Student dress codes and standards

School dress requirements and personal appearance standards have long been contentious, since they have evolved to meet changing societal expectations. Imposing dress restrictions is frequently perceived as discriminatory against girls and young women. Across the country, school boards that prohibited female students from wearing leggings or yoga pants sparked outrage among those who liked to wear them. Standards for hem lengths on skirts, shorts, tube tops, and other sorts of apparel have been criticized, frequently on social media. T-shirts with offensive messages, hoodies, sagging pants, and hats promoting controversial positions are also frequently prohibited by dress codes.

In 2018, a kid from a Maryland high school arrived for class wearing purposefully ripped jeans. A teacher, probably outraged by the exposed skin from the tears, instructed the seventh-grader to cover them with duct tape. Students throughout the country reacted angrily to similar acts by school officials and administrators, claiming that female students and students of color are singled out for dress code breaches. As a result of the incident, the case for mandatory school uniforms for all public school students has gained traction. In the 2017-18 school year, just over 20% of all American public schools required all students to wear school uniforms.