I hate the 2000's

[Artigas]

Righto.

Perhaps the principal was enforcing the dress code? At all the public schools I attended, hats were not allowed, period.

Either way, I probably wouldn't get on someone's case if they had their hands full. I fumbled enough with hats and full hands when I was a JROTC cadet. lol

 

[just_me]

While not nearly as extreme, I was told to remove my top hat in the main commons of my highschool.

Why were you wearing a top hat to school? It sounds a tad overdressed for daytime. lol

 

[Geesie]

Why were you wearing a top hat to school? It sounds a tad overdressed for daytime. lol

 

[Sean]

when did i ever say i had a top hat on it was just a suit lol

 

[Down2BDapper]

No, she's talking about what Dermann said.

 

[Sean]

oh lol

 

[LaMedicine]

Days were (when I lived in the US and attended public schools) we had "Heel and Tie Day"s when we were REQUIRED to attend school dressed appropriately for specific occasions.

On the other hand, I was sitting here reading and wondering if the "no jacket" rule, whatever the original intention, might be enforced these days due to the guns in schools problem that I often hear about. A jacket would be one layer too many to conceal some weapons....

Too bad a dapper young man has to be reined in for being innocently and nicely dressed, though.

 

[DerMann]

Why were you wearing a top hat to school? It sounds a tad overdressed for daytime. lol

Because I enjoy the Abraham Lincoln comments

Not really. I've worn a topper to school for many occasions. Think this particular time was to give a speech or something.

To blatantly hijack the thread, military rules are more general so that they're easier to remember (or so I think). When I was in the Civil Air Patrol (three years?), hats immediately came off when one stepped into a doorway and they were right back on when you stepped out. Civilian hat rules are more subtle and yet make sense. One keeps one's hat on whilst in the lobby of an theatre and checks it before taking one's seat in the audience (so that no one's view is obstructed). Elevators are also considered public areas, unless there is a lady present (remove the hat), but if there're too many people in the elevator (leave the hat on). There were always what-if situations that dogged my mind "what if I was riding in a car?" "What about an enclosed patio?" "Eating outside at a picnic?" The list goes on...

I don't think the AP was telling me to remove my hat because of manners, as hats are not allowed by the dress code. Of course, there were more blatant violations than my top hat, but I let him have his small victory. But most teachers at my school enjoyed the sight of my top hat. Only two of the 8 or so APs told me to remove it whilst going from class to class.

As another Lounger said, dress codes are vaguely written so that they can be adapted to different situations. No where in my student hand book did it say that I could not wear a toga to classes. I believe there is a clause that prohibits "distracting" clothing. I always imagined distracting clothing to be the shirts with built in LED signs.

Speaking of togas, I need to get my toga from home and wear it to classes one day (now in college), just to see what happens.

 

[Tomasso]

wondering if the "no jacket" rule, whatever the original intention, might be enforced these days due to the guns in schools problem that I often hear about. A jacket would be one layer too many to conceal some weapons....

I was thinking the same thing. I've heard of a similar policy in some of Chicago's inner-city schools. Mind you, these same schools have metal detectors at the doors. :eusa_doh:

 

[Artigas]

A jacket would be one layer too many to conceal some weapons....

I dunno, seems pretty silly to me. Anything but skintight clothing can be used to conceal some weapons. Heck, most students carry backpacks, in which they could have rather large weapons. So a jacket rule seems pretty pointless to me.

Then again, it's pretty pointless to look for rhyme or reason to laws and rules, isn't it? lol

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Then again, it's pretty pointless to look for rhyme or reason to laws and rules, isn't it? lol

Well its pointless to look for rhyme or reason when we don't even have the actual -text- of the rules everyone is questioning...yes.

But I think a large point is being missed here:

I find it extremely odd and perhaps a bit much......that any of us are sitting here defending a minor's right to look however they want during school hours and thus flaunt rules, and 'fight against' the man....so to speak, when part of being that 'dapper young man', is manners and respect.

I would seriously suggest that back when a suit and tie -was- the school dress code, the kids did not necessarily glory in wearing it and would have rather been able to wear something else.

But guess what? They had enough respect for their elders and leaders....

To follow the rules and not think it 'their right' to dress how they wanted.

Violating a rule to wear something 'dapper' like a suit or a hat....is still violating the rules, and to me that shows more about the person then the clothes they wear.

 

[Artigas]

If the OPer was intentionally flaunting the rules, I somewhat agree with you. But I assume he was not (he seems surprised enough at the correction to have posted it here), and the remainder of my post operates on that assumption. I render unto the OPer the benefit of the doubt.

But guess what? They had enough respect for their elders and leaders.... To follow the rules

I am a stickler for following the rules. I got far in HS in part by being respectful to my elders. That doesn't mean I had or have blind faith in the infallibility of the rules, or that of my elders who established them. Which brings us to the statement you made which has most captured my attention:

They had enough respect for their elders and leaders.... To... not think it 'their right' to dress how they wanted.

How is having your own opinion disrespectful? Maybe I'm missing something, but I have no reason to believe that the OPer was disrespectful, intentionally insubordinate, or lacking in the manners befitting his manner of dress. It seems like he made an honest mistake.

There were plenty of times that, seeing a certain instructor make a very poor decision, I continued to offer respect and deference to him. That doesn't mean I failed to understand that the decision was a poor one.

There was nothing, and is nothing, disrespectful about considering a certain rule or statute to be unfair or unjust. There is nothing disrespectful about thinking it one's right to dress in a certain way, in and of itself. In fact, such free thought is the kind of thing I hope more schools are cultivating, alongside the common respect I presume the OPer showed.

