Dress Code for Girls

Purpose

The Dress Code explains what girls may and may not wear while on College grounds.  Terms are defined, so the Dress Code is clear and unambiguous.  By following it to the letter, girls will be assured of a happy, yet decent, campus experience.

The Dress Code is the first of the Four Pillars, which together uphold decency while allowing a girl’s natural beauty to shine through.

Clarity

Dress codes of the past have depended on a girl’s judgment.  For example, they might have proscribed dresses or skirts shorter than “mid-thigh” without defining exactly the two endpoints of her thigh or defining the position (sitting, standing) in which the length is measured.  Moreover, a girl who wants to dress in a sexy manner while still adhering to such an antiquated dress code would be required to take careful measurements not only before she dresses in the morning, but also when she shops for clothing.  This Dress Code requires no such judgment calls, because it is clear and unambiguous in what it proscribes.

Layering

Indecency generally results from wearing multiple layers of clothes.  For example, a girl may feel decent in a dress that is much too short for her, because she can depend on the panties underneath.  A girl might aim to wear a skirt that just barely covers her panties, giving her a daring look that makes people wonder if she’s wearing anything under it.  Such a girl would not dare wear such a short skirt without the comfort and security of her panties.  In this example, it is clear that the wearing of multiple layers of clothing (panties under a skirt) can result in indecency.  Therefore, this Dress Code prohibits the wearing of multiple layers of clothing.

Here are some tips for girls to avoid layering:

  • Do not wear panties except as outerwear (in place of shorts, for example).
  • Do not wear a bra except as outerwear.
  • Use your belly button as a guide.  Tops should stay above it, and bottoms should stay below it.
  • Do not tuck in your shirt.  If it is possible to tuck in your shirt, then your top is too long.
  • See the section on “Pubic Hair” for special rules that apply to girls wearing a bush.

Generally, girls should wear one of two types of outfits: 1-piece or 2-piece.  A one-piece outfit (sometimes called a body cover) is a dress, leotard, or “painters pants”.  A backless dress (or apron) is also acceptable as a one-piece outfit.  A two-piece outfit is a top and bottom.  Neither the top nor bottom should cover a girl’s belly button.  A top can be a shirt (or half shirt), a bra (or bathing suit top or “sports bra”), a camisole, crop-top, halter-top, tube-top, etc.  A bottom can be pants or shorts (or panties worn as shorts, or a bathing suit bottom), skirt (or loin cloth, which is a backless skirt).

The only length restrictions of a girls clothing involve the definitions of “top” and “dress”.  Any top long enough to cover a girl’s belly button is considered a “dress”, so she should not wear any other clothing with such a top.  Otherwise, a girl is free to wear clothes as long or as short as she likes.  It is expected that a girl will wear a dress or skirt long enough for her to feel comfortable and confident.

Pubic Hair

Pubic hair is perfectly acceptable.  However, it counts as a bottom (a “layer” of coverage).  A girl with a bush may not wear any clothing below her belly button.  This rule should not discourage girls from wearing pubic hair as a fashion, however, as long as she feels confident that it properly and decently covers her.

Growing it out — If a girl decides to stop shaving, she must discontinue wearing a bottom as soon as pubic hair is visible.  Generally, pubic hair becomes visible from a few days to a week after she stops shaving, depending on its color and density.

Decorative styles — A girl may style or neatly trim her pubic hair to provide a “landing strip”, for example.  A girl with such minimal pubic hair may not feel that it should count as a layer of clothing, but it does.  To forestall disputes over gradations of hair length or coverage area, the Dress Code simply declares any visible pubic hair to count as a “layer” of clothing.  A girl’s choices are simple: either grow it out to the point she feels decent wearing just her pubic hair as a bottom, or else shave it off and wear some other kind of bottom.

Shirts, Skirts and Dresses — A Practical Guide

The College recognizes that girls come here with clothing they bought knowing nothing about our Dress Code, and that they want to feel decent, but also sexy at the same time.  At first, some girls feel awkward or shy about wearing their short skirts without underwear.  They fear such things as walking up stairs, drinking from a water fountain, or simply sitting down.  It just isn’t possible to remain completely covered at all times and in all situations.  So a girl should aim to be decent most of the time.  It’s not at all unusual to see up a girl’s skirt from time to time, so these sights are taken in stride by the campus population.

My favorite t-shirt is too long — This is a common complaint among freshman girls.  The arrive on campus with an array of fashionable tops, but to their dismay, many of their tops cover their belly buttons, so they count as dresses.  The best advice for a girl in this situation is to try on one of her longer tops and ask herself:  Does it cover me far enough to wear as a dress?  In many cases, a girl will be surprised to see her favorite tops can be worn all by themselves.

Topics include:

Skirt length — a guide to help girls avoid skirts that are either too short or too long to be appropriate