New School Clothing: Practical Trumps Fashionable

No matter how much your daughter begs and pleads with you for that new pair of black short shorts or to-die-for sheer spaghetti-strap top, remember to be practical and shop appropriately when buying ‘back-to-school' clothing. Otherwise, she might end up wearing her gym clothes all day.

Each year, students seem to push the boundary when it comes to appropriate clothing for school. And each year, administrators are forced to rewrite the dress code and come down harder and harder on offenders.

For Capistrano Unified School District students, some of the biggest problems every year are crop tops and short skirts, as well as shoulder straps that are too thin and revealing undergarments. Skirts must be at least fingertip length, and shorts must have at least a four-inch inseam. 

Shoulder straps must be at least 1-inch wide and cover all undergarments, even if the student wears a sweater or any article of clothing over it. Clothing that reveals any undergarments is prohibited, as well as tight or revealing clothing. For the feet, forget about any platform flip-flops, sandals or slippers.

But it's not just about the girls. Boys wearing caps inside any building is a big problem at school, although wearing them outside is okay. And it's never a good idea to wear clothing with inappropriate language or pictures.

Below is what is posted on the district website regarding dress code:

The primary standards for student dress and grooming are to be neat and clean while at school and to conform to the District dress and grooming standards. Students may not wear clothing which compromises safety or modesty, or which is disruptive to the educational process.

STUDENTS ARE NOT TO WEAR ANY CLOTHING/APPAREL WHICH IS DISRUPTIVE TO THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESS:   

FOR EXAMPLE:

• No clothing that is considered unsafe, dangerous, or a health hazard (i.e., torn, frayed clothing, excessively long or baggy clothing).
• No clothing that contains offensive or obscene symbols, signs, slogans, or words degrading any gender, cultural, religious, or ethnic values.
• No clothing that contains language or symbols oriented toward violence, sex, drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. 
• No sheer/see-through clothing (blouses, skirts etc).
• No "T" tops, halter tops, or spaghetti straps.  All tops and dresses must have a 1-inch shoulder strap.
• This 1-inch guideline is in effect regardless if student is wearing a sweater or any article of clothing over it. 
• No bare midriffs.   
• No halter tops or tube tops or any form of strapless clothing.
• No short shorts/skirts. Extremely tight and/or clothing with less than a 4-inch inseam.
• No tight or revealing clothing. Skirts should be no shorter than the fingertips of student with arms extended at sides.
• No extremes in hairstyles, such as Mohawks or unnatural colors, (hot colors), or letters shaved in head.
• No painted/marked faces, arms, hands, legs. No stick-on skin tattoos. No writing on the body or face.
• No platform flip-flops, sandals, or shoes over 2-inches high.
• No clothing which allows underwear to be exposed--baggy pants/shirts/blouses.
• No safety pins and other similar potentially dangerous objects. NOT to be worn as decorative items.
• No pajamas and slippers; No underwear may be worn as outerwear.

NOTE: PANTS AND SHORTS ARE TO BE WORN WAIST SIZE APPROPRIATE, WORN ABOVE THE HIPS AND OVER ALL UNDERGARMENTS. T-SHIRTS ARE TO BE SIZE APPROPRIATE. SIZE APPROPRIATE IS DEFINED AS: CLOTHING OR APPAREL DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED TO FIT THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENT’S SIZE AND STATURE. PANT WAIST SIZE SHOULD BE WITHIN 2-inches OF WAIST. PANTS LENGTH MUST BE  ABOVE  THE GROUND.

(Source: CUSD)