Should tight clothing be banned in public schools?

These two outfits wouldn't stand a chance under a proposed ban on form-fitting clothing by the school board in Meriden, Ct. (iStock) A Connecticut school board is considering banning tight jeans, leggings and other form-fitting clothing to keep it from disrupting the education process.

Principals within the Meriden Board of Education requested an amendment to the student dress code because of "recent fashion trends," according to the agenda of the board's meeting on Tuesday night.

The board "takes pride in the appearance of [its] students," the current dress code states. "Students are expected to wear attire that is not disruptive to the education process and is not dangerous or unsafe."

Students' pants are already required to "fit well enough to stay at the waist, preventing exposure of undergarments." The amendment would ban skirts, shorts, dresses and pants that are "form fitting either by fabric, cut and/or design. This will mean that undergarments and private body areas must not be evident or visible through clothing."

The ban would include leotards, jeggings (jean leggings), skinny jeans, and revealing and form-fitting materials such as spandex, WFSB News reported on March 6, when the issue was first debated at a school board meeting.

Similar rules would apply to blouses and shirts.

"I'm all for it," Jeannette Plaza, the mother of two Meriden public school students, told WFSB. "Nowadays, kids are more entertained with what they're wearing than what's going on at school."

Who will enforce the ban, and what punishment will be meted out for violations, has not been determined.

Do you agree with a ban on form-fitting clothing in public schools? Why or why not? If you had a dress code at your school, how do you think it affected your learning, if at all? Share your thoughts in the comment field below.


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