`Off with the dress code, we ain't no kids'
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Aren't college students mature enough to know how to dress? Of course, say the teenagers, but some elders differ.
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Making a fashion statement within and outside the campus. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar
THE RAGING issue on college campuses right now is the "dress code." Every time a college imposes dress restrictions, opinion among students, teachers, parents splits vertically - those for and those against. Dresses are getting shorter by the day and this, obviously, is the worry of the college authorities. Most students feel that a dress code is impractical. They contend that they are responsible enough to wear the right kind of clothes and that the colleges should treat them as adults and not as school students. They add that it is alright to have a dress code for the BBM students, but not for all students. Being told to wear salwar kameez for the first five days of the week, and casuals on Saturdays is seen as a restriction by many girls.
Adarsh from Christ College says "What's the harm in wearing a T-shirt when we know where to draw the line. How would such rules help us in developing a dressing sense if they are so rigid."
Nadia, a BBM student of Jain College, says "It's a real hassle to wear trousers and blazers early in the morning. I wish we did not have such a restriction on dressing. It's really silly and ridiculous."
Reshma of Jyoti Nivas College says, "We do not have a particular dress code in our college. It is just that we are not allowed to wear sleeveless and short tops which is quite fine with us."
According to Sana, another student, "The students should be allowed the freedom to develop their own dress sense. They can be corrected if their way of dressing is not acceptable. It is much better than imposing a rule which they are not comfortable with."
Sr. Lalitha, Vice-Principal of Jyoti Nivas College, says, "There is no written rule pertaining to dress codes but we expect our students to dress decently."
Preeti, from Mount Carmel College, seems to be happy about the fact that there are no rules regarding dresses in her college. "We are just not permitted to wear sleeveless tops and short skirts."
The students of St. Joseph's College too are free to wear whatever they like. Says Priya, "We have to wear a uniform for special occasions which takes place at the college. The college expects us to dress decently. Otherwise, we don't have any such rules." She feels that if students dress in a decent way, the colleges wouldn't have to impose any rules. But for this, the colleges must give the students a chance to decide on how they want to dress.
Raksha, from Christ College, says, "Agreed that a dress code helps in improving our dressing sense, but it should be made a flexible rule." The Public Relations Officer of Christ College, Sebastian, justifies the implementation of the code. "Christ College believes in the holistic development of an individual which includes the way he/she dresses. Students who come to Bangalore for their studies go astray easily. So we are trying to create and maintain a steady dressing sense. The issue of dress code has been stretched too far. It is just another college rule to maintain discipline among the students, which has to be followed."
KHAZRA RIZVI Jyothi Nivas College, Bangalore.
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