Divine Child High School in Florida received several backlashes for it's enforcement of the "Modesty Poncho". What's a modesty poncho? According to the school, a modesty is an article of clothing, meant to cover 'indecent' prom attire. If students did not abide to these rules, they made to wear the modesty poncho, or sent home.
Today, women are free to express themselves in whatever styles they want. However, some sources report school moderating women's clothing; saying nothing of men's attire. According to one high school in Florida, students are not permitted to wear clothes that expose the shoulder areas, as they are believed to be distractions. Student , Cat Moring, from Marcus High School, argues that schools over-sexualize young women and objectify their styles, whilst, their male counterparts do not get penalized for wearing same trends.
Young women of today are not only being erased with their fashion choices, but are also being silenced for the choices they make with their bodies. Women like, Rupi Kaur, Jazz Jennings, and Cat Moring fight to give women voices, in places where they are not heard. Jennings argues for dress inclusive clothing for women, especially marginalized students. She argues that schools should not focus on the attire of their students, rather, the quality of their education. Jennings brings up the facts that student should dress in a manner that is comfortable and corresponds to their gender, identity, and style.
Below, I interviewed Shelby Mittlestedt and Jessica Jumamil about their experience with dress code enforcements in school.