TresSugar

School Tells Girl: Wear a Dress or Skip Graduation

TresSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:05:00 -0700

Chelsea Sarvis is a stellar high school senior about to graduate from Chapin High School in South Carolina. Despite her achievements, she might have to sit out the graduation ceremony. See, Chapin High School requires female graduates to wear a dress or skirt to the ceremony, while the boys must wear dress pants - but Chelsea wants to wear pants. The school has given her an ultimatum: wear a dress or stay home.

Chelsea says she dislikes wearing dresses because she doesn't feel comfortable with her body, and she wonders: "Why is it a stereotype that a girl has to wear a dress?"

What if Chelsea said she only felt comfortable in jeans? Would the school be obliged to let her wear them? Perhaps there's something about a dress that makes the school's dress code seem more like a sexist policy that pushes traditional gender roles.

The school could easily avoid drama if it just made an exception for Chelsea or modified its dress code to allow girls to wear dress pants if they want. Do you think it should?

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Do Tell: What's Your Favorite Look on a Man?

DearSugar — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 09:00:00 -0800

There's nothing as hot as a guy in a suit - but then again, I love when guys keep it simple in good jeans and a plain t-shirt. It totally depends on the occasion, I know, but generally speaking, do tell, what's your favorite look on a guy?

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Teeny Prom Dress Earns Girl Accessories: Handcuffs. Fair?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 09:00:09 -0700

Prom night in Houston brought out the corsages - and the controversy. One high school senior came decked out in a dress that school officials thought was less than suitable. Yellow criss-crosses of fabric made up the top portion of her custom-made frock. She said, "I actually like the dress. Everybody else likes my dress." The dress code did not approve.

She was stopped at the door by a school official. The hopeful prom-goer said, "she shook her head, she was like you are not getting into this prom. We were arguing back and forth because I wanted to know why I can't get into my prom.” The dance of wills escalated from there. Even after offering cover up, she was still denied entrance.

The school principal said, “It was revealing in such nature it was not appropriate for the prom." The student became furious and demanded entrance or a refund - the next thing she knew, the cops had been called and the tiny dancer was chauffeured away in a squad car. She says, "They didn't give me any options, but to go to jail or go home."

Even the morning after, she still loves her prom dress. Was the school out of line? Should she have been allowed to cover up and dance? Was the dress and resulting argument too hot for high school?

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Guy Talk: The Black Tie Dress Code

DearSugar — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 13:30:00 -0700

When it comes to choosing an outfit for an invitation event, men and women alike have questions about what's appropriate and acceptable. I just received an e-mail asking if a light- colored suit would be acceptable for a man to wear at a black tie event, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to run through the basic rules of thumb.

Click here to read more

Deciphering dress codes requires a little bit of knowledge, and certain occasions have strict rules that are best and most comfortable to follow. When the invitation specifies a form of dress, this is both a courtesy and a guide for the tenor of the event. If an invitation specifically calls for black tie, men are expected to wear a tuxedo.

Men don't get as many opportunities as women to express themselves through their formal attire. That said, a tuxedo is a lovely and classic look! If you feel the need to mix things up a bit, opt to wear a long tie instead of the classic bow tie. You can spice up the simple black and white look with a colored or patterned bow tie, vest or cummerbund. But please, fellas, pick only one piece for your bold or patterned accent! Depending on the event, sometimes a tux can we worn without a tie altogether, and that's a look I kinda dig.

Another safe way to show some style is through your cuff links. Cuff links make a nice, subtle personal statement; they're a safe way for men to accessorize and add some flair to the outfit. Most of all, fellas, don't forget to enjoy yourself!

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Do Tell: What Are the Worst Male Fashion Offenses?

TresSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:00:28 -0800

A popular nightclub in Australia has decided to ban "metrosexuals" in an attempt to curb violence. Apparently a certain style of dress is enough to start a bar fight.

On the list of forbidden clothing items you will find low-cut v-neck t-shirts, skinny jeans, pointy white shoes, popped collars, and Ed Hardy tops. I think many of us would be happy to go to a bar with this type of restrictive dress code.

When trying out fashion trends, men can come off as trying a little too hard. The power jeans trend - the tendency to pair expensive-looking jeans with a blazer for an "I'm hip!" vibe - is another example. Which male fashion fad would you like to ban?

Top Official: Burqa Not Part of France's "National Identity"

TresSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Cheese. Wine. Baguettes. These are all seemingly welcomed signifiers of French identity. Burqas? Not so welcome.

France has been debating a ban on the head-to-toe garment for some time now. Most recently, the country's immigration minister Eric Besson said yesterday that burqas should not be worn on French streets because they are not part of the country's "national identity."

Besson wants the government to reaffirm national pride by having a "great debate" about what it means to be French. With more than five million Muslims living in France (the largest Muslim population in Western Europe), doesn't French identity include Muslim traditions? It sounds like Besson, who was born in Morocco, disagrees. Based on his previous statements, being French means speaking better French if you're an immigrant and having more opportunities to sing the national anthem if you're a kid in school.

Do you think the French government has a right to dictate dress codes under the guise of "maintaining tradition," or should it be more accepting of minority and immigrant group influences? Would you worry if US officials organized a meeting to decide what it means to be American?

