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Schools urge parents to remember dress code while shopping for kids
Dress codes
The guidelines below are a summary of dress codes that are specific to each school district. Please contact your child's campus for a complete dress code.
Wylie High School
Updated 2008-09 Wylie High School Dress Code (updates in bold):
1. Appropriate size pants worn at natural waistline with underwear fully covered.
2. Exposure of cleavage or midriff is prohibited. Tank tops, tank style dresses, exposed backs and midriffs are prohibited. Shoulder straps on shirts/tops must be at least 3 inches wide.
3. Pants, shorts, skirts and dresses must be no shorter than 3 ½ inches above the top of the knee. Use a vertical credit card as easy ruler. Rips, tears and holes in pants, skirts or shorts more than 3 ½ inches above the knee are prohibited. Slits in skirts are measured to top of slit.
4. Excessively frayed, worn or altered clothing including cut off shorts and shirts are prohibited.
5. Dresses, skirts and shorts worn with leggings must meet dress code length of 3 ½ inches from top of knee.
6. Biker shorts are prohibited.
7. Shoes must be worn at all times.
8. Earrings are allowed in the ear only. Piercings in other parts of body are prohibited, including eyebrows, nose, tongue, lips, etc. Males are permitted one stud earring only. No loop or dangle earrings are permitted on males. Piercing retainers are not allowed.
WISD administration shall have the right to appraise any current fashion fad or trend and determine if it is appropriate for school wear.
Abilene ISD
AISD 2008-09 Dress Code (no updates)
1. Appropriate, modest attire is required. Tank tops, spaghetti straps, muscle shirts, mesh tops, halter tops, see-through clothing, bicycle shorts, exposed backs or midriffs and sunshades are prohibited.
2. All apparel must be free of explicit or innuendo references to race, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, sex, vulgarity, profanity, death, suicide and violence.
3. Appropriate size pants worn at natural waistline with underwear fully covered. Excessively frayed, worn or altered clothing including cut off shorts and shirts are prohibited. Pants shorts, skirts or dresses must be no shorter than five inches from top of knee or higher than fully extended fingertips, whichever is more modest. Slits in dresses and skirts will be measured from top of slit.
Judgments as to what is neat, clean, modest, immodest, appropriate or inappropriate will be made by AISD campus principal, and decisions are final.
Clyde CISD
Clyde CISD 2008-09 Dress Code (no updates):
1. Strapless dresses or sundresses are prohibited. Tank tops, halter tops or spaghetti tops are prohibited. All shirts, tops and dresses straps must be at least 3 inches wide.
2. Inappropriate sleeveless shirts, clothing that exposes midriff and miniskirts are prohibited.
3. All undergarments must be worn at all times and covered at all times.
4. Baggy, oversized and sagging clothing is prohibited. Waistbands must be no lower than hip bone and must fit so pants do not slide down without a belt. Pant legs must not drag on floor.
5. Belts are required as needed.
6. Shorts must be hemmed. Skin tight fitting clothing is not permitted. Shorts may not be worn over warm-ups or below waistline.
7. No intentional holes and slashes are allowed.
8. All garments must meet minimum length requirements; no shorter than 5 inches from the bottom of the knee.
Clyde administration has discretion to make exceptions for special events.
Jim Ned CISD
Jim Ned CISD 2008-09 Dress Code (no updates):
1. All skirts, dresses, shorts must be hemmed and extend beyond the fingertips when arms are fully extended down the side.
2. Pants and jeans must be at waistline and fit properly.
3. Strapless dresses, see through blouses, tank tops, spaghetti straps, muscle shirts, mesh tops and bare midriffs are prohibited.
4. All clothing shall preclude indecent exposure when sitting, standing or performing normal school activities.
More Big Country Fashion trends can make it difficult for parents to buy their children clothing that is acceptable at school.
And schools routinely update their dress codes to address what students are wearing.
At Wylie High School, for example, the old rule was shorts and skirts had to extend to the fingertips of the person wearing them. Starting with the 2008-09 school year, the school is using a credit card instead of fingertips to measure length.
"Our new policy on length is 3½ inches from the top of the knee, and you can use a credit card placed vertically above the knee as a quick and easy ruler," said Phil Boone, an assistant principal at Wylie High School.
The school is also prohibiting exposure of cleavage or midriff.
Boone hopes parents will keep the school dress code in mind while back-to-school shopping with their children during the sales tax holiday. He said fashion trends make it difficult for parents, students and school administrators to determine what is acceptable.
"The dress code gets pushed further and further every year, and it's difficult on all of us," Boone said. "The fingertip guideline just wasn't working for us, so we made some changes."
At the Abilene Independent School District, shorts and skirts cannot be shorter than 5 inches from the top of the knee or higher than fully extended fingertips, whichever is more modest. The district has not changed its dress code this year.
Marcelle Winward, parent of a Cooper High School freshman girl, said finding clothing long enough is a major problem.
"The styles are really short, and it's almost impossible to find clothes they like that are long enough," she said. "You can spend hours looking and not find anything."
As a result, Winward said her daughter usually wears capri pants and jeans.
As for school dress codes, most districts share common policies on certain restrictions. Each area school district prohibits clothing, garments and accessories that depict or refer to race, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, sex, death, suicide, violence or gangs. And most policies prohibit students from wearing tank tops, hats or athletic headbands and trench coats.
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