By Annie Nesbitt ’13, A&E Section Editor.

Tops

– Collared shirts or turtlenecks

– Tops must have sleeves and must completely cover the midriff

– Button down shirts must be buttoned

– See-through material and tightly fitted shirts are inappropriate

– No undergarment should be visible

Pants / Shorts / Skirts

– All pants/shorts must be worn at the waist / hip

– Shorts and skirts must meet the knee

– Shorts / skirts / pants must not be tight fitting

– No gym shorts, cut offs, sweat pants, or stretch pants / leggings

These are the current rules listed in the CCDS Dress Code. But here’s a question: take a moment and play my favorite game. It’s called “Count the freshman and sophomore girls in the US Commons that are out of the Dress Code.” Usually, of the twenty of so girls around, about 7 or 8 of them are breaking numerous rules on any given day. The most common violations are the “I’m-wearing-a-button-down-but-it’s-really-just-covering-my-shoulders-and-I-can-still-wear-a-low-cut-tank-top” and the “These-just-look-like-yoga-pants-it’s-not-a-big-deal” excuses. As someone who has tried to follow the rules for three long years, I say that if our US Dress Code is not going to be universally enforced, it should be altered.

I don’t believe that any girl in our school wants to be inappropriate by her own standards: she wants to look good and feel good. But when the rules are clearly stated and they are easy to follow, there is no excuse. Every single

day, I see too-short skirts, shirts with no collars, leggings, crop-tops, and even shirts with no sleeves at all. Even though some of these rules seem ludicrous (who can find skirts that reach the knee?), every student who comes to Cincinnati County Day School has agreed to adhere to those rules or face the consequences.

Some girls don’t mind getting in trouble for repeated violations. Why not, if you’re a senior, wear whatever who want and go to a couple detentions? It’s not a huge hassle. But many girls who break the Dress Code repeatedly never get reprimanded. To me, if the law isn’t held up to everyone, it should be held up to no one. Why should I get in trouble for wearing a skirt that is five inches above my knee when a girl wearing a camisole and an unbuttoned cardigan passes through unscathed? Rules should not be a question of fairness: if they are set, they should be

followed.

Many people do not share my opinion. They believe that if they can get away with it, they can wear it. However, the Cincinnati Country Day standard is that we follow the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law. We are expected to be moral students, and I personally hold myself to that high standard. So my hope for next year and the years to follow is that the Dress Code will be easy to follow, appropriate, and upheld.