By Julie He ‘23
As a small independent private school, St. Marks allows for freedom in many choices from religion to athletics. However, it seems the line is drawn when it concerns clothing. With the (arguably) strict dress code, St. Mark’s imposes a string of rules, including a ban on blue jeans, leggings, sweatpants, and more. Because of these regulations, SM students are often left with few choices. During the day, especially when considering weather, skirts are a popular choice. As an easy and fashionable article of clothing, skirts offer comfort and style to everyone. Because St Mark’s dress code requires the skirt length to be “4 inches past one’s fingertips”, this rule makes it hard for students to dress freely because of the length. The dress skirt length is too harsh and could use adjustments.
As times shift, so do fashion trends. Since the founding of St. Mark's, styles have developed, and shorter skirts have become the fashion norm. Furthermore, pictures of Southborough School (Girls School before it merged with SM) found in the school show girls wearing skirts, not of dress code length. If 1978 St. Mark’s are allowed such attire privilege, why can’t we?
One reason for the skirt length rule is to promote equality using the same length of bottoms for both boys and girls. However, while the intention is admirable, stores and malls do not support this notion. In stores, Bermuda-length shorts for boys are effortless to find. This cannot be said the same for girls. It is near impossible to find skirts the length of more than 4 inches below the fingertips, with most dresses found in stores today fingertip length or shorter. The length for boy’s pants is, in general, longer than for girls of the same size. The equality then turns to inequality when stores do not offer said equality.
At SM, athletic uniforms (Squash, Tennis, etc.) also force girls to wear skirts that are actually not of dress code length. What is the difference between the academic day and sports day? If modesty is the issue, shouldn’t sport skirts be longer since their physical movement should be more revealing than walking and sitting. Spandex shorts can also be worn underneath skirts should that be a big issue.
While I understand St. Mark’s wishes for equality and protection, the rules could be tweaked to allow more freedom in dress choice. Our clothes have a significant effect on us whether in terms of confidence or comfort. For example, by changing the length to just the fingertips, we can ensure safety and a chance to wear skirts. This length is also imposed at many other private schools with no problems arising from it. Implementing this rule would provide more equality to students and allow them to express their individuality through clothing. Currently, I see no drawbacks of laxing the dress code to allow more skirts in the school. By loosening the restrictions, St. Markers will be able to dress more easily, express themselves, and stay fashionable.