Dress for Success

Student Vote Results

Student Vote Results

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

The December 1st poll results reflect 151 student views of the Williston High School dress code. Teens like to show their personalities by how they dress, but society tends to label people who do not follow the “norm.”

What is the purpose of dress codes?

  • to guide students’ self-respect
  • to prepare students for workplace environments

Student comments on why teens dress inappropriately:

  • parents don’t care
  • low self-esteem
  • seeking attention

Mrs. Katie Rooke, our WHS Choir director, shared the choir dress code:

Concert attire for all ensembles is each student’s responsibility and must be all solid black.  Failure to follow the dress code will result in a loss of 20 points for the performance.

Women:
Black blouse or shirt with sleeves over the shoulder
*No tank tops, revealing shirts, or shirts with writing
Black dress pants (loose-fitting) or floor-length dress/skirt
*No black jeans, sweatpants, athletic pants, yoga pants or leggings
Black dress shoes
Optional: silver scarf or silver jewelry

Men:
Black button-up shirt with a collar
Black dress pants
*No black jeans, sweatpants, or athletic pants
Black dress shoes and black socks
Silver tie (provided)

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is “the largest career student business organization in the world” (“FBLA”). The group’s focus is in preparing students for business careers. WHS has participated in this organization in the past. The required dress code from the FBLA site lists the following as inappropriate for both men and women:

  • Denim or chambray fabric clothing of any kind: shorts,  stretch or stirrup pants, exercise or bike shorts
  • Backless, see-through, tight-fitting, spaghetti straps, strapless, extremely short, or low-cut blouses/tops/dresses/skirts
  • Lycra™, spandex, midriff tops, tank tops
  • Hats

Andrew Malone, WHS Reporter, searched out data from other schools:

BASIS Scottsdale is an Arizona high school ranked number one in the nation (as of 2017) by US News. Their dress code, according to the Scottsdale handbook shared by Stacy Gibson, is very similar to WHS. US News scores schools across the United States on various elements including college readiness. 

Legacy High School in Bismarck, North Dakota, also carries similar dress code requirements, according to their handbook linked to the school’s website (“Legacy High School”).

Andrew: “I personally was thinking that down in the south the dress code would be different than the dress code up in North Dakota and I also thought that the dress code in Bismarck would be different.”

What is expected in the “real world” at jobs/businesses?

“Top 10 Employee Dress Code Violations,” a Hartford article by Kelly Spors, states that “about 60% of employees” have to follow a dress code at work.” Spors lists the following as problem areas in the workplace:

  • Dressing too casual during nice weather: tank tops and flip flops
  • Showing too much skin
  • Showing tattoos
  • Dressing too casual when meeting the public
  • Jeans
  • Hats

Student Shares: 

Breanna Willeford: My dad, Ryan Weckwerth, worked for the oilfield company Weatherford. He had been moved to the offices in the shops and his dress code required him to dress “nice” or pretty formal. For example, he wore a dress shirt and pants. The other shop hands wore older kind of clothes or the uniforms the company provided them with.

Elizabeth Leko: I work at Famous Dave’s BBQ as the hostess. The dress code I have to follow includes wearing jeans that are not skinny and have no rips. We have to wear black shoes that cover our toes and a belt to match, along with our work shirt tucked into our pants. Also, if your hair is long it has to be up somehow.

Torrie JohnsonI work at Taco Johns and we have to wear uniforms. We wear black pants – no jeans or leggings – with our Taco Johns shirts, hat, and plain black shoes.

Cassandra Webb: My mother works at the public library and she has to wear slacks with any number of blouses. She cannot wear jeans or graphic t-shirts.

 

Sources:

“Best High Schools National Rankings.” USNews.com. 2017.

“FBLA: Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, Inc.” fbla-pbl.org. 2017.

“Legacy High School.” BismarckSchools.org. 2017.

Spor, Kelly. “Top 10 Employee Dress Code Violations.” SmallBizAhead: The Hartford. 4 Aug. 2014.