualdress code, which was part of a broader organizational culture of emphasizing efficiency over propriety. Today, casual wear is the norm in the tech industry, exemplified by tech executives such asSteve JobsandMark Zuckerberg.[6]

In North American high schools, fashion for girls began to be more revealing in the late twentieth century, including clothing such as low-rise jeans, revealing tops, miniskirts, and spaghetti straps.[2]With these new styles appearing in schools, dress codes have in some cases become more rigorous as a result.[2]

The dress codes in North American high schools typically resulted in tests that would determine if skirts or shorts were long enough. A common test would be used to measure the appropriate length of students' shorts/skirts. If a student's fingers extended past their clothing, then the clothing was considered a violation of the school dress code.[7]

Muslim world

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Main article:Haram § Clothing and adornment

Islam,founded in the seventh century CE, laid out rules regarding the attire of both men and women in public. Gold adornments and silk clothes areprohibitedfor men to wear, as they are luxurious, but they are permissible for women. Men are also required to wear theihramclothing while onHajj,or annual pilgrimage toMecca.

Hijabgenerally refers to various head coverings conventionally worn by some Muslim women,[8]most often a headscarf wrapped around the head, covering the hair, neck and ears, but leaving the face visible.[9][10]The use of the hijab has been on the rise worldwide since the 1970s and is viewed by many Muslims as expressing modesty and faith.[9]There is a consensus among Islamic religious scholars that covering the head is either required or preferred, though some Muslim scholars and activists argue that it is not mandated.[11][12][13][14]

Indian subcontinent

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Sikhism,which was founded in the Indian subcontinent around the end of the fifteenth century, also requires a dress code.

Gurbir Grewal, member of theUnited States Securities and Exchange Commission

Male Sikhs, who are members of theKhalsaare required to wear a turban at all times. Some, but not all, male Sikhs in North America wear a turban; they will instead tie their hair in a knot or ponytail.

Laws and social norms

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Main article:Clothing laws by country
See also:Islamic clothingandSumptuary laws

Cultural values, norms, and laws regarding clothing can vary by location.

For example, the degree of nudity that is acceptable changes depending on location. InNew GuineaandVanuatu,there are areas where it is customary for men to wear nothing but penis sheaths in public, while women wear string skirts. In remote areas ofBali,women may gotopless,which is less common in more Western countries.

Most Western countries have generally no rules regarding specific clothing in most public scenarios, but only have private rules.

In many countries, the tuxedo or dinner jacket and black pants arenotthe norm for formal occasions. Rather, the indigenous costumes are preferred or even dictated, for example theBarong Tagalogfor men andFilipinianafor women in thePhilippines,[15][16]theKiltinScotland,andKinte clothwear inNigeria.

Private dress codes

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Black tie standard

Many places have their own private dress code; these organizations may insist on particular dress codes or standards in particular situations, such as for weddings, funerals, religious gatherings, etc.

Workplace

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Canadian Deputy PMChrystia FreelandwithU.S. Secretary of StateRex TillersoninWestern dress codeat a meeting

Employees are sometimes required to wear auniformor certain standards of dress, such as a business suit and tie. This may depend on particular situations, for example if they are expected to interact with customers. (See alsoInternational standard business attire)

In Western countries, these policies vary depending on the industry.Lawyers,bankers,andexecutivesoften wearing a suit and tie, with black shoes and belt, whilecasual wearis more common in thetechnology industry.[6]Some businesses observe that anti-discrimination laws restricts their determining what is appropriate and inappropriate workplace clothing. Requiring men and women to dress differently at the workplace can be challenged because the gender-specific dress codes would be based on one sex and could be considered stereotypical.[17]Most businesses have authority in determining and establishing what workplace clothes they can require of their workers. Generally, a carefully drafted dress code applied consistently does not violate anti-discrimination laws.[18]So long as the dress code does not favor one gender over the other it is usually acceptable by law for employers to have a private dress code.[19]