DEARSUGAR's Guide To Decoding Dress Codes

DearSugar — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 12:00:00 -0800

Dear Sugar
My boyfriend and I have been invited to his office holiday party and the invitation reads "business casual". I am a teacher and have no dress code so I am not familiar with what this means. Can you help me figure out what "business casual" implies for a woman? Also, on a more general note, what are the rules when following directions about dress codes on invitations? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Clueless Claire

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Dear Clueless Claire
You are not alone. I've gotten many questions about what is appropriate to wear to specific events, and right before the holidays is the perfect time to address dress code issues. There are a myriad of dress codes out there and they are often times very confusing. Here is DEARSUGAR's Guide To Decoding Dress Codes: To see coordinating looks, click here.

Business Casual is one of the most misunderstood dress codes in the workplace. It began as an escape from the formal suit allowing men and women to be more comfortable and relaxed, yet still appear professional and presentable looking.
Business Casual technically means that you can wear: slacks and a button down shirt with no tie for men, and a blouse with trousers or a skirt for women. However, it has progressed to become even more informal over the years.

All companies have different thresholds for tolerance of: open toe shoes, tank tops, and the recommended skirt length, but the basic guidelines still apply. The idea is for you to dress professionally and look put together, neat yet a little bit more relaxed than if you had to be in a blazer or suit jacket all day.
To make it more confusing, Casual Chic is a fancier version of Business Casual. For a man, this implies wearing a sport coat and slacks, and for a woman, it is recommended to wear a dressy pant or skirt and a sassier, more cocktail-style blouse.
Cocktail Attire typically means that a woman should wear an elegant dress that falls around her knee area. For a man, it means wearing a dark colored suit, and a necktie is optional. The "little black dress" was a term coined by Coco Chanel in 1926 for this type of occasion. As always, accessories can add individuality and glamour to any outfit ...especially to the little black dress.
Black Tie is a more definitive dress code. It lets you know that the affair you are attending is unmistakably formal and that all men should be wearing tuxedos and women should be wearing elegant floor-length dresses or gowns. Many women feel this rule is outdated today and that as long as they have a dressier style of a cocktail dress that falls around or below the knee it can suffice. I suggest assessing the crowd that will be in attendance and dressing accordingly with discretion.
Formal Attire is similar to black tie, although men have the option of wearing a black suit with a tie as opposed to wearing a tuxedo. In this case, women can choose formal separates.
White Tie is the most formal of dress codes. The main difference between white tie and black tie is the man wears a dinner jacket with tails, a white shirt, white tie, and white vest versus a traditional tuxedo.

I hope this helps to steer you in the right direction and makes your outfit decision making easier. I think that wearing an A-line skirt, a pencil skirt or a tailored pair of pants with a festive colored sweater or blouse would look lovely at your boyfriend's holiday party. If you prefer to wear a dress, something simple such as a solid shift (nothing too sexy) and a blazer would suffice as well.

Please understand that these suggestions are nothing more than guidelines and are here to help you. Above all when attending a party that offers a dress code suggestion on the invitation, make sure that you feel comfortable and confidant. What anyone will remember above all, is your dashing and clever inner beauty and charm that will shine through.

All-Male Morehouse College Bans Cross-Dressing

TresSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0700

It appears that folks in Georgia aren't too fond of cross-dressers. We told you about a teen in Kennesaw who quit high school rather than stop cross-dressing, and now Martin Luther King, Jr.'s alma mater Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA has instituted a no dress-wearing clause to its larger dress code policy.

The "Appropriate Attire Policy," which already bans casual attire like do-rags and sagging pants, has now added dresses to the list of casual clothes its male students cannot wear. But the last time I checked, a dress isn't "casual" attire; a dress could actually be considered formal attire. So what's really going on here? If you want to weigh in, read more

This rule was implemented because of five men on campus who are cross-dressing, according to Dr. William Bynum, Morehouse's vice president for Student Services. "We are talking about five students who are living a gay lifestyle that is leading them to dress a way we do not expect in Morehouse men," he said. Even the campus' gay organization, Morehouse Safe Space, was OK with the ban, voting 24 - 3 in favor of it before it was instituted.

Do you think that a gay man wearing a dress is on par with a barefoot, saggy-pants wearing man in a do-rag, or is this institutionalized homophobia in action?

Hooters Has a Dress Code!

GiggleSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:00:00 -0700

For their customer's sake, I hope this doesn't apply to their "chefs."

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Should a Girl Have a Right to Wear Pro-Life Shirt to School?

TresSugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:00:05 -0700

When she was in the seventh grade last year, Anna Amador wore this graphic t-shirt to school for National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day. Her principal ordered her to change out of the "growing, growing, gone" shirt, a decision Anna's mom says violated her First Amendment rights. Now, on Anna's behalf, her mom is suing the school in federal court.

The school claims that the t-shirt, which shows a growing fetus, violated dress-code regulations against clothing with suggestions of "tobacco, drug or alcohol use, sexual promiscuity, profanity, vulgarity, or other inappropriate subject matter." It seems like the shirt falls under these broad rules, but the girl argues that the school inconsistently applied the dress code based on the subjective opinions of officials.

Do you think Anna had a right to wear this shirt?