Students can dress up an otherwise ordinary school outfit without breaking the rules

Judging by the sample pictures in the elementary- and middle-school dress-code policy, kids in the Santa Fe Public Schools are either jumbo paper dolls or stuck in the 1950s.

Most kids would probably rather die than wear a cardigan sweater, which shouts elderly gentleman, or a pair of girls’ walk shorts that look like they are more suited for a zookeeper than girls who idolize Miley Cyrus, who plays Hannah Montana, or Lindsay Lohan.

Fortunately for kids, those images are only rough illustrations of the kinds of clothes they can wear. In real life, the options for standard dress are a little less dull.

With standard dress becoming more popular for schools across the country, manufacturers are providing parents and kids with a larger variety of colors and styles that still pass for school uniforms.

In Santa Fe, public schools require straight pants or shorts (only for part of the year), jeans or khaki, and polo shirts (solid) for boys. Girls can wear polo shirts or solid blouses with khaki pants, shorts, skirts or jumpers, plus jeans (depending on your school).

Within those limits, though, are many choices.

Whether it’s buying brightly colored polo shirts or the latest jeans (with only the appropriate number of pockets, of course), students don’t have to settle for being a look-alike automaton.

Sarah Sanchez, who shopped at Santa Fe Place with her three kids recently, said she follows dress-code guidelines. But her daughter Santana Carillo doesn’t like to wear the standard khaki slacks that most people think go with school uniforms.

Instead, Sanchez said, she buys Santana khaki-colored pants in a style she likes.

Despite having rules against things like baggy jeans or spaghetti-strap shirts, schools don’t limit accessories, though belts have to be size-appropriate. So kids can feel free to sport whatever kind of jewelry, shoes or hairstyles they want. There are no overt rules against mohawks – although there’s a clause that says hair shouldn’t “disrupt the education process or endanger students.”

Just like any set of rules, how dress codes are applied sometimes depend on where you are and who’s enforcing them. Some schools want kids to feel like individuals, while others find it easier to police the dress code if everyone is wearing the same thing. Many schools also limit what color polo shirt kids can wear, so it’s best to check the guidelines of your school before you buy.

Some principals are stricter than others, and if kids aren’t sure what they can get away with, it’s probably best to ask. Last year schools started out with all kids in elementary and middle schools tucking in their shirts, a rule that disappeared over the year depending on the principal’s interpretation.

If an outfit kids wear is over the line, many schools keep a stash of school T-shirts or solid polos that kids can wear for the day.

For kids who still feel stifled by dress codes, there’s only one thing to do: Wait until high school, where the dress code is much looser. In high school, limits focus on safety: For example, cothing that advertises drugs or liquor is banned.

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STANDARD DRESS CODE

Dos

• Navy, khaki, black, blue denim pants, shorts, skirts or capris
• Pants that are waist-size appropriate
• Skirts that are below fingertip length
• Solid-colored, collared shirts
• Any solid-colored sweatshirts, turtlenecks, sweaters or hooded sweatshirts
• T-shirts with school logo only

Don’t’s

• Wide-leg, sagging or baggy jeans
• Sweats
• Cargo pants
• Black on black
• Spaghetti straps or tank tops worn under blouses or sweatshirts
• Strapless tops
• Shirttails 7 inches below the waist
• Logos

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DRESS CODE DISTRICT RULES

What do I wear to school?

One of the most pressing questions many students have as the new school year starts is, “What do I wear?” Santa Fe Public Schools maintains a policy of “standard dress” that is a standard set of apparel that looks the same but is generic in nature.

Standard dress is in effect in kindergarten through eighth grade. In all schools, standard dress consists of the following:

• Slacks or shorts of black, navy blue or khaki (straightlegged or Capri style, with no outer pockets on the pants, made from cotton twill, cotton/ poly or corduroy cloth)
  

• Carpenter and cargo pants are not allowed

• Denim jeans that are classic American straight-legged (no cargo pockets, no adornments, tears, etc.)

• Skirts, skorts and jumpers of black, navy blue or khaki (pleated or straight, yet no cargo style)
  

• Shirts, blouses, sweat shirts, turtlenecks or sweaters, short or longsleeved, of any solid color, except black (polo, oxford, collared with/without buttons)

• No logos except school logo on school T-shirts or sweat shirts

Source: Santa Fe Public Schools

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