In the United States, it is legal for employers to require women to wear makeup and ban men from wearing it. It has been argued that such a distinction in a dress code is not discriminatory because both sexes have rules about their appearance. An important court case that occurred in the U.S was theJespersen v. Harrah's Operating Co.,which allowed for a workplace to require that female employees wear makeup while their male counterparts were banned from doing so. Darlene Jespersen worked atHarrah's Casinofor more than 20 years and found that the makeup and dress code was not only unattainable but degrading.[20]Jespersen found that the 'Personal Best' policy was not true to her natural appearance as it required a full face of makeup including foundation, powder, blush, mascara, and lipstick.[20]Jespersen stated that this policy "forced her to be... 'dolled up' like a sexual object, and... took away her credibility as an individual and as a person."[20]In opposition men who worked at Harrah's Casino were banned from wearing makeup, nail polish, and other traditionally female attires.[20]Judge Kozinskiargued thathyperfemininitywas a burden that only women employees suffered. Kozinski stated that the time, effort and expense was more of a hindrance than just being banned from wearing makeup.[20]However despite these efforts, in the ruling, it was decided that women did not have a larger burden in the requirements of the dress code but two judges disagreed and argued that makeup takes more time and money and that sex stereotyping occurred because women's bare faces were seen as less desirable.[20]

New Jersey BorgataBabes case

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InNew Jersey,twenty-one women sued theBorgata Casino Hotel & Spafor requiring them to lose weight and stay under a certain size to maintain their jobs. The women argued that the management would ridicule them over weight gain even if they were pregnant. The case was dismissed in New Jersey because the BorgataBabes program required that both men and women maintain certain body shapes and sizes. The "BorgataBabes contractually agreed to adhere to these strict personal appearance and conduct standards".[21]In 2016, Superior Court JudgeNelson Johnsondismissed the claims because the appearance standards were lawful. He also determined that the women could return to court for their claims of a hostile environment created by the management.[22]

Doe v. Boeing Corporation(1993)

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Doe, atransgenderperson beginninggender transition,found that her supervisors at the engineering company,Boeing Corporation,were uncooperative with her desire to wear feminine presenting clothing to work. She was warned against wearing, "obviously feminine clothing such as dresses, skirts, or frilly blouses" and from using the women's bathroom. This was even after her counselor recommended that wearing female presenting clothing would help with her transition. After a few warnings from her supervisors, Doe showed up to work wearing a pink pantsuit and was subsequently fired for violating the dress code. This prompted Doe to legal action. TheWashington State Supreme Courtultimately upheld the decision made by Boeing and stated that the company had the right to determine what female identity looked like while at work.[20][23]

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. R.G. &. G.R Harris Funeral Homes, Inc.

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Aimee Stephens,a transgender woman, worked at theR.G. &. G.R Harris Funeral Homesand originally was dressing as a stereotypical male following the funeral home's male attire, but Stephens had intended to transition to female attire to better suit hergender identity.Thomas Rost, the owner of the funeral home, fired Stephens for not presenting herself as a man and for dressing like a woman.[24]Stephens opened a case at theEqual Employment Opportunity Commission,stating discrimination based on sex and gender but the district court sided with the funeral home stating, "that transgender status is not a protected trait underTitle VII".[24]In theSixth Circuit Court of Appeals,it was ruled that Stephens was unlawfully fired based onsex discrimination,which does protect transgender people.[25]TheUnited States Supreme Courtruled in 2020 against firing someone for being homosexual or transgender, as being discrimination based on sex.[26]

The CROWN Act

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The CROWN act, standing for 'create a respectful and open world for natural hair' is a California law that prohibits discrimination in the school and workplace based on the style or texture of one's hair. The act was created in 2019 by Dove and the CROWN Coalition in partnership with California's State Senator Holly J. Mitchel.[27]After a study conducted by Dove to reveal the degree of workplace discrimination towards black women, the data was used to spread awareness and elicit change for the act to be passed. CROWN continues to fight for this cause, with a recent work-study conducted in 2023 revealing that discrimination regarding hair texture still prevails. As of June 2023, 23 US states have enacted the CROWN act into law.[28]

Formal wear

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Main article:Formal wear

In Western countries, a "formal" dress code typically means coats for men andevening dressesfor women. The most-formal dress code is a full-lengthballorevening gownswithevening glovesfor women and for menwhite tie,which also includes atailcoat.

"Semi-formal" has a much less precise definition but typically means an evening jacket and tie for men (known asblack tie) and a dress for women. A frilled or patterned white shirt is considered more formal than a plain white or black shirt, and a blackbow tieis considered more formal than a plain blackcravat,but all could be considered appropriate, depending upon the gala or wedding, when white, black, and blue were the only acceptable colors for weddings and gala events in the 20th century.

"Business casual" typically means not wearingnecktiesorsuits,but wearing instead collared shirts, and trousers (not black, but morerelaxed,including things such ascorduroy).

"Casual" typically just means clothing for the torso, legs and shoes.

