Ah, dress code. A loved and hated set of rules. As a lifer, I have known nothing but the dress code, and I think about the effects of that often. However, The Dress Code ArticleTM has been written many times, so The Edition thought it was time to put a new spin on it with the tier-list format. The tier list has been popular, especially on YouTube, for a while now. Tier list videos that have millions of views on Youtube include the ranking of presidents, snacks, and even a tier list of other tier lists. Above is my personal take on the non-official Germantown Academy Dress Code Tier List. Below, is the key to my list:
Actually Great
13. Our School colors are cute: Our historic school heads here at Germantown Academy had style. They ultimately chose the colors of red, black, and blue; and we are all the better for it. Thank the nonsectarian gods that our colors aren’t something like yellow and green.
12. Putting together outfits is pretty easy: A common refrain when I asked people about their dress code thoughts was appreciation for the simplicity of putting on an outfit each morning.
11. Shoe freedom: What was one of the most iconic fashion moments at the Inauguration? That’s right, it was the amazing Dior Air Jordans that upstaged Jill Biden’s dress. Dior himself once said, “the real proof of an elegant woman is what is on her feet.” This all goes to show that freedom of the foot in the dress code is essential to personal style. The right shoes are also important for comfort, no one wants to wear penny loafers!
Just Good
10. Wearing patterned masks: Wearing patterned masks is definitely a plus. They bring style to safety.
9. The kilt is indestructible: The indestructibility of the kilt has a special place in my heart. I think I’ve had the same kilt since middle school, just making adjustments to the buttons and length as I grew. The fabric never wrinkles and never shows a stain— it really has your back.
8. Color variety of polos: Color variety! The colors allowed for polos and sweaters bring spice to daily outfits. One of the most exciting things about moving from Lower School to Middle School was the expansion of viable colors to wear.
Weird, But Good
7. Sweatpants under the kilt: To help ease outdoor lunches during frigid temperatures, the dress code has recently been adapted to allow sweatpants under kilts. The sweatpants-under-kilt look is odd, but something to take advantage of and enjoy.
6. Allowance of the jogger: The jogger made a splash in the halls of GA in recent years, typically of the Lululemon variety. I put the jogger in the ‘weird, but good’ category because it does not actually follow dress code, hence ‘weird’, but I am a huge fan of this style, especially because I think it inspired more girls to wear pants during the winter.
Hmmmm
5. The logo rules: When I spoke to Dr. Torrey about logo rules, he told me that “at one point the rule was that the logo had to be smaller than your fist” but that the rule was always trying to be bent and “led to people flagrantly violating it and coming in with their Notre Dame sweatshirts.” He said they finally changed it to no logos since there were “too many potential exceptions.” While I do see the benefits of simplification, I also know it can be difficult to find nice sweaters and sweatshirts that don’t have some kind of small logo in the corner. I admit I don’t have a solution to this problem, which is why it is in the ‘hmmm’ category. However, I would like to try again with the small logo rule. Maybe this could be solved by a more uniform rule, that logos can’t be bigger than a square sticky note, instead of a fist.
4. No jackets allowed inside: Jackets in school colors should be allowed inside, especially during these cold months when some people are eating outside and carrying coats around.
That’s Awkward
3. Lifers won’t know how to dress themselves: As a lifer myself, I can attest to the worry of not knowing how to dress myself in college. My only outfits range from my uniform, sweatpants, or something fancy. Good luck to my fellow GA-kids-who-came-in-Lower-School, we’ll need it.
2. The kilt length dilemma: Ah, The Kilt Dilemma…. Something I frequently think about and discuss with others. What’s awkward is that what boys wear in dress code is similar to what they wear outside of school, while the short kilt is only acceptable in GA, at parties, or in anime.
Um, No
1. We can’t wear black pants? Finding nice khaki pants for girls is surprisingly difficult. What’s not difficult? Finding black pants! Black pants are easy to shop for since they are the norm for women’s dress pants, and they are within school colors, so I think they should be allowed. Dr. Torrey explained the rule to me, saying, “when that rule was put into place… we restricted it to navy and beige because yoga pants were such a new thing.” I personally believe the initial legging craze is over. Also, no one wears navy leggings, which are now just as available as black, because we know they aren’t pants! I think we can apply the same logic to black.
…or white sweaters? Another ban that confounded me was that of white sweaters. Dr. Torrey explained to me the history of The White Sweater, saying, “there are so many shades of white, that it became this point of contention” and they eventually decided “no more white sweaters” because “it’s too complicated and people have too much trouble trying to decide if the sweater is truly white.” However, I see a lot of variation in grey sweaters, which are not banned. A light grey or dark grey is still in the spirit of dress code, and it should be the same with white.
Let me know in the comments what you think of this list and what you would add or change!