In defending his right to dress in such a manner, most of us are not advocating that he change his tune from respectful disagreement to one of open rebellion. Rather, we are suggesting that the rule is unfair, and that, having presumably unintentionally broken it, the OPer recieved somewhat harsh treatment (if he was, in fact, "written up" as his OP claims) which a good principal, one who has as much respect for his students as they should have for him, could have, and probably should have, forgone in favor of a more lenient option.

One can still show respect for the rules (as I presume the OPer did, since he has doubtless ceased to wear such clothing at school) and those who established them, and consider the laws unjust, the establishers to be mistaken, and attempt to get them changed. I may be missing something, but I don't see anything in the OPer's reported behavior that does not fit that mold. As an American, a literal heir to the Revolution, I cherish both sides of this tradition.

Respectfully,

Artigas

 

[just_me]

I would seriously suggest that back when a suit and tie -was- the school dress code, the kids did not necessarily glory in wearing it and would have rather been able to wear something else.

Funny you should write that. When I went to school, girls had to wear skirts or dresses and boys had to wear trousers (not jeans) and button down shirts. We hated it.

When I started college, girls had to wear skirts/dresses. That pissed me off. I traveled into the city daily by bus and the subway, carrying a large art portfolio whether it was freezing or hot. One day I decided enough was enough. It was freezing out and I wore pants. The dean was walking by as I walked in the building. She kicked me out. I started a movement with other women to change the rules and we were wearing pants in no time.

I still would rather wear pants than a dress, but I see no reason why someone shouldn't be allowed to be dressed up in school. If the jacket was the issue, then asking him to remove it would have settled it.

Maybe try trousers, shirt, and tie and see how that goes over.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

In defending his right to dress in such a manner, most of us are not advocating that he change his tune from respectful disagreement to one of open rebellion. Rather, we are suggesting that the rule is unfair, and that, having presumably unintentionally broken it, the OPer recieved somewhat harsh treatment (if he was, in fact, "written up" as his OP claims) which a good principal, one who has as much respect for his students as they should have for him, could have, and probably should have, forgone in favor of a more lenient option.

Actually, you are reading less of this thread.....and more into my post then is prudent.

The OP did not start out to disobey...I never said he did.

What I questioned, was the idea that we all immediately jumped to the 'how unjust, you should wear it -anyhow- stance' , instead of 'well you should follow and respect the rules you have to work with'.

I won't attribute the following quotes, but they -are- from this thread....you can go back and match them up if you really want.

"If I were you I would wear the exact same suit the next time you go to school and if they give you grief again tell them to show you in the dress code where it says NO SUITS."

"I say keep it up. Once you get some supporters, they'll get the picture that it's not a flashy issue."

etc.

None of this says "Help advise the young man to be respectful and follow the rules even though he may not like them' to me.

You must have missed the follow up where the OP says he was talked at, and then changed it to 'well they asked me to take the jacket off'......again....he did not get written up officially etc.

and at least one other student who responded to the thread, did so with a 'I shall now go and dig out every odd garment just to push the boundaries of the rules'

Call me old and stale, but that is not the sort of respect for authority (even if the authority has stupid and silly rules) that we as lovers of 'older more mannerly times' should encourage and extoll as a virtue.

I will accept that my opinion is the minority in this whole thread and disappear accordingly.

*resume decrying the injustices of rules*

 

[Edward]

Wouldn't it be so much simpler if you just had a school uniform? I did fourteen years of school in uniform and it certainly did me no harm. Actually, I suspect much of my love of suit / collar / tie nowadays is down to all those years of 'conditioning' in a uniform made up of similar garments.

 

[MadelienneBlack]

When I was in highschool, we were not allowed to wear coats or jackets inside either. Had I worn a suit, I would have been asked to take my suit coat off as well. Same goes for hats, off as soon as you're in the building. The hat rule erked me a little bit because I owned some very cute hats. But I respected the fact that if guys had to follow, so did I. I can understand how it might seem silly to some to get "written up" for looking nice, but at the same time, rules are rules. Sorry, but it's true. (That's not to say I don't advocate breaking them every once in a while, however.)

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Wouldn't it be so much simpler if you just had a school uniform? I did fourteen years of school in uniform and it certainly did me no harm. Actually, I suspect much of my love of suit / collar / tie nowadays is down to all those years of 'conditioning' in a uniform made up of similar garments.

Here in Houston my daughter wears a uniform to public school. I pretty sure all the primary and middle schools are wearing uniforms, and most of the high schools. I think they want it to be everyone and that's fine with me! It makes it a lot easier the get the seven-year-old girl out the door without a struggle too!

 

[Edward]

Here in Houston my daughter wears a uniform to public school. I pretty sure all the primary and middle schools are wearing uniforms, and most of the high schools. I think they want it to be everyone and that's fine with me! It makes it a lot easier the get the seven-year-old girl out the door without a struggle too!

I can imagine! FWIW, when my mother was still teaching she would often express a wish that she too had a uniform to save on any hassle deciding what to wear in the morning. lol

 

[Down2BDapper]

When I was in high school (again, not that long ago) I always hoped there would be a bill passed forcing us to wear uniforms. From time to time there would be rumours circulating that the district was toying with the idea and I was quit in the minority in wanting it to become reality. My only stipulation was that they let me pick them out, which I highly doubt would happen. My idea was that the place would look like a British prep school circa 1930something when I got done with it, but alas, no. It also didn't help that my mom taught at a private school which I could have easily afforded to go to, but I didn't have the grades.

 

[MadelienneBlack]

When I was in high school (again, not that long ago) I always hoped there would be a bill passed forcing us to wear uniforms...My idea was that the place would look like a British prep school circa 1930something when I got done with it

Much agreed! I wouldn't have minded wearing uniforms at all if they looked pretty darn dapper (like you said, circa 1930something).