Over the past couple of years, the John Cooper dress code has been becoming more casual. During the 2018-19 school year, our beloved handbook dropped restrictions about leggings on Fridays and collared shirts during the week (alternatively requiring a finished hem). This year the dress code has become even more relaxed, as for the first time students are able to wear t-shirts every day.

Students are enjoying the more comfortable environment that comes with the newly-relaxed dress code. “I found the restrictions on t-shirts last year didn’t serve much of a purpose,” Said Tillie Claggett ‘22 “As long as it’s respectful, it’s great to have the freedom and simplicity that comes with more casual attire.” Even with the more lenient tone of the dress code, students still look professional in their classes. “I really like the changes that they made this year,” says Brennan Robson ‘22.  “The dress code is more relaxed and flexible, but at the same time everyone looks put together.” This lack of complete casual dress during school is in part due to the rule against athletic bottoms, which are only allowed on dress-down days.

These changes in the dress code also allow students to easily express themselves through their clothing without worrying about having to fit their clothing into a restrictive dress code. “I think that the changes in dress code are a step in the right direction” said Saylor Hark ‘22. “Allowing us to dress more freely reduced a lot of the stress that back to school shopping creates for a lot of people. However, there are still changes that I would love to see be made. Overall I thought Student Council did a really great job with the changes and I think I can speak for a lot of people when I say I really like the new dress code.” Although restrictions on attire will always be present in the school community, the alterations in the dress code have positively impacted student life at cooper.