The GMC Dress Code: What’s Wrong?

There are many flaws that could be improved in the GMC dress code and how it is interpreted.

The handbook states 3 times that the “GMC Administration reserves the right of final interpretation of the dress code,” and whatever they say goes. 

A rule under the dress code states “students are to be in uniform at all times while on any part of the GMC or GTC campuses.” If this is true, shouldn’t this rule apply to the students who leave for Senior Project and come back in scrubs or people who have gym or weight lifting during lunch and are allowed to go to lunch in their gym clothes? Who does this rule really apply to? If it states all the students must be in dress code, then they all need to be in dress code with no exceptions. 

The first article of clothing mentioned in the dress code is shorts and pants. Our color choices are khaki and black, but mentioned under color is “NOTHING athletic.” Does this mean it only concerns color, or does it mean material? If shorts and skirts cannot be any shorter than 3 inches above the knee, is it determined when standing or sitting? Many shorts will move up the leg when someone sits down, and no one knows in which case does the 3-inch rule applies. 

The dress code also prohibits leggings, yoga pants, athletic pants or shorts, joggers, sweatpants, denim, overalls, and jumpers. The athletic pants rule doesn’t apply when in gym and weightlifting, but if the dress code is what protects the school, how will we know who is a GMC student when they are in one of the athletic extracurriculars? Many students will also come into the school when they have an athletic class as their first period in gym clothes, so unless the administrators know this student by name then they may not be completely sure if an intruder is coming into the school. Once again, there should be no exceptions. 

The next article of clothing mentioned in our GMC dress code is shirts. The color choices given are solid black, navy, white, and light blue. Also listed under “color choices” is the phrase “it must be collared with either long or short sleeves.” When thinking of colors, white, black and navy are one color that everyone can agree on, but what exactly is the right shade of light blue? A fellow student has once been dress coded for the “wrong shade of light blue.” If there is a “wrong” shade, then a swatch should be provided for everyone to be sure that they have the right shade. After all, what really is GMC blue?

Another specification for the shirt category is they must be tucked in at all times and if the shirttail becomes untucked when the arms are lifted, the shirt is too short.

Finally, outerwear is the last article mentioned in the dress code. Aside from GMC apparel, we can wear navy, black, white, and light blue. Grey is not a part of the dress code anymore, and once again, what exact shade of light blue can we wear? If it’s not GMC apparel, then your options are coats, jackets, sweaters and quarter-zips; however, non-GMC crewnecks are not allowed.

When the outerwear is GMC apparel, then you are allowed to wear it, no matter what year or type it is. Vests, short-sleeved tops, trench coats, long-sleeved tops, hoodies or crewnecks that aren’t “OFFICIAL GMC gear” are a violation of the dress code here at Greer Middle College. 

Though this seems like a lot, there are still more rules under the GMC dress code. You must wear footwear; any is approved except bedroom shoes. Any piercing must be a stud, excluding ear piercings. All head coverings are out of dress code when inside a building. Personal appearances that are said to be a distraction to learning will be considered violating the dress code. 

For dress down days at GMC, the same rules apply according to length and look, but you can wear denim. All that is prohibited on dress-down days are clothing articles that have holes or tears, leggings, athletic shorts, sweatpants, overalls, and jumpers. 

The dress code may be a nuisance to the students at GMC, but a dress code is necessary for keeping the school professional. However, if there is going to be a dress code that is enforced, it should be enforced fully. The unreasonable application of the dress code on certain students does not keep the safety it should provide in check. If only a small, targeted group of students are constantly reminded of the dress code, and the rest go unmentioned, where does the purpose of the dress code go? 

Many times, I have seen a group of students walk by a GMC faculty member and none are dress coded, but someone else who is an avid rule follower is. I feel as though the administrators should put more effort into enforcing the dress code on every student because if the dress code is supposed to be make up for not having student I.D.s, then it needs to be applied without a student being let off for any reason.