Dimond students have been seen wearing clothes that have been banned from the dress code in recent years. 

For years the young ladies of Dimond have been subjected to the rules of the dress code, such as not wearing spaghetti straps and off-the-shoulder shirts.

That rule was changed this summer by Christopher Kleckner, who is the Assistant Principal for Staff and Student Services at Dimond. 

“I think it is important that trends are reflected in the dress code,” Kleckner said. 

“We want the students of Dimond to wear clothes that are business appropriate. Which is why the spaghetti straps and off the shoulder straps had been banned before, but with that said I was actually told by a student that off-the-shoulder shirts were allowed at her workplace.

“It is not that the clothing is a distraction, we just want the kids to dress in a way that is like how they will be dressing for the future in a workplace.”

Even with the new changes in the dress code, there are still things that have not changed. 

Hats and hoods are not allowed as it is a matter of safety when there is an emergency. 

Wearing a skirt that is at an appropriate length is still part of the dress code and the bare midriff is still not allowed. 

More than anyone else, the members of the Women’s Empowerment Club are the ones who brought the issue to the attention of Kleckner.

“The women’s issues club is what really pushed this forward,” said Kleckner.

The Women’s Empowerment Club was started two years ago by Naomi Cashion. a Dimond graduate of 2019, and Chelsea Bruce, a current Dimond senior. 

The club gets together every two weeks and around 10 to 30 people show up.

Although it is a women’s issues club, it is open to not just young females, but also young men, as well.

Bruce said, “The first year about a fourth of the kids who showed up were males which was pretty cool.” 

The club focused on changing the dress code for about half a year, having many discussions.

“The dress code policy had basically been the same from when Dimond had first started, and fashion has changed,” Bruce said.

Kai Crawford, a Dimond senior, agreed. 

“Trends are changing and it is sexist towards women,” she said.

Bruce said, “The dress code is sexist because it was written mainly towards the girls and there was little about the boys. It also promotes a culture that views women as objects instead of human beings. 

“The dress code validates the idea that women should choose what they wear in regard to the opinion of men.”

Without the many young females who had addressed the situation and had taken it upon themselves to take a chance at making a change, things might have remained the same. 

“I think that it is just a better look for the future as trends are changing, and it proves a point that nobody is distracted by what you were. People really don’t care that you are wearing an off-the-shoulder shirt,” Bruce said.

The club has not started again for the new year, but it will hopefully be starting in a few weeks once logistics with the sponsor are finished. With that said, the presidents of the club are already planning.

“Modernizing the dress code posters around the school is what will happen next,” Bruce said.

The posters around the school have not been updated yet as the changes in the dress code are so new. 

Times have changed, and so have trends.