Dress codes aggravate issues of self-esteem (2024)

FAQs

How does the dress code affect self-esteem? ›

Telling someone that they shouldn't show a certain amount of skin or wear something can lead them to feel insecure or uncomfortable with their own bodies, and they shouldn't have to feel bad because of someone else's opinion.

The dress code gives room to alienate and subject people for not fitting into a box. We are seeing short term harmful effects on people's self esteem. Teaching girls that their body parts are inherently bad or important to others implies that how her body looks should be of extreme importance to her.

Dress codes reinforce racist standards of beauty and dress. Uniformly mandated dress codes are seldom uniformly mandated, often discriminating against women and marginalized groups. Dress codes bolster religious and cultural intolerance.

In sum, dress codes have discriminatory workings, can contribute to mental health issues and, limit self-expression and freedom – especially important to students wanting to express or explore their gender identity.

You may be left wondering where the line is between a permissible dress code and unlawful discrimination. Here's the short answer: While public schools are allowed to have dress codes and uniform policies, they cannot discriminate against certain students or censor student expression.

Wearing something we perceive as sexy can make us feel more self assured, more powerful and more confident. To improve self image, even copying someone's style may be a good idea. Research shows that when we emulate the dress code of people we consider smart and powerful, we feel infused with these qualities as well.