"Wedding Casual" defines yet another mode of dress, where guests dress respectfully, but not necessarily fancily. Weddings in the 21st century tend to attract more colorful clothing than traditionally in the past. Ethnically appropriate costumes, such as akilt,turban,Barong tagalog,sari,orkinte clothare also worn frequently.

Business casual

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Main article:Business casual

Business casualdress is a popular workplace dress code that emerged inwhite-collarworkplaces inWestern countriesin the 1990s, especially in the United States and Canada. Manyinformation technologybusinesses inSilicon Valleywere early adopters of this dress code. In contrast to formal business wear such assuitsandneckties(theinternational standard business attire), the business casual dress code has no generally accepted definition; its interpretation differs widely among organizations and is often a cause of sartorial confusion among workers.

Thejob search engineMonsteroffers this definition, "In general, business casual means dressing professionally, looking relaxed, yet neat and pulled together." A more pragmatic definition is that business casual dress is the mid ground between formal business clothes and street clothes. Generally, neckties are excluded from business casual dress, unless worn in nontraditional ways. The acceptability of bluejeansand denim cloth clothing varies — some businesses consider them to be sloppy and informal.

Unwritten rules

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Because dress codes are frequently unwritten and unspoken, someneurodivergent peoplehave difficulty understanding, finding, shopping for, and dressing appropriately to the codes of special events.[citation needed]

Education system

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Many schools around the world implement dress codes in the school system to prevent students from wearing inappropriate clothing items to school and was thought to help influence a safer and more professional environment.

United States education

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In 1996, former U.S. PresidentBill Clintonannounced his support for the idea ofschool uniformsby stating, "School uniforms are one step that may help break the cycle of violence, truancy and disorder by helping young students understand what really counts is what kind of people they are." Manyschool districtsin the United States took up the idea.[29]In all 70 schools, comprising around 60,000 students, switched to school uniforms.[30]

School uniforms have been used with several schools to teach students how to dress appropriately, and in cases it has worked, and has decreased distractions in the educational systems.[30]School uniforms also have several other purposes: they are used to createconformitytosocial norms,increaseschool spirit,reduce peerbullying,and prevent discrimination based uponsocioeconomic class.

One common criticism of school dress codes in the U.S. is that they infringe on students' right to self-expression. There have been many court cases regarding school dress code, the first beingTinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District,which involved students wearing blackarmbandsto protest the Vietnam war.[31]

Within the educational system, the Federation supports professional dress code standards for all teachers.[32]

Dress code violations

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"Communicative" dress code violations are violations where the clothing has implications of hate, violence, gang-affiliation, etc.[33]In cases where dress code rules in public school systems have been violated by non-communicative clothing, courts repeatedly legitimise dress code discrimination based ongender.[34]Amongst thetransgenderpopulations, gender based dress codes are primarily enforced against individuals who do not yetpass.[34]

Violation of dress codes have become a subject of school protests, such as at a high school in Toronto, which had a protest after a student was disciplined for wearing a crop top.[35]Students at multiple schools have protested gender discrimination in the application of dress codes.[36]

Dress code backlash

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Certain dress code restrictions in schools across North America have been accused of perpetuating sexist standards. In March 2014, a group of middle-school girls from Evanston, Illinois, protested their school's dress code, which prohibited them from wearing leggings to school under the pretense that it was "too distracting for boys." Thirteen-year-old student Sophie Hasty was quoted in theEvanston Reviewsaying that "not being able to wear leggings because it's 'too distracting for boys' is giving us the impression we should be guilty for what guys do." In aTimemagazine article covering the incident, Eliana Dockterman argued that teachers and administration in these schools are "walking the fine line between enforcing a dress code and slut shaming."[37]

School dress codes seem to also be gender-biased towards young girls. The research article, "Objectification Study on High School Girls" conducted interviews with middle school girls, one of them describing, "If they're [boys] wearing a sleeveless basketball jersey, it doesn't fully cover their shoulders. They don't usually get called out for that. Guys are not the ones that they're looking out for. So they dress code girls, so guys don't get distracted. But they don't think that girls are going to get distracted by guys' shoulders.[38]"

On Monday, September 22, 2014, "about 100 pupils walked out of Bingham high school in South Jordan, Utah"[39]after more than a dozen girls were turned away from ahomecoming dancefor wearing dresses which violated the dress code.[39]"School staff allegedly lined up girls against a wall as they arrived and banished about two dozen for having dresses which purportedly showed too much skin and violated the rules." It is believed that this act was awkward and humiliating towards the female students, which spawned the walkouts.[39]

