A BIBLICAL APPROACH TO DRESS CODE ... - Grace Christian

There are two primary elements at the heart of the appearance policy issue: first, the nature ofthe GCS community; and, second, the role of fashion in today’s culture. Each can be defined interms of the influences exerted by both Christian and secular worldviews. After examining thecultural composition of these influences, we will then explore how to properly “mix” these twoelements in formulating a school appearance policy.GRACE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL is defined by two cultural components; education and thefamily/community.As Christians, our view of education acknowledges that, as fallen human beings, our childrenrequire boundaries and standards within which the learning process takes place. This stands instark contrast to the secular view that children, if taught a process of inquiry alone, willnaturally set their own moral standards, and, consequently, make wise choices.Our view of the family and community acknowledges that we have been created by God forrelationships, and there is a need for each individual to govern his personal behavior for thebenefit of others. As Charles Colson has stated, social institutions “are not impositions on ourfreedom but expressions of our inherently social nature” (How Now Shall We Live?, 365). Whilerecognizing the uniqueness of individuals created in the image of God, we acknowledge thatour identities are also formed by our roles as members of families, churches, and otherinstitutions, including schools. This contrasts with the secular worldview that autonomoushuman beings have no responsibility to others, except as they may choose to associate withthem, and that their freedom as individuals supersedes any obligation to the group. Theposition we have historically assumed is that GCS is a Christian educational community;therefore, as members of that community, our obligations to one another are both necessaryand beneficial.FASHION IN TODAY’S SOCIETY is influenced by the cultural components of fine art and popularculture.As Christians, our view of the arts acknowledges the integration of the natural world (science)and human expression, based on the existence of external structures of God’s design. Withinthese boundaries we find our creative fulfillment, reflecting the truth and beauty authored bythe Holy Spirit. A secular view of fine art sets it apart as a superior, autonomous reality.Consequently, any constraints, ranging from mathematical principles of symmetry orperspective to standards of morality and ethics, restrict the freedom of artistic expression andshould be disregarded.

While maintaining a standard of modest dress is important for both male and female students,the burden is greater for girls as a result of the natural differences between the sexes. Payingparticular attention to feminine modesty is needed because of its unique impact on therelationships of male and female members of the GCS community.What may seem appropriate to a female student (and frequently her parents) is often viewedwith a level of discomfort and embarrassment by others at school, including both peers andadults. The false notion that a young woman should be able to wear anything she likesregardless of the unspoken messages she is sending is one manifestation of fashion’s claim ofautonomy. It is also evidence of the influence of modern feminism in training women to believethat equality with men requires them to be the same as men, thereby necessitating that theydisregard and devalue feminine attributes considered weak or vulnerable. As Christians, weunderstand that men and women are created with equal worth and distinctly different natures,which are to be properly acknowledged and expressed.We recognize the need to provide clear and specific guidance that will help our daughters andsons integrate the virtue of modesty into their lives. As Wendy Shalit writes, we must help ouryoung women express their femininity as a more “transcendent, implicit quality than a crude,explicit quality” (A Return to Modesty, 97). Likewise, we must enable our young men to relateto women with the honor and respect today’s culture is denying them. Standards of dresswhich protect the dignity of students’ sexual identity will provide the atmosphere of freedomnecessary for both male and female students to express their God-given uniqueness in anuncompromising manner. (For further reading on modesty see the book Christian Modesty andthe Public Understanding of America by Jeff Pollard.)In conclusion, as parents we understand our role as the primary influence on our children’sattitudes toward these and many other matters. We accept the task of modeling for themsubmission to authority, honoring standards set for the benefit of others as well as ourselves,and participating fully in the building up of the GCS community. Although we may feel that theresponsibility for dress choices should remain ours alone, the increasingly individualistic culturein which we live makes it necessary for us, as members of the GCS community, to set aside ourpersonal preferences and take deliberate steps; namely, to remind our students that they arepart of something greater than themselves, to foster a sense of unity among them, and toreassure them that they are not alone in a world that can be at times lonely and hostile.These principles can be presented and reinforced with a thoughtfully chosen set of guidelinesfor school attire.

It is essential that students adhere to the dress code on a daily basis because the personalappearance of each member of the student body reflects upon the entire school. Students areexpected to dress in a neat and modest fashion, appropriate for the activities in which thestudents are involved.