I’ve seen girls walk past me who have
found ways to make shorts skimpier than
underwear, and yet somehow the people
who always seem to get dress coded are the
ones who have a tiny rip at the knee of their
jeans.

After being dress coded, students
have to wear duct tape, which quickly loses
its adhesiveness after about two periods,
over the rips for the rest of the school day.
Let’s face it, the school dress code is out-
dated — practically begging to be broken —
and in need of revision.
Compared to short shorts and miniskirts,
jeans cover a larger area of leg, and it’s
difficult to be revealing in them. Ripped
jeans are allowed in many schools across
the nation, as long as the rips are below a
student’s fingertips when his or her arms
are relaxed by their side. This rule is meant
to ensure that no underwear peeks through
the holes.
Moreover, ripped jeans aren’t that
distracting. They’re similar to piercings;
the one or two piercings that the major-
ity of people have are normal compared to
the few people who have gauges that leave
three-inch holes in their ears. It’s the same
concept with ripped jeans. One or two rips
near the knees isn’t distracting at all, but
when the jeans look like they got mauled by
a bear, something should be said.
The issue with ripped jeans is an outdated
and bothersome policy that, with a few
adjustments, can easily be changed for the
better without major issues.

If the school
begins enforcing a policy where rips are
only allowed if they are below mid-thigh or
fingertips, then students will stop com-
plaining and administration won’t have to
waste its time dress coding students for this
minor issue.
For many, ripped jeans are a fashion
statement. Whether worn with heels,
sneakers or chains, ripped jeans represent
an image of themselves that these students
want the world to see. As long as the aes-
thetic value of the jeans isn’t obscene, why
should the right to express one’s fashion
ideas be limited by the school?