In August 2021, one student's mother criticized her daughter's school for continuing to enforce clothing restrictions on girls while allowing students to opt out of mask-wearing during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[40][41]

There have been several issues with dress code backlash happening to several students, such as a 15-year-old girl who attended Edmonton High school, she was banned from attending her school due to dying her hair blue, this resulted in the girl suing her principal for discrimination.[2]In another case, a 16-year-old girl was sent home because she refused to take her eyebrow ring out.[2]

Canadian education

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Dress code backlash

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A Canadian teenager, Lauren Wiggins, was given detention in May 2015 for wearing a floor-length dress with a halter neckline. The punishment prompted Wiggins to write an open letter to the school's assistant vice principal at Harrison Trimble High School in Moncton, New Brunswick. In the letter, Wiggins concentrated specifically on the fact that females are often blamed for the behaviour of males, saying that if a boy "will get distracted by my upper back and shoulders then he needs to be sent home and practice self-control." She was then given a one-day suspension after writing and submitting the letter.[2]

In Ontario, Canada, there were a few backlash incidents that occurred which consisted of girls being sent home due to wearing shorts that were too short.[2]The other case happened in British Columbia where students were directed to wear clothes that were in good taste, and clothing that displayed a business look.[2]Another case that took place in British Columbia was a young women got sent home from her high school, because her principal stated that her shirt was inappropriate due to the show of too much cleavage.[2]These are a few of the many cases that have resulted in a backlash against dress codes.

Academic dress

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Main article:Academic dress
See also:Burgon SocietyandGroves classification system

