Confidence is key, even when it comes to dress code

It’s really hard for me to feel good about myself. I’m always questioning myself. The way I feel, the way I think, and especially the way I look.

I was blessed with parents that don’t care too much about what I wear. Obviously, there are limits to what I’m allowed to wear outside of the house, but as long as I’m decent, there aren’t many more restrictions. Because of this, it’s easier for me to feel good about myself.

The clothes that I wear are a prime factor in having a positive body image of myself. If I’m comfortable and confident in my clothes, I can be comfortable and confident in my skin. But, that is becoming increasingly more difficult as the number of articles of clothing I’m allowed to wear at school decreases.

I understand that everyone was very relaxed last year about rules regarding phones, dress codes, earbuds, etc. However, I also know that the amendments to the dress code this year—and the increased focus on it—are making it so much harder for girls specifically to express themselves, and, in turn, feel confident.

I love to wear skirts and dresses. They make me feel fancy and good about myself. They make me feel pretty. But, the majority of my skirts and dresses do not reach mid-thigh as the dress code requires. When I wear dresses or skirts that go past my mid-thigh, I feel less confident. I honestly can’t explain why, but I don’t tend to buy skirts and dresses that meet dress-code requirements, not to mention how hard it is to find cute clothing that meets dress code requirements. It is virtually impossible to find clothing that I like that abides by the dress code.

Another thing that I love to wear? Shorts. My favorite pair of shorts are jean shorts that I bought from Old Navy. They definitely do not go to mid-thigh. I can count on one hand the number of people I know that feel confident in shorts that go to mid-thigh. One hand. Because, for lots of girls, it feels like we need to show off our bodies to make people like us—which is not okay. That’s not the point, though. The point is that some girls feel confident in shorts that don’t go to their mid-thigh. They don’t feel confident in shorts that do go to mid-thigh.

My closet is full of clothes that make me feel good about myself. I don’t buy clothes that I feel bad in, because I don’t want to spend my time feeling bad about myself. I know what it’s like to feel bad about myself, and I don’t want anyone to feel like that simply because the school says the clothes they’re wearing aren’t appropriate.

I want to be able to feel confident with myself, and having my clothing restricted limits that confidence. It’s not fair. It’s my body; I should be allowed to wear what I want to wear. I tell myself every day that confidence is key, and that is true no matter what the dress code is. I am going to wear what I want so that I can learn to love myself and be confident in myself. The dress code certainly shouldn’t enable confidence in a world that does so easily on its own.