Getting dressed

Thursday, February 17, 2011
What do you think about dress codes? Do they make sense in school, restaurants, or places of business? Why or why not?

I think dress codes are absoloutely fine, I don't see anything wrong with it. People may say that "oh, my right to wear what I like is enshrined by law" but when it comes to private property then the law be damned, apparently, and I don't see why not in this case. We have a right to self expression but if I've paid to see a film I'm gonna be pissed off if someone starts using their phone, and would expect said person to be asked to leave. Works on a similar kind of principle.

We all have uniforms to wear, for example to work. Here in the UK a school uniform is usually compulsory, or at least given as an option. It's used as an equalizer, and so jewellery etc is also usually restricted (although this is also for health and safety and to stop the school from coming under fire when Princess looses her grandmothers wedding ring. And yes, I knew girls at school who wore the wedding and engagement rings inherrited from grandparents if they could get away with it). It's also used to instil a sense of pride and belonging. This is similar to a work uniform, though that is also usually used to proect a certain kind of corporate image. Often it also serves a practical purpose. In my last job, it was ties and shirts for the guys, though women got a bit more free reign, but when I was a carer, of course, it was nursing tunics and disposable aprons.

So the reasons are many but are themselves uniform accross the board. It's when we get to dress codes in places of leisure and recreation that things can become a bit of a pickle. A few years ago, so called "hoodies" were all over the news, youths in hooded tops clogging up the streets of Britain and ultimately at the root of all of our anti social behaviour problems. So most "respectable" places have a ban on hooded tops, though this will be backed up by protestations of "if they cause trouble, they can't be easily identified by security camera" which is fair enough. But how then do you explain a pub with a ban on trainers? It will let trouble makers run away faster? Nope, it's the image they portray.

However, we do live in a society of double standards. A while back I read in a news article that there was outrage that an elderly gentleman was asked to remove his hat upon entering a shop which had a ban on hats. He would not, and thus was asked to leave. Not so long ago, my family went for a meal and on the door was a sign "no hoodies" however my dad has always used a hooded fleece top as a means of keeping warm if he's just ducking between buildings and there's no point in wearing a full out coat. He was not, however, asked to leave or remove the offending article.

Some people will be sticklers for the rules, but some people will see why the rules have been applied and use their common sense...it was quiet, that day in the restaurant, and I'd like to think we were obviously not the trouble making type, so the waitress used her discretion...

That said, despite that incident working in our favour, there have been pleanty of times when we've been turned away from a bar because someone didn't wear the correct footwear or trousers, and on the whole I think if we're going to have dress codes, they should be stuck by. Are they a good idea? Well I think there is the possibility of people taking it too far, but I've yet to see it, and until I do, I don't see how any harm can be done by them.