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Is the Cannes Film Festival's dress code sexist?".thetylt.Retrieved2019-04-08.
  2. ^abcdefghiPomertanz, Shauna (2007). "Cleavage in a Tank Top: Bodily Prohibition and the Discourses of School Dress Codes".Alberta Journal of Educational Research.53(4):373–386.ProQuest228639180.
  3. ^abPlanché, J. R. (1847).History of British Medieval Costume: From the Earliest Period to the Close of the Eighteenth Century. C. Cox.pp. 28,32–35.
  4. ^Langdon, Vedder Price PC-Esther; Maude, Jonathan (June 2017)."Dress Codes and Religious Symbols at Work in the EU | Lexology".lexology.Retrieved2019-03-17.
  5. ^A Narrative of the Adventures and Sufferings of John R. Jewitt, Only Survivor of the Crew of the Ship Boston, During a Captivity of Nearly Three Years Among the Savages of Nootka Sound: With an Account of the Manners, Mode of Living, and Religious Opinions of the Natives.digital full text herep161 onwards
  6. ^abClemente, Deirdre (2017-05-22)."Why American Workers Now Dress So Casually".The Atlantic.Retrieved2024-03-19.
  7. ^Frazier, Karen."Typical School Dress Codes".lovetoknow.Retrieved16 September2022.
  8. ^Mitchell, Travis (29 June 2021)."9. Religious clothing and personal appearance".Retrieved4 April2023.
  9. ^abMark Juergensmeyer, Wade Clark Roof, ed. (2012). "Hijab".Encyclopedia of Global Religion.Vol. 1. SAGE Publications. p. 516.doi:10.4135/9781412997898.ISBN9780761927297.
  10. ^“Hijab.”Cambridge Dictionary,dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/hijab. Accessed 6 Sept. 2023.
  11. ^Syed, Ibrahim."The Quran Does Not Mandate Hijab".Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc.Archivedfrom the original on 21 December 2015.Retrieved26 December2015.
  12. ^"Hijab is Not an Islamic Duty: Muslim Scholar".Morocco World News.Archivedfrom the original on 27 December 2015.Retrieved26 December2015.
  13. ^Nomani, Asra Q.; Arafa, Hala (21 December 2015)."Opinion: As Muslim women, we actually ask you not to wear the hijab in the name of interfaith solidarity".Washington Post.Retrieved22 December2022.
  14. ^"Behind the Veil: Oppression or Assertion"(PDF).Archived(PDF)from the original on 4 May 2023.
  15. ^"THE EVOLUTION OF MODERN FILIPINIANA: A BRIEF HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE FASHION".Narra Studio.2025.RetrievedJanuary 20,2025.
  16. ^"Piña Exhibit (drop-down box): Evolution of Philippine Costume".Philippine Folk Museum Foundation (United States).2025.RetrievedJanuary 20,2025.
  17. ^"Employee Dress and Appearance".Society for Human Resource Management.Retrieved27 September2017.(subscription required)
  18. ^Thomas, Robin."Dress Code Legal Issues".Personnel Policy Services Inc.Archived fromthe originalon 14 March 2016.
  19. ^"Illegal Workplace Policies: Appearance, Dress Codes, and Grooming Policies".employmentlawfirms.Retrieved2019-03-17.
  20. ^abcdefgAinsworth, Janet (January 2014). "What's Wrong with Pink Pearls and Cornrow Braids? Employee Dress Codes and the Semiotic Performance of Race and Gender in the Workplace".Law, Culture and Visual Studies.Dordrecht Springer. pp.241–260.ISBN978-90-481-9322-6.
  21. ^"Schiavo v. Marina District Development Company, LLC, NJ: Appellate Div. 2015 - Google Scholar".scholar.google.Retrieved2021-02-26.
  22. ^NJ, Paige Gross | For (2019-05-20)."The 'Borgata Babes' who sued the casino a decade ago will get their day in court. Rules about their weight were discriminatory, they say".nj.Retrieved2021-02-26.
  23. ^Jane Doe v. Boeing Company,121 Wn.2d 8(Supreme Court of Washington,en banc1993).
  24. ^abEeoc v. Rg &. Gr Harris Funeral Homes, Inc.,vol. 884, October 4, 2017, p. 560,retrievedFebruary 25,2021,Argued: October 4, 2017
  25. ^"R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v EEOC & Aimee Stephens".American Civil Liberties Union.Retrieved2021-02-26.
  26. ^Higgins, Tucker (2020-06-15)."Supreme Court rules workers can't be fired for being gay or transgender".CNBC.Retrieved2021-02-26.
  27. ^https:// thecrownact /[bare URL]
  28. ^"CROWN Act: Does Your State Prohibit Hair Discrimination?".
  29. ^Bowen, Sherry."Should Kids Wear School Uniforms?".EduGuide.RetrievedSeptember 22,2013.
  30. ^abFirmin, Michael; Smith, Suzanne; Perry, Lynsey (2006). "School Uniforms: A Qualitative Analysis of Aims and Accomplishments at Two Christian Schools".Journal of Research on Christian Education.15(2):143–168.doi:10.1080/10656210609485000.S2CID144932641.ProQuest594820094.
  31. ^"School Dress Codes - FindLaw".Findlaw.Retrieved2017-12-08.
  32. ^Hills, Surry (April 7, 2014). "Response to dress code".Education.95(3): 8.ProQuest1519605424.{{cite journal}}:CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  33. ^Herbon, Beth, and Jane E. Workman. "Dress and Appearance Codes in Public Secondary School Handbooks." Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences 92.5 (2000): 68-76.
  34. ^abSmith, Natalie. "Eliminating Gender Stereotypes in Public School Dress Codes: The Necessity of Respecting Personal Preference."Journal of Law & Education;41.1 (2012): 251-60.
  35. ^Casey, Liam (May 26, 2015)."Toronto students sport crop tops in protest of dress code".CTVNews.RetrievedNovember 23,2021.
  36. ^McGowan, Emma (September 1, 2015)."Meet the Teenage Girls Who Are Taking a Stand Against Slut-Shaming Dress Codes".Mic.RetrievedNovember 23,2021.
  37. ^Dockterman, Eliana."When Enforcing School Dress Codes Turns Into Slut Shaming".Time.Retrieved2015-11-16.
  38. ^Lim, Heejin; Lennon, Sharron; Jones, Domenique (2021-11-17)."Objectification Found in High School Girls' Experience With Dress Code Enforcement".Clothing and Textiles Research Journal.42(2):103–120.doi:10.1177/0887302X211058434.ISSN0887-302X.S2CID244394673.
  39. ^abcCarroll, Rory (24 September 2014)."Students protest 'slut shaming' high school dress codes with mass walkouts".The Guardian.Retrieved8 December2014.
  40. ^Hall, Louise (13 August 2021)."Mom praised for calling out double standard of schools not enforcing masks but 'misogynistic' dress code".The Independent.
  41. ^West, Phil (13 August 2021)."Mom calls out school's double standard in letting masks be optional but making girls adhere to 'misogynistic' dress code".The Daily Dot.

Pratt, Michael G., and Anat Rafaeli. "Organizational Dress as a Symbol of Multilayered Social Identities." Academy of Management Journal, vol. 40, no. 4, 1997, pp. 862-898.ProQuest199840879.

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