Written By: Lillian Pereira

Among all the changes introduced this year by the Rye Country Day School administration, few have generated as much controversy, or as many conversations as the rewriting of the dress code. as the rewriting of the dress code. Since 2020, when COVID-19 prompted looser enforcement, the dress code of Rye Country Day has remained somewhat relaxed, banning only the basics that many schools do such as open-toed shoes or shirts with inappropriate graphics. Now, five years after the pandemic, the school decided to re-evaluate the dress code. 

After last year’s dress code committee met, composed of teachers and students, a consensus was reached: students are no longer allowed to wear sweatpants, athletic shorts, or other athletic attire to school. According to Interim Upper School Principal Jenny Heath, this decision was meant to create a more formal atmosphere at RCDS. “I think their [the committee’s] criticism [is] about [how] …students [don’t] look like they’re ready for school. Students look like they’re reading for bed or they’re ready for the beach or they’re ready to go to their practices, but they don’t look like they’re heading off to their educational environment.” 

However, many students view the change as a negative shift. Specifically, students are upset about the inability to wear sweatpants. “I wish they actually enforced the pjs [in the dress code] before they upped it to sweats,” said an anonymous student. “Also, give me clear punishments or I’m wearing my sweats anyway.” 

While the school has announced that it will take a stricter approach with repeat offenders, potentially including a Day of Reflection, it remains unclear how many violations would trigger such a consequence. Ms. Heath clarified that students do not need to worry about receiving a Day of Reflection for a single infraction.“The way our system is set up,” Ms. Heath explained, “there’s a lot of opportunity to get it right, and there’s opportunity for someone to have a day where they get it wrong and rectify the situation the next day. In order for someone to earn a Day of Reflection for dress code violations, they would have to be a pretty regular rule breaker, and they would have had lots of warnings about it.” 

Still, students are not just worried about potential punishments, they are also concerned about comfort. “I don’t want to have to think about what I’m wearing before school,” reported an anonymous junior. “I feel that it is harder to learn when you are uncomfortable.” 

With these complaints circulating, some wonder if it is possible that the dress code will become stricter, or even evolve into a uniform policy. Ms. Heath believes that this is unlikely. “There would be another wave of thought about dress code and about uniforms, but as of now, I don’t think so.” 

Whatever the case, it is a near guarantee that the dress code will continue to be contested, discussed, and reviewed by both teachers and students alike.