Going into the 2022-2023 school year, Kingswood Oxford has returned to its more traditional style of dress code while also adding some more relaxed changes to KO’s daily routine.
Though KO has made an effort to relax the dress code while also keeping the traditional dress code, this has caused some debate amongst both students and faculty. While adaptation is always necessary when working with young adults, many alumni believe the preservation of KO culture lies within the dress code.
“There is a larger universal conversation at prep schools about dress codes, so we are trying to keep the traditions of Kingswood Oxford, while understanding that things could be analyzed differently,” Upper School Administrative Coordinator Lindsay Perkins said.
The opinions of students are highly valued within the KO community, especially when the conversation at hand directly pertains to their daily lives. While some students are happy with the professionalism of the dress code, the main complaint this year has been the topic of hoodies.
“My advisory has been very vocal about not being able to wear hoodies. I think many students use hoodies as a security thing, and I think they would like to be able to wear them,” Spanish teacher Carolina Croes said. Senior Dalton Grant agreed that the dress code has gotten stricter. “They’re not letting things slide this year,” he said.
Some students hold the daily dress code as a positive aspect of the atmosphere on campus. “Everyone looks cleaner and more professional in dress code,” senior Mac Louis said.
The reality is that many students may have gotten used to the laid-back routine of going to school under COVID-19 restrictions. In the 2020-2021 school year, students enjoyed a relaxed dress code to accommodate the stresses of the pandemic. The 2021-2022 school year returned to the normal dress code, with the addition of the ability to wear jeans as well as Spirit Day Wednesdays. Between the uncomfortable masks and the unpredictable future of the virus, many violations of the dress code went unpunished. The most important priorities were health and safety while in a learning environment. This freedom of apparel often resulted in non-KO-colored hoodies, pajamas, and comfortable dress outside of Spirit Days.
It was very important to the administration this year to emphasize the use of Wednesdays to express school spirit. With conflicting game schedules, it is often hard to attend other teams’ games, so this is a more realistic way to foster a stronger sense of KO pride.
“I didn’t want to dissect every piece of clothing because fashion is so specific and evolves quickly,” Interim Dean of Students Kata Baker said. “Some things are just safety, such as hats and hoods. There is research that says it is important to see the faces of people in your community. I also wanted to make the spirit days actually spirited and I wanted to take away the idea that you can wear whatever you want.”
Mrs. Baker notes fluctuations in trends and what students are wearing now may not be socially trendy in the future. The more open dress code format allows for students to express themselves in a fashion that speaks to them.
Mrs. Baker also strived to make her adaptation of the dress code as gender neutral as possible. In the past, those students who were defined as male were required to wear ties everyday, while girls were able to wear dresses and skirts, similar to the current regulations.
With today’s fashion industry often dividing feminine and masculine styles, the neutral dress code offers a cohesive look and a less divided community.
Although, even with a fairly relaxed dress code, students still find themselves wanting to wear hoodies and other out-of-dress apparel to school. The new Blackbaud system allows for faculty to maintain healthy relationships with their advisees and students while making sure they are not dress-coded multiple times. Blackbaud allows an “infraction” to be inputted on the student’s account, which serves as an alternative to a verbal dress code warning.
By notifying all faculty of a student’s violation, they will not have to endure multiple conversations about the same issue and can continue their uninterrupted learning. While the word “infraction” is not a term that Mrs. Baker is fond of using in this situation, the premium system will make dress coding less stressful for the student and more organized.
“The goal is school spirit, safety, and clothing you can learn in,” Mrs. Baker said.
