Dresses for girls at school dances?

[VictoriaOKeefe]

Hi
It's going to be my school prom coming up, and I've found out that I'm not going to be able to wear what I want to wear. For some reason, the headteacher has decided that girls have to wear dresses, and are not allowed to wear suits instead.
This is really unfair, there's no good reason to restrict people from wearing what they like. It's sexist because it means I'm supposed to be all girly and feminine in a pretty dress, when that doesn't suit my taste or personality. etc.

Take it one step at a time.

1. Get as many parents as you can to write/call/email the head. If that doesn't change anything then
2. Go to the Head of Govenors. If that doesn't change anything then
3. Go to local press. If that doesn't change anything then
4. Get all the other students on your side, organise your own prom/boycott school prom/get everyone to cross dress/wear the tiniest non existant dresses.

It is 2012 FFS. Why are schools still enforcing this shit?

Ah, I saw the most fabulous white halterneck trouser suit just after I got married. I still wish I had found it before so that I could have got married in it instead of the dress that I had made and which I don't really like any more.

Anyway, yadnbu. Do what Redexpat suggests, only in Step 1 I would include students as well as parents. Bloody ridiculous of the head to force anyone to put a dress on fgs. Does he want you all to have nice, long hair and go on to secretarial college as well?

There are dress codes at many events, and sometimes these do include ladies wearing a dress or a skirt in the same way they require a man to wear a suit and tie.

However, a school event shouldn't be one of those events. Smart should be enough.

The above advice is good, or o you have a school council tat could get the point across?

YANBU - we had a similar thing at my school for my final year dance (1996 - god I am getting old) and we staged a mini protest we had school uniforms and for the 90 mionutes between breaks the girls and boys all swapped clothes, we wore their ties and trousers and they wore our skirts, the schools frist response was to give the entire year detention, but eventually relented and allowed us to wear what we liked to our final year and even allowed same sex couples to attend.

But I agree with Red, try a petition first and see where you go from there.

The dress code for DD's Y11 dinner and dance is full length dresses and black tie. It is being held at a very grand hotel.

Everyone seems fine with it. As others have said it is a normal requirement at social functions to have a dress code so that everyone knows what to wear to fit in.

One of DD's friends is not a girly girl but she has found a very plain simple gown to wear that she feels comfortable in.

For some reason, the headteacher has decided that girls have to wear dresses

Hardly as if she has just randomly decided to impose this sort of rule is it...

It is fairly normal for girls to wear dresses to a prom, so you are going to stand out if you dont.

Equally it would be expected that the boys wear suits, and not turn up in a dress.

This very point is covered as an example in the guidelines for schools on the Equality Act and they certainly believe that a transgender student would certainly have a case for discrimination under the act if they were forced to wear a dress to attend.

The op does not mention that she is transgender.

Surely if you look smart it doesn't matter what you wear. I can't imagine DD's school being bothered if a girl chose to wear a smart trouser suit, whatever the dress code. Have you paid for a ticket OP?

Squeakytoy no, nor do they mention that they're not, the policy is discriminatory against the Equality act as it stands though by the guidelines, there just may be no people who are discriminated against.

Surely a school prom should be FUN! It's not some stuffy black tie works function.
It's a celebration of the end of school that all pupils should feel happy to attend.

The OP should jolly well be allowed to turn up in jeans and a t shirt if she likes. Not expected to buy an expensive dress.

If trousers can be worn as part of the usual school uniform, then the school cannot impose this rule, for a one off event.

www.equalityhumanrights.com/advice.../school-uniform/

It is a Human Rights issue, under 'freedom of expression', rather than Euality Act.

What about if it is an optional event Birds?

Don't you think it is a rite of passage to dress formally, and it does teenagers no harm to get used to the old-fashioned rules that possible future employers of these students might have?

Where I work the dress code runs to two pages of A4.